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| Speaker's Profile |
| Name: |
H.E. Fradique de Menezes |
| Title: |
President, Republic of Sao Tome & Principe |
| Company: |
Republic of Sao Tome & Principe |
| Industry: |
Government |
| Profile |
President Fradique de Menezes was sworn in as president of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome & Principe on September 3, 2001.
Born in the village of Madalena on the island of Sao Tome in 1942, when Sao Tome & Principe was still a colony of Portugal, President de Menezes attended primary school in Sao Tome, and went to high school in Portugal. He then went on to attend university in Belgium where he studied Education and Psychology at the Free University of Brussels (ULB). He later carried out international trade studies with the Chicago Board of Trade in the United States.
He began his professional career in 1967 working for Marconi Radio in Lisbon, Portugal. He then returned to Brussels and worked for four different American companies: ITT (International Telephones and Telecommunications), ADM (Archer Daniels Midland), Goodyear and Memorex and the Brazilian company Vale do Rio Doce in Brussels.
When Sao Tome & Principe became independent he returned to his homeland and taught at the National High School. He later worked for the Ministry of Agriculture.
In 1981 he was named Director of Sao Tome & Principe�s Commercial Center in London. From 1983 to 1986 he served as Sao Tome & Principe�s ambassador to
The European Union, as well as Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Finland, Sweden, Norway and the various United Nations branches based in Europe.
In 1986 he returned to Sao Tome & Principe to become the Minister of Foreign Affairs, after which he was named the Minister for Development in 1987.
Shortly thereafter he left government service to enter the private sector where he became one of Sao Tome & Principe�s leading businessmen. He was a founder of the Santana Club resort, and began and grew a series of highly successful companies involved in shipping, agriculture, investment and management. He also achieved enormous success as Sao Tome & Principe�s main cocoa trader.
He was elected a Member of Parliament in Sao Tome & Principe�s first multi-party elections in 1990, and held his seat until he ran for president in 2001, when he was elected in July and took office in September 2001 for a five-year term.
President de Menezes is a widower. He speaks fluent Portuguese, English, French and Spanish.
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