In a world marked by rapid technological change, increasing market complexity, and new demands on how organizations lead people and make decisions, preparing leaders for the future has become a strategic priority.
It is in this context that Volvo Car Portugal and Nova SBE Executive Education are launching a partnership based on a shared vision: the conviction that innovation, transformation, and human development must evolve together.
More than just responding to the changes that are already taking place, this collaboration seeks to create space to think about what comes next—and, above all, what kind of leadership will be needed to navigate an increasingly demanding, uncertain, and interdependent environment.
Leading transformation starts with people
Organizational transformation is often associated with technology, innovation, or evolving business models. But behind every change, there are still people: those who set priorities, make decisions, rally teams, and give meaning to the transformation.
It is this perspective that brings Volvo Car Portugal and Nova SBE Executive Education together.
Volvo has been transforming the automotive industry through innovation, technology, and a people-centered approach. Nova SBE Executive Education, for its part, works every day to develop leaders and organizations capable of responding to emerging challenges and turning knowledge into impact.
The partnership stems precisely from this convergence.
The goal is to help develop leaders who are better prepared to deal with new ways of working, increased pressure on decision-making, organizational transformation, and the need to balance performance, innovation, and human impact.
Create spaces to think about leadership in a different way
One of the first events resulting from this collaboration is the House of Leaders, an initiative by Nova SBE Executive Education in partnership with Rock in Rio Lisbon.
The project aims to create a space for reflection and dialogue on the challenges of contemporary leadership, bringing together organizations and leaders to discuss issues for which there are rarely simple answers.
How can we lead in a context of constant change? How can we make decisions when information is incomplete? How can we build resilient organizations without losing agility? How can we keep people at the center when technology is transforming the way we work?
Volvo Car Portugal is part of this ecosystem, driven by the conviction that leadership must be reimagined beyond traditional models and that the development of people is one of the key drivers of organizational resilience and innovation.
From Reflection to Knowledge Production
The partnership also extends to Horizon Leadership, an advanced program offered by Nova SBE Executive Education aimed at C-level leaders and members of management boards.
Designed to address the challenges of a new era of leadership, the program explores topics such as technological transformation, organizational complexity, psychological safety, decision-making, managing paradoxes, and balancing business results with human and social impact.
In this context, Volvo Car Portugal also plays a role as a strategic partner and funder of the research component associated with the program.
This collaboration will help foster the development of knowledge and thought leadership content on some of the topics that are currently redefining the role of leaders.
More than just supporting a training initiative, the goal is to help shape new perspectives on leadership—perspectives capable of keeping pace with the evolution of organizations and society.
A partnership built on shared experiences
The collaboration between the two organizations is not limited to the classroom.
Over the next few years, the partnership is expected to take shape through executive experiences, retreats, Paradox Dinners, engagement initiatives, research projects, and new content formats.
The goal is to create moments where leaders can pause, question assumptions, exchange perspectives, and explore new ways to address the challenges they face.
For Volvo Car Portugal and Nova SBE Executive Education, this aspect of shared learning is particularly important.
In a context where there are no definitive answers to many of the challenges of contemporary leadership, creating spaces for dialogue, research, and experimentation becomes an essential part of the development process itself.
Preparing Today's Leaders for Tomorrow
Technology will continue to transform organizations, industries, and business models. Markets will continue to become more complex. And leaders will continue to face decisions in which efficiency, growth, accountability, and impact must coexist.
But there is one aspect that remains central: the ability to lead people.
As Domingos Silva, Managing Director of Volvo Car Portugal, notes, “Major transformations always begin with people.” The way organizations lead teams, processes, and change will be decisive for their ability to respond to the future.
Pedro Brito, CEO of Nova SBE Executive Education, echoes this view: even in a context deeply shaped by technology, the difference still lies in people and the way they lead.
That is precisely where this partnership finds its purpose.
By combining business experience, academic knowledge, research, and leadership development, Volvo Car Portugal and Nova SBE Executive Education aim to foster leadership that is more mindful, collaborative, and innovative—and better prepared to turn today’s challenges into tomorrow’s impact.
