Francesco Berrettini has always felt a personal responsibility to enhance the welfare of the communities and regions he’s lived in. His lifelong commitment was recognized officially by the Italian government this week when he was presented with the “Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia” in Portugal.
Translated to “the Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy”, this prestigious honour is awarded to Italians abroad or foreign citizens for their “extraordinary achievements in promoting friendly relations and cooperation between Italy and other countries”. As noted at the ceremony by the Italian Ambassador in Portugal, Berrettini was deemed to have perfectly accomplished this task as the Honorary Consul of Italy in Algarve over the past decade.
“All of my life, I’ve considered it important to help and collaborate to improve the well-being and quality of life in the territories where I lived. So, as soon as I was in charge as Honorary Consul of Italia in Algarve, I applied my principles in my activities, and I have achieved quite a good result,” Berrettini explained when asked about his achievement. “This recognition makes me very proud of my results in my professional life as Consul, as well as manager/director in the companies where I work or have worked. My principles have allowed me to collect great result for me and my colleagues, and in this case, my country.”
In addition to his ongoing role as Honourary Consul of Italy in Algarve, Berrettini is the Director of Partnerships and Projects in Portugal for Canadian multinational, Empowered Startups. His exceptional ability to collaborate with people in various positions and professions has made him an integral part of Empowered’s growing success in bringing innovative entrepreneurs to Portugal. As the only government-endorsed delivery partner of the HQA Visa, Empowered has committed to deliver even more world-class entrepreneurs to the country to partner with universities and polytechnics in R&D clusters, and with Berrettini on board, there’s reason to believe they will exceed everyone’s expectations.
More information about the HQA Visa Program can be found at https://hqavisa.pt/ and at https://empoweredstartups.com/portugal-hqa-visa/
