Graduated in Economics, from the Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão, in 1987, and completed his master's in public administration, at the University of Minho, in 2003.
Having begun his professional career at the Ministry of Economy in 1986, he specialized in the area of Public Finance. As a public manager, he was Head of the Information Systems Division in the Directorate General of Budget (1993-1994,), Director of Administrative Services in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (1994-1997), Director of the Financial and Property Services in the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto (1997-2004) and Director of the Municipal Department of Property and Procurement in the City Council of Porto (2004-2006).
In 2006, he took up the post of Deputy Secretary General in the Ministry of Economy. Between 2006-2010 he was Municipal Director of Finance and Property, at Municipality of Porto and between 2010 and 2018 he was Administrator at the University of Porto, before assuming the same position at the NOVA University of Lisbon.