António Portela holds a degree in Economics from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Porto and an Executive MBA from the Porto Business School. He began his professional activity at Roche pharmaceuticals in the United Kingdom, where he was a Medical Sales Representative and a Market Analyst. He also launched a Hepatitis C drug at Roche in the UK before returning to Portugal to join BIAL.

In 2004 he joins the BIAL team as Deputy Director of Marketing for Portugal. A member of the Board of Directors since 2007, he assumed the General Management of the International Department for three years, having been responsible for the expansion of the business, for the entry of the BIAL group into new countries, and for the coordination of new product launches internationally.

In January 2011 he became CEO of BIAL, marking the arrival of the fourth generation of the family at the head of the company founded in 1924 by his great-grandfather Álvaro Portela.

Among his other roles, he is the President of the Higher Education Coordinating Council (since October 2023), Chairman of the General Board of COTEC Portugal (since May 2022) and represents BIAL at the Business Roundtable Portugal (since May 2021). He is a member of the Board of Founders of Serralves (since May 2021), Trustee of the University of Porto Foundation (since December 2018), and a member of the Board of EFPIA - European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Association (since June 2017).

António is married and the father of three children. He is a former Portuguese national swimming champion and still competes today. His free time is dedicated to his family, the water and reading.