Five set out on an adventure

The River Tagus is the backdrop but there is no time for any major contemplation. At Alges Marina, Rute Gonçalves and her husband, João, are applying the finishing touches to what will be the trip of their lives. Together with their three children – Marta, 13, Afonso, 7 and Carmen, 4 –, they are all set to board their yacht Domum (Latin for “home”) and set off on their round-the-world journey.

This is a whole new world for the person entrusted with the management of the Galp brand. More used to dealing with other challenges at the Company´s headquarters in Lisbon, she has been inspired by her husband´s sailing experience, the person who dared her to undertake the odyssey some time ago.

A change in “work location” some twenty years later. She joined Generation Galp, the Company´s trainee programme, with great enthusiasm in 1998. The path led her to work on the creation of iconic campaigns for the brand, such as the one to promote the national football team with the famous "vuvuzelas" at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. But that´s another story.

AN INSPIRATIONAL TRIP
After having acquired a 30-year-old yacht and renovated it with no great trouble, the project, which still has no official name but is well on the way to being called “5 to Port”, is about to enter the decisive phase, on nearing the date of departure. After painting the boat, conducting the necessary repairs and adapting the interior to accommodate the family of five, the next step is to test it in the water, scheduled for the very near future.

At a time when her dream is about to come true, Rute hopes her experience will inspire everyone to make their own dreams come true: “If my trip inspires people to pursue a dream, whatever it may be, then I´ve made my contribution to society”.