Presentation of the New IFCM Communication Manager

João C. Silva was born in Lisbon, Portugal, but he considers himself a citizen of the world, having travelled through five continents, engaging with different people and cultures. João graduated in Business Communication and Public Relations. While attending university, he participated in the ERASMUS program and studied in Madrid, Spain. After college, he moved to Split to work at the Tourist Board of Croatia. In 2015, he co-founded Digital Connection, a digital marketing and communication agency, with his best friend, Gonçalo Freitas. They started with just the two of them, and now they have a team with more than 15 employees, including designers, web developers, cameramen, a copywriter, and a creative director. This year they opened two more offices, one in the Philippines and the other in Dubai.

In addition to communication, João has a background in science, having studied for 2 years as a biological engineer in the Instituto Superior Técnico, in Lisbon, and he has continued to investigate this field as a hobby. He also loves music, psychology, economics, and learning different languages so he can feel more connected to people from different places and cultures.

João also teaches digital marketing at EPAD, a communications school in Lisbon, where he can share his knowledge of social media and digital strategies with his students. As a marketing strategist and creative director, Silva won two awards in 2019 from Prémios Lusófonos da Criatividade for best social media campaign and best website. The ceremony included the principal marketing agencies in Portugal, Brazil, Angola, and Mozambique. João devotes his energies to work, family, travel, and social events. He thinks that we are all social ‘animals’ who must fulfil our need for socialisation in order to increase our well-being. Music is the perfect tool to connect people and help us to express our feelings.

Edited by Richard Kutner, USA