Hugo Azinheira

Hugo Azinheira has a diverse work experience spanning various roles and industries. Hugo began their career as a Trainee at Pechiney in 2003. Hugo then joined Philip Morris International in 2004, where they worked as an Associate Scientist, a Cigarette Designer, and gained further experience in roles related to tobacco product development. In 2009, Hugo joined JTI (Japan Tobacco International), where they held multiple positions, including Product Development Manager, Product Planning Manager, NPD Manager, Acting Brand Manager, and Innovation Manager. Hugo was responsible for various aspects of product development, portfolio strategy, and competitor analysis. In 2018, Hugo moved to Essentra and served as the Global Innovation Director and later as the Global Innovation & Marketing Director. Their responsibilities included managing global development centers, supporting product management, leading new product commercialization, overseeing intellectual property activities, and implementing best practices for R&D teams. Additionally, they were a part-owner of Shantarin starting in 2021. Currently, Hugo holds the position of Global Director of Innovation & ESG at Filtrona starting in 2023.

Hugo Azinheira has a diverse education history that spans several years. In 1991, they attended the Liceu Nacional de Sá da Bandeira for an unspecified degree and field of study, until 1996. Following this, in 1997, they enrolled at the Instituto Superior Técnico, where they pursued a degree in Materials Engineering and completed it in 2004.

Throughout their education, Hugo also engaged in various international experiences. In 2001, they attended Aalborg University for a summer course in Production Management. In 2002, they participated in an ERASMUS program at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Ingénieurs en Arts Chimiques et Technologiques, focusing on Génie des Procédés. Additionally, in the same year, they undertook a summer course on Crystals for LASERs at Warsaw University of Technology.

In 2002, Hugo engaged in an internship at Ecole centrale de Lyon, specializing in Surface Characterization (Tribology). In 2012, they attended the Louvain School of Management, Université catholique de Louvain, for an Executive Program in Innovation Management.

More recently, from 2021 to 2022, Hugo pursued several online courses at Harvard Business School Online. These include a Certificate in Sustainable Business Strategy, a Certificate in Disruptive Strategy, and a Certificate in Strategy Execution.