João Ricardo | Management and Innovation Consultant

Specialized advice and support to businesses

Services

I provide specialized advice and support to businesses on an independent consultant basis.
There are no two clients alike. Each case is different and I strive to be as flexible and client-centric as possible.
I enjoy best working closely with management and owners and I believe that the best solutions come from co-creation relationships.
So let me know if you need help or counseling on any of points below!

Business Development

I can provide your business with a permanent representation in Portugal, managing your leads, sales and partnerships pipeline.
From outbound campaigns and presence in events such as trade fairs and Industry Days, generating and qualifying leads, to proposal writing, negotiation and deal closure.

Proposals Preparation

As a first step I can support you in the selection of the most adequate program or grant to submit in your proposal to.
I can also perform proposal management (writing, inputs management, and delivery) for bids, tenders, RFQ, RFP, and support your presence in proposal preparation meetings with partners and suppliers.

Process Mapping and Improvement

Your business is a set of processes for customer satisfaction.
Let's map these through a brainstorm. This is an excellent way to identify improvement opportunities, uncover risks and re-assign responsibilities.
I can perform this as a preparation for ISO 9001 implementation, or to tackle specific performance issues (even if your company is already certified).

Go-To-Market / Internationalization

I can provide support to your business in entering the Portuguese market: analysis, segmentation, competition analysis and management of partnerships.
Likewise, I can also provide the same support to Portuguese companies who want to expand their activity to international markets.

Foresight

If your business is highly dependent on the macro environment and its long-term trends, I can provide you with support by identifying and laying out future scenarios.

Business Plans

A business plan is the road map you will need to provide direction to your business, to your investors, and to your stakeholders.
I can cover the typical stages of the process (writing, inputs management), while also supporting financial projections (financing, planned investments, NPV, IRR, Payback Periods, sensitivity analyses, and cash-flow-maps).

Marketing Strategies and Plans

This is about identifying your target customers, your positioning, and the value proposal and the benefits to be communicated to the target customers.
I can also support the definition of a pricing strategy, service management, and strategies for customer retention.

Innovation, R&D and Tech Strategies

How does your business create value for customers? What are your competitive advantages? Are they sustainable or are they under threat?
If you are a technology entrepreneur these are critical questions.
I can perform this support typically by mapping the competitive ecosystem and running competitive analyses.

Expertise

I have about 16 years of professional experience, most of which in the European space sector. First as a structural engineer, then as a project manager. I operate as an independent management consultant since 2019.

I graduated from IST Lisbon in 2006 with a MSc. in Mechanical Engineering, with a concentration in Design and Manufacturing. Later in 2013 I graduated from The Lisbon MBA.

I am passionate by Engineering, Technology and Management, and I enjoy working closely with owners and management teams who are facing specific operational  and strategic challenges. I work with startups, SMEs and non-profit organizations, and I typically employ my knowledge on subjects such as:
  • Business Development
  • Proposals Preparation
  • Process Mapping and Improvement
  • Go-To-Market / Internationalization
  • Foresight
  • Business Plans
  • Marketing Strategies and Plans
  • Innovation, R&D and Tech Strategies
Industry wise I am more comfortable providing my expertise to companies in the aerospace and IT sectors, but I am also open to work in sectors such as tourism, agriculture, and sea-related industries.

I enjoy and feel comfortable working in highly internationalized projects and environments. I have lived, studied and worked in places like France, The Netherlands and USA.

I am based in Portugal and I work remotely for my clients. I can negotiate on-site work on a case by case basis.

Resume

Experience
Since 2019 - Independent Management and Innovation Consultant
Since 2019 - Business Development, Two Impulse (Lisbon, Portugal)
2016-2018 - Structures Business Manager, Active Space Technologies (Lisbon, Portugal)
2011-2016 - Project Manager, Active Space Technologies (Coimbra, Portugal)
2006-2011 - Mechanical Engineer, Active Space Technologies (Coimbra, Portugal)
2005 - Internship as a Design Engineer, Volvo Compact Equipment (Belley, France)

Education
2013 - Master in Business Administration, The Lisbon MBA (Católica | Nova | MIT Sloan)
2009 - Space Studies Program, International Space University (NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California)
2006 - Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico (Lisboa, Portugal)
2004-2005 - Erasmus Exchange Student, Institut National de Sciences Aplicquées (Lyon, France)

For further details you can see my public CV here.

Contact

Feel free to contact me for any queries at: mail at joaoricardo.eu 

I also keep an online presence on LinkedIn and on Twitter, where you can contact me through direct messaging.

You can also leave your message or query in the contact form below.

I will get back to you as soon as possible.

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