Governing Board

Paulo Mateus holds a degree in Forest Resources Engineering from the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (1994), a post-graduate degree in Forest Resources Engineering, also from the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (1995), and a master’s in Forest Engineering from the same university (2015).

He was a voting member of the Establishment Committee of the Agency for Integrated Rural Fire Management and deputy of the Task Force for the Installation of the Integrated Rural Fire Management System (2017-2018).

He sat on the Independent Technical Committee, established to analyse the fires that occurred between 17 and 24 June in Pedrógão Grande and other municipalities (Law No. 49A-/2017, of 10 July 2017).

Paulo was National Director of the Portuguese National Forestry Authority (2009- 2012), Director of the “EEAGrants – Infrastructuring of the Territory and Forest Fire Protection” project (2008-2011) at the Portuguese National Forestry Authority, officer of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, responsible for forestry matters, in liaison with the organisation of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and member of the UNECE/FAO Team of Specialists on Forest Fire (2009-2012), representing the Portuguese National Forestry Authority.

He was Deputy Director-General of the Directorate-General of Forest Resources (2006-2008) and Coordinator of the Portugal-Spain Bilateral Commission on Forest Fire Prevention and Suppression, within the framework of the XXI Portuguese-Spanish Summit (2006-2009). Also as part of the Directorate-General of Forest Resources and the Portuguese National Forestry Authority, Paulo was expert for the European Commission on Forest Fire Protection, as the national representative of the ‘Group of Experts in Forest Fires’ (2006-2012), and Coordinator of the project for the ‘U.S. Technical-Operational Support Mission to Portugal on use of the Prescribed Fire Technique’ (2005-2006). He was also Head of the National Forest Fire Protection Division of the Directorate-General of Forest Resources (2004-2005), Head of the Forest Protection and Conservation Division (2003-2004) and Manager of the project ‘Forest Fire Protection – Council Regulation (CEE) No. 2158/92’ (1991-2003) at the Regional Directorate of Agriculture for the Entre Douro and Minho Region.

Paulo was a member of the Advisory Board of the international SIMWOOD project (2015-2017) and has authored several technical papers that were published in national journals and scientific papers for international journals listed in the Science Citation Index.

He has been Vice-President of the Portuguese Forest Science Society since 2017 and lectures as a visiting professor at universities and institutions in bachelor’s, post-graduate and master degree subjects.

Mário Monteiro holds a degree in Organisation and Business Management from ISCTE (1988-93), and studied Marketing at Fachhochshule für Wirtschaft, in Pforzheim, Germany (1993-94). He has accumulated experience in operational resource management, participated in the launch of an innovative telecommunications company and coordinated large multidisciplinary teams. He has led the implementation of extremely complex process and technological transformation programmes and held the role of Project Management Officer in the sector. Mário has implemented Agile process and practice management methodologies, reporting directly to the governing bodies, participating in important decision-making processes and negotiating with suppliers and internal customers for shared services management.

From October 2017 to 31 December 2018, Mário was deputy of the Task Force for the Installation of the Integrated Rural Fire Management System, mainly overseeing the overall coordination and management of the Transformation Programme, envisaged in RCM No. 157-A/2017, of 21 October 2017, and the planning and agenda for the establishment of the Agency for Integrated Rural Fire Management (AGIF).

Between 2012 and 2017, he was Back Office Senior Management at NOS Comunicações, S. A. and, between 2008-2011, held the position of Back Office Customer Senior Manager at ZON TV Cabo Portugal, S. A.. He was Director of Organisational Development Services and Processes at TV Cabo Portugal, S. A. between 2003 and 2008, and before that Director of Customer Management Services/Call Centre at TV Cabo Portugal, S. A..

Born on May 3, 1972, in Angola, has a degree in Agronomic Engineering from ESAB (2009), and a postgraduate degree in Hygiene, Safety, and Health at Work by ESAB (2002). Furthermore, he also holds a bachelor´s degree in Agricultural Sciences by ESAB (1995), holding the degree of Agricultural Technical Agent, in the field of agriculture acquired through a technical-professional course at EACSB, in Santo Tirso (1990).

He is a Technician responsible for plant protection products (No. 06006.1), and an Evaluator of rustic properties.

Associative activity

Throughout his career, he stood out for an intense associative activity in the domain of agricultural and forestry, in addition of being a founding partner of several institutions, such as:

• Association of Traditional and Environmental Agricultural Producers (APATA) — Former President of the Board;

• LCN – Central and Northern Farmers’ Cooperative, CRL— President of the Board;

• National Federation of Forest Intervention Zone Management Entities (enZIF) — Former President of the Board;

• International Douro Association (ADI) — Representative for the town council of Mogadouro;

• Association of Traditional Northeastern Dovecote Owners (PALOMBAR) — Former Vice-President of the Board.

Moreover, he also held the positions of:

• President of the Board of the Federation of Farmers of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro;

• President of the Board of the National Federation of Forest Producer Cooperatives, FCRL;

• Board Member of the National Confederation of Agricultural and Agricultural Credit Cooperatives of Portugal, CCRL (CONFAGRI).

Lastly, he was a member of the European Council of Young Farmers (CEJA) in 2012, and of the European Association of Mountain Regions (EUROMONTANA) that same year.

Professional training

A trainer with over 20,000 hours of monitored training, has been responsible, since 1996, for extensive training activities with farmers in the fields of organic farming, viticulture, forestry, hunting, agricultural machinery, chainsaw operation, and commercial management. He is recognized by DGADR to provide Agricultural Advisory Services within various organizations (APATA, FATA).

Technical assistance and farm management

Since 1993, he has provided technical support to rural properties, being responsible for the management of the following:

• Own farm in Linhares-Soutelo, since 2007, dedicated to livestock farming (200 dairy sheep) and with 45 ha of permanent meadows;

• Own farm in Carragosa, in the fruit-growing area, with 7 ha of chestnut grove and cereal;

• Farm of Zacarias, Farm of Arquinho and Farm of Bendada, in Alfândega da Fé, with 1,200 ha (almond grove, olive grove and cork oaks and 300 sheep);

• Farm of Fersales, with 1,800 ha (almond grove, olive grove and cork oaks and 120 cattle).