Investing Talks
Name: Carina Batista
Age: 36
Country of birth: Portugal
City of residence: Setúbal
Biographical note:
Carina Batista has a degree in Accounting and Finance from the Escola Superior de Ciências Empresariais, a Master's degree in Business Sciences and a postgraduate degree in Marketing Management from the Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão.
With more than 10 years' experience in accounting and a Certified Accountant, she also has a special interest in Marketing and People Management, and is currently working as a Supervisor at Finpartner.
In her role as Supervisor, she stands out for her human capital-focused approach, advocating empathetic leadership geared towards team development.
Can you give us a brief overview of your career and how you came to Finpartner?
After completing my academic career, I joined Finpartner, which turned out to be my “real school”. Dealing with different sectors in the accounting area, I developed technical skills, and the fact that I dealt with different clients and rose professionally to leadership positions helped me develop leadership and people management skills.
It's currently one of the things I most enjoy doing, being involved in the day-to-day running of Finpartner, and contributing to the development of the teams and the company.
"The property sector in Portugal is currently facing a number of challenges, as it combines characteristics marked by strong dynamism, such as large capital flows and strong demand"
How would you describe Finpartner today: mission, positioning and main areas of activity?
Finpartner wants to stand out as a company that focuses on personalised services, customer proximity and acting as a one-stop-shop.
Our core business is in accounting, payroll and consultancy, but whenever clients challenge us with something new, we always try to respond, either through our in-house know-how or through partnerships that add value. We aim to be a benchmark company at national and international level, aimed at companies, but also at individual clients.
What market needs led to the creation of Finpartner?
Given that we are especially geared towards the international target, and that Portugal is increasingly fashionable and sought after by so many people who want to live here, establish their lives and do business, our international focus made perfect sense, in order to respond to these needs, while maintaining the proximity to the client and customisation of service that is not always achieved in larger companies.
What services do you consider to be Finpartner's core today?
Our core services are accountancy, payroll and consultancy services, aimed at companies but also at individuals, which we intend to focus on in order to grow more and more.
How do you guarantee the quality and reliability of the solutions you offer your clients?
Finpartner is certified by the ISO 9001 Quality Standard, guaranteeing that every action is duly proceduralised, complying with the strict quality standards that guide our services to clients.
We have a team trained and committed to this certification, which is renewed annually.
In addition to this, Finpartner invests a lot in the technological sector and in the development of internal automations that allow us to reduce the margin for operational errors, as well as making the team more available to accompany clients.
Are Portuguese investors more financially prepared today than they were a few years ago?
Although there are positive signs of evolution, and the Portuguese are a little more confident and better aware of the importance of managing finances, there is still a long way to go in Portugal in terms of effective financial literacy, active participation in the markets and better informed investment decisions, especially when compared to other countries with greater financial maturity.
How would you characterise the current state of the real estate sector in Portugal?
The property sector in Portugal is currently facing a number of challenges, as it combines characteristics marked by strong dynamism, such as large capital flows and strong demand, but also great pressure on prices, supply and accessibility. All of this raises immense challenges in an attempt to find a solution that will balance out these problems in the short term.
Which segments do you find most attractive at the moment (residential, commercial, tourism, rental, luxury, etc.)?
The segments that are currently achieving the greatest return are housing, since the figures obtained from sales turn out to be quite interesting, given the strong demand, not least from foreign buyers settling in Portugal, who have a much higher purchasing power than the national one, as well as the rental segment, which also benefits from this aspect.
What major trends do you see in property over the next three to five years?
In my opinion, the current high prices in the real estate sector will take some time to stabilise, so the solutions will have to be to look outside the traditional centres, with conditions that allow people to settle in these places.
In addition to this, political measures will have to be put in place to create a balance between residents and foreign investors, reducing the pressure on housing prices.
Do you notice significant differences between Portuguese and foreign investors?
Yes, there are significant differences between Portuguese and foreign investors, as the latter have significantly higher purchasing power and are able to bear costs that Portuguese investors can't compete with.
Is Portugal still attractive for international investment? Why is that?
Portugal remains attractive to international investment and foreigners.
It's a country with a great climate, geography, good gastronomy, safe and also economical, especially when compared to other international markets.
For foreign investors with greater purchasing power, it is undoubtedly an attractive market.
What have been Finpartner's main growth milestones to date?
Finpartner has evolved a great deal and this is easily seen in the certifications it has achieved, in the investment in technology that has helped to create value for our clients, in the investment in marketing that it makes every year and that allows us to increase our visibility among the target market, as well as the investment in human capital and in improving the quality of life for the team, all of which has contributed to achieving sustainable growth.
In which areas do you intend to increase investment or specialisation?
We intend to continue to grow and focus on accounting services, seeing technology as an ally on this path, not a threat.
Technology allows us to add value to the client, while freeing up the team to follow up the client and focus on other services of equal added value.
Are new services, partnerships or geographical expansion planned?
Finpartner opened a new office in Porto about three years ago, so we are still doing business in this part of the country.
Alongside this, we have tried from the outset to obtain strategic partnerships that will help us energise our “one-stop-shop” vision, so that customers can be accompanied from A to Z throughout their journey with Finpartner.
Where would you like to see Finpartner positioned in 5 years' time?
We are not trying to be a big4, but rather a benchmark company in the national sector, perhaps even internationally, which is characterised by excellent, personalised service to our clients, while still managing to maintain the proximity to the client that we like to strive for.
If you could sum up the future of real estate in Portugal in one sentence, what would it be?
The future of property is still quite challenging, with some uncertainty as to when or how a balance between supply and demand will be achieved.
However, Finpartner has the know-how to help find answers at critical moments, whether it's in the form of tax support or measures to contribute to greater financial literacy.
