With his degree in Veterinary Medicine almost completed, his academic path took a different turn, steering him towards the banking sector. He ended up graduating in Management, Economics and Banking and has been contributing to the consolidation of Banco BIC for 18 years now. Hugo Teles is the current Chairman of the Executive Board, but he was one of the people who witnessed the organisation building its foundations, having held practically every position of responsibility. He knows the ins and outs of the organisation and the ambitions of its employees. He knows what the bank needs and what Angola relies on to thrive. Blame it on his experience and professionalism, which give him critical mass. Everything he does is worthy of his commitment, and he is a demanding and empathetic boss. He believes that the key to success lies in empowering teamwork, which is one of his greatest commitments.
Tell us a little about yourself, your professional and academic career, and the work you’ve done since joining BIC.
My career at BIC is that of a employee who is committed to everything he does. All my work in banking has been carried out here, where I’ve been since the bank was founded 18 years ago. Before becoming a director, which is my current role as CEO, I spent time in almost all the banking areas in positions of responsibility. I know the bank well and all the employees who make this financial institution one of the four largest banks in Angola. I have a degree in Management, Economics and Banking from the Universidade Católica and the Instituto Bancário de Lisboa. But before pursuing this path, I was very close to completing a degree in Veterinary Medicine. Probably because of the influence of the creator of BIC, I changed direction. His success, which today is a benchmark in Angola’s banking sector, greatly encouraged my professional career.
How important is teamwork in achieving the goals you set?
In football terms, a coach can only attain positive results if he has a good team that is always committed and intent on winning. It’s the same in a company. Teamwork is essential to a company’s success. Exchanging experiences is one of the great values of a group, and it’s important for employees to feel that they are listened to by those in charge of the various areas. In order to create trust and empathy between managers and employees, I uphold values such as loyalty. Fortunately, at BIC we have a young, committed team with the ambition to grow professionally.
How has the bank fostered growth in the country?
Angola has agricultural potential like no other African country in the sub-Saharan region. There are an estimated 35 million hectares of arable land, more than half of which is unused. Natural irrigation is plentiful, but, on the other hand, 60% of food reserves are imported. With this in mind, Banco BIC has been prioritising the agri-food production sector over the last four years. The Angolan population is also growing at the rate of 800,000 people a year and, in fact, food reserves are not keeping up with this growth. We believe that agriculture and stock farming can ensure the well-being of the population. Since we believe that prosperity lies in national production, Banco BIC strengthens the capacity of national producers who present structured and viable projects. We are the bank that provides the most credit to the country’s real economy. We believe in Angola’s future.
When it comes to the social aspects, two years ago we created the Crescer Juntos (Growing Together) social responsibility programme, with the aim of serving the most disadvantaged communities by financing pre-selected social inclusion projects linked to health, education, culture and sport. We initially invested USD 500,000.00 and have gained visibility and public appreciation for this auspicious humanitarian action programme. The initiative was quickly joined by 16 co-investing Angolan companies from various areas of activity, which contributed goods and equipment. In total, we have already helped more than 50,000 people across the country. This year we pre-selected another 30 finalist NGOs from the 450 applications received. We provide them with training and financial support so that they can operate legally. As part of Kymica Humana, Ágata Russel, a consultant specialising in Human Development, is responsible for monitoring and developing Banco BIC’s projects, which are previously selected by an Advisory Board. In practice, this is a regulatory and supervisory body.
«Teamwork is essential for a company’s success»
Tell us a little about yourself, your professional and academic career, and the work you’ve done since joining BIC.
My career at BIC is that of a employee who is committed to everything he does. All my work in banking has been carried out here, where I’ve been since the bank was founded 18 years ago. Before becoming a director, which is my current role as CEO, I spent time in almost all the banking areas in positions of responsibility. I know the bank well and all the employees who make this financial institution one of the four largest banks in Angola. I have a degree in Management, Economics and Banking from the Universidade Católica and the Instituto Bancário de Lisboa. But before pursuing this path, I was very close to completing a degree in Veterinary Medicine. Probably because of the influence of the creator of BIC, I changed direction. His success, which today is a benchmark in Angola’s banking sector, greatly encouraged my professional career.
How important is teamwork in achieving the goals you set?
In football terms, a coach can only attain positive results if he has a good team that is always committed and intent on winning. It’s the same in a company. Teamwork is essential to a company’s success. Exchanging experiences is one of the great values of a group, and it’s important for employees to feel that they are listened to by those in charge of the various areas. In order to create trust and empathy between managers and employees, I uphold values such as loyalty. Fortunately, at BIC we have a young, committed team with the ambition to grow professionally.
How has the bank fostered growth in the country?
Angola has agricultural potential like no other African country in the sub-Saharan region. There are an estimated 35 million hectares of arable land, more than half of which is unused. Natural irrigation is plentiful, but, on the other hand, 60% of food reserves are imported. With this in mind, Banco BIC has been prioritising the agri-food production sector over the last four years. The Angolan population is also growing at the rate of 800,000 people a year and, in fact, food reserves are not keeping up with this growth. We believe that agriculture and stock farming can ensure the well-being of the population. Since we believe that prosperity lies in national production, Banco BIC strengthens the capacity of national producers who present structured and viable projects. We are the bank that provides the most credit to the country’s real economy. We believe in Angola’s future.
When it comes to the social aspects, two years ago we created the Crescer Juntos (Growing Together) social responsibility programme, with the aim of serving the most disadvantaged communities by financing pre-selected social inclusion projects linked to health, education, culture and sport. We initially invested USD 500,000.00 and have gained visibility and public appreciation for this auspicious humanitarian action programme. The initiative was quickly joined by 16 co-investing Angolan companies from various areas of activity, which contributed goods and equipment. In total, we have already helped more than 50,000 people across the country. This year we pre-selected another 30 finalist NGOs from the 450 applications received. We provide them with training and financial support so that they can operate legally. As part of Kymica Humana, Ágata Russel, a consultant specialising in Human Development, is responsible for monitoring and developing Banco BIC’s projects, which are previously selected by an Advisory Board. In practice, this is a regulatory and supervisory body.
«Teamwork is essential for a company’s success»
