Bernardo Ivo Cruz was born in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1968. He serves as Secretary of State for International Trade and Foreign Investment in the Portuguese Government and is a Correspondent Academic in the Portuguese Academy of International Culture.

Bernardo holds a PhD in Politics from the University of Bristol, in the UK. He is a British Foreign and Commonwealth Office Chevening Scholarship Alumnus and an Alumnus of the Prince of Wales’s Business and Sustainability Program from the Institute for Sustainability and Leadership at the University of Cambridge in the UK.

In the public sector Bernardo served as Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Counsellor in the Portuguese Permanent Representation to the European Union and as Executive Board Member to SOFID - Portuguese Development Finance Institution. He also served as Chief of Staff to the Portuguese Foreign Minister and as Economic and Commercial Counsellor at the Portuguese Embassies in the UK and Brazil and Director of the Portuguese Business Development Agency in the UK and Ireland and in Latin America.

In Higher Education Bernardo was a member of the board of the Public Policy Portuguese Journal at the University of Évora, member of the board of the Clube de Lisboa Think Tank, Associated Researcher in the Political Studies Research Centre at the Portuguese Catholic University and visit Academic, Lecture, Assistant Lecture and Teaching Assistant at the Universities of Bristol, Cardiff and Loughborough, in the UK. He served as an elected member of the Court of the University of Bristol and in the Scientific and Pedagogic Councils of the School of European Studies at the University of Cardiff.

In the not-for-profit sector, Bernardo coordinated the Club of Madrid’s Dialogue for National Reconciliation in Timor Leste, served as Secretary-General of the Portuguese Council of the European Movement and in the Board of the General Assembly and Executive Board of the Friends of Mosteiro dos Jerónimos Association.

In the private sector Bernardo founded and was the Global Managing Partner of the True Bridge Consultancy Group based in London, served as Chairperson of the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce in the UK, represented the Brazilian São Paulo Trade Federation in Europe, worked as Public Policy and International Relations’ Strategic Consultant for the Portuguese Business Confederation and CV&A and was a Partner in Leadership Business Consulting.

Bernardo served as Honorary Consul of Botswana in Portugal.

Bernardo was the editor of the London BREXIT Monthly Digest, signed a weekly op-ed column in Diário de Notícias and a fortnight op-ed column in Diário Económico (major Portuguese newspapers) and was a regular commentator on International Affairs, British Politics and on Sustainable Development Public Policy at several media outlets.

Bernardo was distinguished by the São Paulo City’s Government for his “Contribution for the Development of the City” on the 450 anniversary of its foundation and with the “Business Internationalization Award 2014/15” by the British Government’s Department for International Trade. He received decorations from the Governments of Chile and Estonia.

Bernardo lived and worked in Belgium, Brazil, Portugal, the UK, and Timor-Leste.