PEDRO DUARTE: THE ESSENCE OF PORTUGAL

There are things that allow you to glimpse a person’s true essence, their personality and soul. A look in a person’s eyes. A smile. A handshake. The way they listen when you talk. When we meet Pedro Duarte, General Director of De Rigo Portugal, we find all these qualities in him.

He doesn’t just look, he observes. His eyes communicate, without judging. His is not just a polite smile: it is the expression of someone who feels good, and likes to share the feeling with the person he is talking to. His handshake is confident, but not overbearing. He welcomes you into his world, and opens up to your world. When he is silent, it is not because he doesn’t know what to say, but because he is truly listening to you. And in all this, there is another quality: kindness. Here too, not out of politeness, but out of sincere respect for other people.

Pedro studied Optometry and has been working in the field for more than seventeen years. Since 2014 he has coordinated De Rigo’s team of eighteen agents and seven office staff in the company’s office in Parque das Nacões, Lisbon.

“Every day we need to realise that we cannot work without passion, and that it is very important to communicate with opticians and listen to what they have to say... because it all happens out on the street, not in the office... we need to view opticians’ problems as a challenge and focus on finding the right solution, the one that will make both parties happy,” says Pedro, thanking all the people who work with him, “fantastic people”, as he says, people who give it all they’ve got every day.

Pedro Duarte is young, but he knows what he wants. He’s determined. And he’s in love. In love with his work. In love with life. In love with his family. He is a man who knows the true value of things, of time, and of people. A hard-working professional who skilfully balances his work with his private life. He takes a trip with his family once a month. So that they have time to spend together, sharing experiences and renewing their long-lasting ties.

Renewing: maybe this is the magic word. Renewing yourself means continually improving in your work. Renewing your family ties. Renewal dictated by the desire for personal and professional growth, without ever sacrificing your identity, your true essence. The essence of an entire country: Portugal.

And of course a person like Pedro Duarte is bound to love a lot of things. One of these things is cooking. An art that is perfect for sharing. Maybe that’s the secret behind his dream: once day, Pedro would like to open his own restaurant. A place that would surely reflect his personality. A welcoming place, where people would naturally feel at home, enjoying dishes made with love and taking home happy memories of meeting a wonderful person.

Obrigado, Pedro!