APPII appoints new president

The new president of the Portuguese Association of Real Estate Developers and Investors (APPII) is Hugo Santos Ferreira.

Santos Ferreira replaces Henrique de Polignac de Barros who had been at the helm for 30 years and who stood down to pave the way for fresh leadership which will be able to provide continuity for the association which represents property developers and investors in Portugal.
The appointment was voted on at a meeting of the APPII’s general assembly by an absolute majority along with a new board with a three year term until 2024.
The new board members will include the Vice President, filled by the managing partner of Vanguard Properties, José Cardoso Botelho, Pedro Vicente of Habitat Invest, Carlos Vasconcellos Cruz of Quântico and Diogo Pinto Gonçalves of Westport International, all members of some of the most important real estate developers in Portugal.
The general assembly meeting included a speech by Henrique de Polignac de Barros who will now transition to the post of president of the general assembly of the new board.
“I am leaving an association which is people-focused, structured and respected by all and which 30 years ago created the figure of the real estate developer in Portugal. I leave the APPII but the APPII will always be present and is indeed part of me,” he told the dozens of members who were present.
Hugo Santos Ferreira, the president elect (he had been vice president and a very visible face in the sector over the past few years) said he was inheriting the fruit of a legacy left by all those who had worked in the service of the APPII and its members and emphasised that the association is today stronger than ever and would continue to fight for the defence and affirmation of the sector in Portugal, consolidating its position as a lynchpin association for the sector.
“There will be great challenges ahead, we will continue to negotiate with the government, local municipal councils and other stakeholders so that the real estate sector can once again be the driver of economic recovery without however forgetting the constant need to create favourable conditions for a real estate market which is effective for all Portuguese,” said the new president.
Hugo Santos Ferreira said that the new board of the APPII was independent, professional and dedicated and only that way could it be committed to all association members to achieve their goals.
The new board also includes real estate developers and investors from all segments of the market, with projects from the north and south of the country, including the autonomous regions: housing, retail, the hotel sector and logistics among others.
Over the last six year cycle which now ends with the election of the new board, the APPII has grown exponentially, having quintupled its number of members and has gone international. Today it is considered the main doorway for overseas investors in Portugal with 50% of its members International and which are actively contributing to the internationalisation of the sector and the creation of beneficial partnerships with its local members.
The process of the association’s growth, dynamism and affirmation culminated in 2020 with the APPII becoming the leading association for the real estate sector for government figures, public entities, municipal councils and public opinion.