In a world marked by accelerated technological disruption, profound geopolitical transitions, and growing pressure on leaders and organizations, executive education has ceased to be a career add-on and has become a strategic asset. Lifelong learning has long since stopped being a mere option and has become a condition for survival for those who lead.
At CATÓLICA-LISBON | Executive Education, we believe that executive education must go far beyond the transmission of knowledge. It is about transforming ways of thinking, challenging assumptions, supporting difficult decisions, and preparing leaders for contexts of high uncertainty. This conviction guides our major priorities for the coming year.
Open programs: leadership, holistic management, and Artificial Intelligence
Demand for truly transformational education in management and leadership continues to grow, and our open programs for executives reflect this trend. We invest in a holistic approach to management that integrates strategy, people, ethics, sustainability, and performance, always with a strong connection to business practice.
At the same time, we have significantly strengthened our offering in Artificial Intelligence applied to management. We have launched three new AI programs aimed at different levels of the organization – C-suite, middle managers, and operational teams – with a clear focus: enabling leaders to make better decisions, redesign processes, and capture real value from technology, without hype or superficiality.
We also maintain a leading position in Portugal in sector-specific programs, with benchmark solutions, optimized over time and deeply aligned with the specific challenges of each industry. And we continue to be internationally recognized (FT rankings) as one of the European business schools with the greatest parity and gender equality in open-enrollment executive education – a clear sign of coherence between discourse and practice.
2026: global partnerships, scale, and specialization
For 2026, our strategic focus includes further strengthening capabilities in the areas of Management, Sectoral Education, and Finance. We will have the largest number of partnership programs ever, including three new leading international partners: ESADE, Bocconi, and INSEAD.
These partnerships are not symbolic. They are designed to raise academic quality, enrich participants’ international experience, and bring new perspectives on leadership, finance, strategy, and organizational transformation. Our value proposition remains clear: solid, relevant training solutions with real impact, delivered by an institution that combines academic reputation with pedagogical innovation.
New formats, closer proximity to companies
Our ambition goes beyond classroom-based programs. In 2026, we will strengthen areas of activity that bring CATÓLICA-LISBON even closer to companies and their decision-makers:
– Quarterly HRD Breakfasts, in partnership with Korn Ferry, held at iconic locations in Lisbon, bringing critical topics from the people, talent, and leadership agenda to the discussion, presented by Católica-Lisbon faculty in a short, provocative, and relevant format.
– R2C – Ready to Customize, a new concept of sectoral programs based on robust academic frameworks that have already been tested and can be adapted to the specific reality of each company, combining speed, rigor, and customization.
– Corporate Retreats, which combine the academic component with immersive experiences in Lisbon, designed for leadership teams and international executives seeking deep strategic reflection, alignment, and transformation.
– Customized programs for Boards, with a strong organizational consulting component, focused on critical topics such as governance, strategy, succession, culture, and risk, with clear and actionable outputs.
The executive education of the future requires clarity, impact, and intellectual courage. This is the path on which CATÓLICA-LISBON will continue to invest – alongside executives and companies that do not settle for the status quo and see continuous learning as their greatest competitive advantage.
Nuno Moreira da Cruz, Dean for Executive Education at CATÓLICA-LISBON