Helena Amaral Neto

Managing Partner, LUXULTING

Helena started her professional career as an investment banker at Chase Manhattan Bank in London, after an Economics degree and Master in Finance from City University. Experience in structuring financial products developed a strong analytical mindset, which combined with natural communication skills led Helena to join the newly created Banco de Investimento Global to develop the Institutional Sales department, in Lisbon.

Management expertise and resilience came from Helena´s experience as an entrepreneur, with the creation and development of a startup eco-design brand, Tela Bags. An innovative concept in Portugal, Tela bags upcycled advertising materials into bags and accessories. From brand building to international retail expansion strategies, from motivating teams to delivering business results, Helena led this project over 8 years.

Helena taught finance at ISEG- Lisbon School of Economics & Management for 23 years (2001-2024), where she was also Business Development Director for Executive Education, as well as coordinating the MBA program until 2016.

Helena created and continues to coordinate the luxury management executive courses at ISEG – Executive Education since 2013, which have become the reference in the Portuguese market: Luxury Brand Management and Luxury Real Estate Sales Management. Helena writes about the luxury industry as a regular contributor to business publications, and sits on the Board of Advisors of LAUREL (Associação Portuguesa de Marcas de Excelência) since 2022.

Combining business experience with luxury market know-how led Helena to create Luxulting – Luxury Consulting, created with a mission: brand partner to luxury & lifestylebrands in the Branded Real Estate market. Brand partners include Armani/Casa, Aston Martin, Missoni, Pininfarina, Ralph Lauren among others, with existing and pipeline projects globally.

Helena is on the Supervisory Board of Brisa Concessão Rodoviária since 2021, which manages Portugal´s main road axis with 12 motorways. She is also Managing Partner of her family companies, Helena Amaral Neto Lda and FA Neto – Sociedade Agrícola Lda.

Helena believes learning is an ongoing process, and that teaching is a great way to learn. She has enrolled in a wide range of executive courses – Women on Boards, Strategic Design & Innovation, Inspiring Tech Safari, 2 year Art History Course, History of Art Criticism – and plans to continue her learning expeditions.