Rui Duarte’s career began not in a boardroom or a laboratory, but in the chamber of Parliament. Still in his twenties, he was elected as one of Portugal’s youngest Members of Parliament, where he served as Rapporteur for Technology Assessment and spearheaded the pilot project to create the country’s first Technology Assessment Unit. Those early days taught him that politics, at its best, is about bridging vision with execution – and that technology was already rewriting the rules of governance.

From there, Rui’s path moved onto the global stage. He worked with young leaders at the United Nations, the Council of Europe, and regional bodies from the African Union to the Arab League, often in the delicate space where diplomacy meets development. Whether it was negotiating international cooperation frameworks or aligning national policies with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Rui learned the quiet power of connecting people, institutions, and ideas across borders.

After a decade in public policy, he turned to the private sector – but not away from public purpose. As a senior leader in corporate communications, public affairs, and CSR, he navigated complex and highly regulated industries, from FMCG to technology, driving strategies that merged commercial success with societal impact.