Skip to main content
Back
Popular Pages
Educators
Businesses
Learners
About
Influential Leaders

Juliana Oliveira

Co-Founder and CEO, Olimec
Recognition Year(s): 2025
Area of Impact: CSR or Sustainability
School: Católica Porto Business School, Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Location: Portugal

Summary

A self-described ”economist by training, locksmith at heart,” Juliana Oliveira received her undergraduate economics degree and MSc in management from Católica Porto Business School. Moving into entrepreneurship, Oliveira and her partner, Luís Tavares, co-founded Olimec—a company that operates in the sale, repair, and maintenance of heavy vehicle equipment and industrial maintenance in the environment and waste sector. Under Oliveira’s leadership, the company has adopted sustainable practices and showcases an entrepreneurial approach that creates value for both business and society. To further promote sustainable business practices, she serves as a board member of GRACE–Empresas Responsáveis, a nonprofit association for social responsibility and sustainability.

Entrepreneurial Impact

Oliveira combines innovative entrepreneurship with a strong social commitment. Demonstrating her entrepreneurial approach, the company responds directly to the needs of the municipal solid waste management sector in Portugal. At Olimec, the impact of business strategies goes beyond commercial success; it creates new opportunities and promotes positive social and environmental change.

Olimec offers innovative and personalized solutions, including the sale and maintenance of heavy equipment essential to companies in the sector. The company develops equipment and services that not only increase client companies’ operational efficiency but also minimize environmental impact and promote sustainable practices.

One of Olimec’s innovations is its commitment to education and social responsibility. Through its Olimec Academy, the company has developed environmental education activities for children and young people, which raise awareness of recycling and sustainable practices. The academy has also organized conferences, study visits, and social solidarity activities in accordance with its commitment to creating value for society. These initiatives reflect Olimec’s belief that ”We can improve the world around us.”

In addition, the company has demonstrated a strong commitment to the environment with plans to reduce its carbon footprint by 30 percent and its energy consumption by 40 percent. This initiative follows the entrepreneurial and innovative approach of the company’s management. While seeking to improve internal efficiency, company leaders have also demonstrated a sense of environmental responsibility by adopting sustainability practices with a positive environmental impact.

As an example of Olimec’s impact, it was the first Portuguese company to assemble a 100 percent electric waste collection vehicle, reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the waste management sector.

Additionally, through technological development and innovative methods, the company has optimized the process of collecting municipal solid waste in Portugal. It has managed to transport the waste volume of two and a half trucks in just one.

Oliveira combines the technical knowledge from her academic training with creativity and rigor to develop solutions that meet market needs, all while working with her clients and partners to create long-term value.

Under Oliveira’s visionary leadership, Olimec has received several recognitions, including Yunit Consulting’s SME Heroes Award in the Sustainability category in June 2024 and Executiva’s Executive of the Year in the Breakthrough category in November 2023. Oliveira also participated in the 2018 Ernst & Young Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ Europe program, a national benchmark in sustainable entrepreneurship.

Oliveira has volunteered in the Sant’Egidio Community and has been a teaching assistant at Católica Porto Business School.

She champions women’s rights and believes that positions should not be labeled by gender. At Olimec, women take the positions they want without prejudice.

Additional Information