A writer and a women in the technological area
A passionate woman who loves to embrace social projects that mean something not just to her but also to those who she helps. Whilst in The Lisbon MBA Católica|Nova, Sara Canteiro was a member of the project Patient Innovation and, while at Microsoft, she’s also a member of a different social project named Just a Change which is focused in the reconstruction of houses, notably those destroyed by the wildfires that occurred last year in Arganil, Portugal. Sara is, also, a mindfulness avid, a devoted professional who loves what she does and a writer in the making. Meet, in this interview, Sara Canteiro The Magazine-Review July Profile and The Lisbon MBA Alumni.
The Magazine-Review interviews Sara Canteiro, The Lisbon MBA Alumni and Partner Technology Strategist at Microsoft Portugal
Sara Canteiro is a thirty-one-year-old Artificial Intelligence enthusiast, who is passionate about her friends and family, reading, watching TV series, movies, and cooking. Sara’s history could have been similar to many others, but she made it a bit different from everyone’s. The Lisbon MBA, apart from the participation in the Patient Innovation project, along with several start-up projects, she started to write her own book – a crime/mystery fictional novel. She has a BSc degree in IT Engineering and an MSc in Information Systems. Between 2014 and 2016 she dedicated two years to a whole new chapter in her life: The Lisbon MBA Part Time program.
Her career started in Deloitte, a major consultancy firm, as Analyst and evolved to Senior Consultant when she took a leave from the company in 2014. At Deloitte, she had the opportunity to participate in several projects, not only in Lisbon but also in Luanda (Angola) and Copenhagen (Denmark) where she had the opportunity to develop different types of work from programmatic tasks to strategic and project management assignments.
After three years at Deloitte, she felt she needed something different. According to Sara, “I needed something that defied me, and I also needed to meet different people from different backgrounds. The Lisbon MBA Part Time Program played a significative role in this particular aspect.”. In her opinion, the key-characteristics of The Lisbon MBA are the opportunity to combine hard and soft skills in a unique approach when compared with other programs that exist in the market, either at national or international level. When pursuing a program from The Lisbon MBA, “we’re not only investing in an MBA. We’re investing in a whole different experience that will invite us to establish and develop our own network, as well as to advance our skills through the variety of classes that comprise the program itself”, says. An equally important part of The Lisbon MBA experience was the “Career Management Center because, when I pursued The Lisbon MBA Part Time, I was a bit lost and they guided me to where I am now, at Microsoft.”, concludes. The opportunity of moving to a new industry appeared as a very challenging project for her. In choosing The Lisbon MBA Part Time, “my intention was to get to know different realities and explore new subjects and themes. Moving from Deloitte to Microsoft was a result of the exchange of new experiences and connections I’ve made during the MBA program, and that is, besides all the more practical skills I learned during the program, the most positive outcome for me.”, says.
What are your long-term projects? “The Future we will invent is a choice we make” this quote from Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, reflects very well “who I am, and also what Microsoft represents today”, she says. “My long-term objectives are deeply connected with Microsoft as I love the company and what I do, and I can see a world of future opportunities here. (…) I want to continue investing in meaningful projects (my book included, of course!), to bring a positive impact to those I touch while doing something I love.”, concludes.
Music: Foo Fighters – Learn to Fly
Book: Harry Potter saga
Movie: Star Wars IV – A New Hope
Motto: Be true. Make an impact. Create good.