Sousa Cintra
Encyclopedia
José de Sousa Cintra, known professionally as Sousa Cintra, is a Portuguese
businessman. He is a former and 42nd President of Sporting Clube de Portugal.
He was born in the village and parish of Raposeira
, Vila do Bispo Municipality, in the Algarve region. As a child he worked as a snail
trader in his village, and at 15 years old he went to Lisbon
where he obtained a job at Hotel Tivoli Lisboa as an elevator operator
. While working there, he earned a larger amount of money selling watercolor painting
s on the side. When 16 years old he joined the Portuguese Navy
and served for four years. After the Carnation Revolution
of 1974, Cintra saw a number of his assets expropriated but eventually acquired Águas Vidago, a mineral water
company. Between 1989 and 1995, Sousa Cintra was the chairman of Sporting Clube de Portugal and became popular as well as a successful businessperson.
In 1998 he bought a beer
factory in São Paulo
and shortly after he built another in Rio de Janeiro
, Brazil
. His beer business in Brazil reached the break even point and was ranked number four in a short span of time. In 2001 he invested in a new beer factory in Santarém, Portugal
in order to produce and sell Cintra beer in his home country. Due to the strong competition and the power of well-established beer brands in the Portuguese market (Super Bock
and Sagres), Sousa Cintra sold out his Portuguese beer business in 2006, retaining only the successful Brazilian activities until 2007 when they were sold to AmBev
.
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
businessman. He is a former and 42nd President of Sporting Clube de Portugal.
He was born in the village and parish of Raposeira
Raposeira
Raposeira is a civil parish in the municipality of Vila do Bispo in the Algarve region of Portugal, with 25.71 km² and 441 inhabitants .It is one of the parishes covered by the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park....
, Vila do Bispo Municipality, in the Algarve region. As a child he worked as a snail
Snail
Snail is a common name applied to most of the members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word is used in its most general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. The word snail without any qualifier is however more often...
trader in his village, and at 15 years old he went to Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
where he obtained a job at Hotel Tivoli Lisboa as an elevator operator
Elevator operator
An elevator operator is a person specifically employed to operate a manually operated elevator...
. While working there, he earned a larger amount of money selling watercolor painting
Watercolor painting
Watercolor or watercolour , also aquarelle from French, is a painting method. A watercolor is the medium or the resulting artwork in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-soluble vehicle...
s on the side. When 16 years old he joined the Portuguese Navy
Portuguese Navy
The Portuguese Navy is the naval branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in cooperation and integrated with the other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the military defence of Portugal....
and served for four years. After the Carnation Revolution
Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
of 1974, Cintra saw a number of his assets expropriated but eventually acquired Águas Vidago, a mineral water
Mineral water
Mineral water is water containing minerals or other dissolved substances that alter its taste or give it therapeutic value, generally obtained from a naturally occurring mineral spring or source. Dissolved substances in the water may include various salts and sulfur compounds...
company. Between 1989 and 1995, Sousa Cintra was the chairman of Sporting Clube de Portugal and became popular as well as a successful businessperson.
In 1998 he bought a beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
factory in São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
and shortly after he built another in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. His beer business in Brazil reached the break even point and was ranked number four in a short span of time. In 2001 he invested in a new beer factory in Santarém, Portugal
Santarém, Portugal
Santarém is a city in the Santarém Municipality in Portugal. The city itself has a population of 28,760 and the entire municipality has 64,124 inhabitants.It is the capital of Santarém District....
in order to produce and sell Cintra beer in his home country. Due to the strong competition and the power of well-established beer brands in the Portuguese market (Super Bock
Super Bock
Super Bock is a Portuguese brand of strong pale lager from the Unicer brewery which produces a range of beers under the same name. Established in 1927, Unicer is based in Leça do Balio, just outside the city of Porto, Portugal...
and Sagres), Sousa Cintra sold out his Portuguese beer business in 2006, retaining only the successful Brazilian activities until 2007 when they were sold to AmBev
AmBev
Ambev formally Companhia de Bebidas das Américas is a subsidiary of global brewing company Anheuser-Busch InBev and is the biggest brewery in South America and the fifth in the world...
.