Mariana Carreira
Alumna - Management 1988-94
My name is Mariana Carreira and I graduated in Management from Católica-Lisbon SBE in 1994. I started my career at Caixagest as an investment fund manager, where I worked for 3 years; the next 10 years I worked for a company in the retail and representation sector, where I was responsible for the reorganisation and modernisation of the retail sector; I created a network of mono-brand shops for international brands and ended up as the CFO of this company, until I changed my life!!
What led you down a different path?
After the birth of my third child, I decided that I didn't want to continue working in the same way. Although I loved numbers, I discovered that my real interest was in people. I felt a growing desire to change people's lives in a concrete and direct way. More than a job, I was looking for a purpose. I wanted to wake up every day excited, knowing that I was doing something meaningful.
I knew I wanted to do something in the social sector, either with children or with the elderly. I decided to go back to University and enrolled in a Masters program at Nova Medical School - Health and Ageing... During my Masters I was asked to join Make-A-Wish and although it had nothing to do with what I was studying, I thought the mission of this organization was transformative. At the time, MAKE-A-WISH wasn't known in Portugal, but it was a worldwide organisation with an incredible mission. With the support of my family and friends, I took up the challenge. Thus began a 14-year journey of fulfilling more than 2,000 wishes and helping to change lives. The experience has changed me forever. Daily contact with the fragility of life has changed the way I see the world. I've become more grateful, I've learned to appreciate the present, to live in the here and now. I realised the true impact of helping and how good it makes us feel - I became more generous and focused on the essentials. I now believe that what we take with us from this life are the relationships, the people with whom we share moments and interact. I've learnt to always see the glass as half full and every obstacle not as a problem but as a challenge.
Mariana today...
I retired from the day-to-day running of MAKE-A-WISH in September 2024. I am now part of the Board of Directors. After 14 years of hard work, building good partnerships and friendships, I thought it was time to build another project that could also change lives.
I was challenged to 'build' a new foundation related to ageing, combating loneliness among older people and literacy for longevity - the ALEGRIA DE VIVER Foundation, whose mission is to work with communities to improve the quality of life, comfort and moments of joy for older people, combating loneliness and promoting dignified, active and healthy ageing.
My education at Católica-Lisbon SBE has undoubtedly been one of the great foundations of my career, both personally and professionally. The degree in Management, complemented by Executive Programs such as the AMP (Advanced Management Program), not only broadened my technical knowledge, but also allowed me to build a network of friendships and contacts that have been essential to the growth of Make-A-Wish and continue to be an unconditional support in the development of the Alegria de Viver Foundation.
ALEGRIA DE VIVER was created to combat the unwanted loneliness of the elderly by helping them find their purpose in life. We believe that everyone, regardless of age, has something to teach and offer their community, but the Foundation's mission is to go further. The Foundation's ambition is also to rethink how we all live our long lives, how we think about, design and plan all the different stages of life; to educate and train in the importance of harmony between the different generations; to raise awareness that the choices we make from an early age will have consequences for the quality of life with which we will live our longevity. We want to create local communities - community by community - of mutual help and intergenerational interaction, ensuring that each day is lived with meaning and purpose. Our commitment is to work tirelessly to make 'every day count'.
I believe that the person I am today has been shaped by my education and the network of friends and contacts that I was privileged to meet at Católica-Lisbon SBE. I have learnt to be an entrepreneur, to be resilient, to be tenacious, to be ambitious, to know that anything is possible, to be focused, to want to change the world and to never give up on my dreams!!! And to believe that TOGETHER we can change LIVES and make EVERY DAY COUNT!