OUR TEAM
Meet who works behind the scenes at the Belgian-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce
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KATHLEEN FIGUEIREDO LAISSY
PRESIDENT
Kathleen began her career at the European Commission in 2008 with a Bluebook internship. She later joined an NGO dedicated to sustainable development, where she coordinated the Secretariat of the European Parliament's largest Intergroup in the areas of climate, biodiversity and development for five years. In 2015, she moved to the private sector, specialising in European Union regulatory affairs, before founding her own consultancy firm in 2017 – NOVO MUNDO INC – dedicated to European affairs. Since January 2023, she has served as Representative of the Regional Government of Madeira to the European institutions. In April 2025, she was elected President of the Belgian-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce, becoming the first woman to lead the institution in its 87-year history. Kathleen is a Portuguese, French and Angolan citizen, grew up in Brussels and holds a Bachelor's degree in International Relations and Development Studies from the University of Sussex (United Kingdom), a Master's degree in Development Management from the London School of Economics (United Kingdom) and a Postgraduate degree in Management from NOVA SBE (Portugal).
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PIERRE PONCELET
SECRETARY-GENERAL
Pierre is Belgian and discovered Portugal at a very early age, when he was 10, in 1968. Since then, the country has become his second home: it was there where he spent most of his youth and where his parents lived for over 50 years. An engineer by training, he later completed an MBA and then began a 35-year career at Solvay, where he worked in marketing, strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and finance. His career has always developed in international—and often global—contexts in the Group's historical chemical commodities universe. He lived in Brazil for seven years and in France for five, although Belgium remains the country where he has spent the most time. He is married to Patricia, with whom he has three children—two sons and a daughter—born in São Paulo. He will soon become a grandfather for the second time. Since leaving Solvay in 2018, he has remained deeply involved in various support and service initiatives: he actively contributes to the Belgian-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce (CCBP), Ingénieurs Sans Frontières Belgique, and the Amicale Royale des Retraités Solvay Bruxelles.
LUÍSA MONTEIRO DE QUEIROZ
SENIOR ADVISER
Luísa began her career at top-tier Portuguese law firms, including SRS Legal and PLMJ, where she specialised in litigation and corporate matters. In 2020, she joined DIA Group (later integrated into Auchan), taking on an increasingly strategic role and ultimately leading competition affairs, with a focus on complex competition law matters and unfair trading practices in the food retail sector. She holds an LL.M. in Competition Law and Economics from the Brussels School of Competition, where she graduated magna cum laude. She has also attended a Postgraduate Programme in Competition Law and Regulation at the University of Lisbon, and holds a Master’s degree in Civil and Criminal Law from Católica Porto Law School .
DAVID PEETERS
GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND VISUAL IDENTITY MANAGER
Born and living in Portugal, but with paternal Belgian roots, David reveals a passion for arts and communication, which resulted on a Bachelor's degree in Communication Design at the Faculty of Fine-Arts at the University of Lisbon. Despite his young age, he thrives to develop his skills as a designer and artist, having in the past participated in small partnerships with entities such as the United Nations and the Lisbon Metropolitan. In 2025, his research also led him to participate at the popular GOGBOT Festival in Enschede, Netherlands. David first joined the team at the Belgian-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce while on his period abroad in Brussels, doing his Masters on Media and Information Design at LUCA School of Arts. Ever since then, and even nowadays back in Lisbon, he focuses his time on creating visual content and managing the Chamber's social media, sustaining an important communication bridge between the CCBP and its members.
INÊS GIESTEIRA
CCBP REPRESENTATIVE IN PORTUGAL
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ANNA FAZENDEIRO
COMMUNICATION TRAINEE
Currently pursuing a degree in Political Science at the Université catholique de Louvain, Anna showcases a particular interest in international relations, European affairs, and intercultural dynamics. Having grown up in a Congolese-Portuguese environment, she was always drawn to questions of cultural exchange, multilingualism, and the connections that unite different communities across borders. Fluent in French, English, Portuguese, and Lingala, and currently improving her Dutch, Anna has developed a strong appreciation for languages not only as tools of communication, but also as bridges between cultures and perspectives — something this internship also represents, a reconnection with the Portuguese language and Lusophone environment within a professional and institutional context. Alongside her academic journey, Anna is also involved in several independent intellectual and cultural initiatives centred on literature, history, and political thought, exteriences that have strengthened her interest in communication, institutional life, and the circulation of ideas within international and multicultural environments.
JOANA MARQUES GOMES
COMMUNICATION TRAINEE
Born in Portugal, Joana developed an early interest in communication, media, and the way people connect across cultures. This passion led her to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Social and Cultural Communication at Católica Lisbon School of Human Sciences. Motivated by a strong curiosity for international environments and strategic communication, she later moved to Belgium to continue her academic journey. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Multilingual Communication, with a specialization in Cross-Cultural Communication Management, at KU Leuven. In her role as Communication Trainee, Joana applies both her academic background and creative perspective to support the Chamber’s communication strategies, contributing to the development of engaging content tailored to multicultural audiences. Eager to learn and continuously develop her skills, Joana is committed to applying her knowledge of communication and intercultural dynamics to build meaningful connections within the international business community, helping ensure that the Chamber’s voice remains dynamic, relevant, and impactful.
JOÃO PEREIRA
INOV TRAINEE | BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Born in Aveiro, João developed an interest from an early age in how organisations communicate and present themselves to the world. This path led him to complete a bachelor’s degree in Organisational Communication, after which he furthered his knowledge with a master’s degree in Marketing and International Business. Throughout his career, João has gained diverse experience in both the voluntary and business sectors, with a particular focus on consultancy and IT. These experiences have enabled him to develop a comprehensive and pragmatic understanding of the challenges organisations face in increasingly competitive and globalised environments. Driven by a strong passion for internationalisation and entrepreneurship, João now seeks to put the skills and experience he has built up in the areas of Marketing, Communication and International Business at the service of the City Council, helping to strengthen the link between the business community and the opportunities this context offers.