Euroconsumers is the leading consumer organization in Europe and Latin America. It brings together consumer organizations from Italy, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, and Brazil, representing and amplifying the voice of more than 6 million consumers across these countries. Steering this organization as CEO is António Balhanas, who is committed to empowering consumers through innovation, digital transformation, and cultural leadership. Under his visionary and innovative leadership, Euroconsumers has become a catalyst for sustainable market fairness globally.
António is recognized for his transformational leadership and pioneering work in integrating AI, venture investment in consumer empowerment, and digital culture change. He is known for championing a vision of consumers as active co-creators of the market.
Prior to Euroconsumers, António served as Country Manager at Deco Proteste. He has also worked in leadership positions at Japan Tobacco International (JTI), Délifrance, Hasbro, Samsung Electronics, and Panasonic. He has led every organization toward sustainable growth and expansion. Antonio holds degrees in Business, Management, Marketing, and Economics from AESE, INSEAD, and other reputed institutions.
At Euroconsumers, António believes his legacy is not in titles. “It is in the startups we support, the culture we build, and the consumers we empower,” he says.
Leading Euroconsumers
António took over as the CEO of Euroconsumers in July of 2023. He is responsible for driving Euroconsumers’ transformation into a digital, AI-powered, consumer-centric organization. His focus is also on fueling growth and ensuring efficiency and financial sustainability. Additionally, António is establishing a high-performance culture built on collaboration, agility, and accountability.
“I lead with clarity, execute with precision, and innovate with purpose, leveraging AI and digital transformation to drive sustainable impact,” he says. And, as he leads operations across Portugal, Belgium, Italy, Spain, and Brazil, he “blends cultural nuance with unified purpose.” This informs their cross-border collaborations and leadership in international consumer forums. In addition, it also influences their engagement with startups in Europe and Latin America, amplifying disruptive consumer-focused tech innovations.
About Euroconsumers
Gathering five national consumer organizations and giving voice to a total of more than 6 million people in Italy, Belgium, Spain, Portugal and Brazil, Euroconsumers is the world’s leading consumer Organization in innovative information, personalized services, and the defense of consumer rights.
Euroconsumers’ mission is to drive positive change for consumers by connecting all sides of the market. According to António, they are leading the consumers’ movement, globally and sustainably. He points out that their commitment is clear: “It is to care about what consumers care about and empowering them to navigate and improve the market.”
“We’re not just protecting consumers,” he adds, “We’re empowering a generation of creators, challengers, and builders of a fairer digital society.”
At Euroconsumers, António is cultivating purpose-driven ecosystems by fostering inclusive decision-making, transparent KPIs with real autonomy, and career paths aligned with the mission.
“Additionally, we channel entrepreneurial energy beyond the organization through partnerships and venture funding of early-stage consumer tech startups advancing our vision,” says António.
And he is actively driving Euroconsumers’ strategic expansion into Eastern Europe. Poland has been identified as the central market to build and scale this growth. António envisions a Euroconsumers that is globally respected as a “vanguard of consumer-centered innovation.” He also intends to make it an organization that is locally embedded in people’s lives as a trusted partner.
“It will be a catalyst seeding and scaling disruptive startups and realigning markets with consumer interests,” António says.
Consumer Protection in a Digital & Global Market
As scams, deceptive advertising, unfair business practices, and data misuse are on the rise, consumer protection has become crucial in the age of the digital and global market. António points out that consumer protection today demands active empowerment, enabled by technology and collaboration.
So, they have embedded AI-powered agents and conversational interfaces for real-time, personalized consumer support. They also coordinate swift cross-border responses to tackle scams, greenwashing, and digital manipulation.
“Importantly, Euroconsumers has embraced a venture catalyst role,” António points out. It means investing in and supporting startups that innovate consumer tech aligned with their mission. “At Euroconsumers we are not merely defenders but even more co-creators of the future consumer landscape”.
A Defining Career Challenge
Portugal-based Deco Proteste is one of the five organizations that are part of Euroconsumers. A private, independent, membership-based consumer organization, it defends the rights and legitimate interests of consumers, helping them to solve problems and exercise their basic rights.
António was serving there as Country Manager before being promoted to lead Euroconsumers. During his tenure at Deco Proteste he developed long-term and short-term strategies, collaborated with C-suite executives, and promoted an ethical company culture.
One of the defining challenges of his career is transforming Deco Proteste into a digitally advanced, human-first organization, which is recognized by Great Place to Work®. António points out that to make this happen, they had to overhaul their culture and make deep investments in people.
“That taught me that lasting transformation begins with mindset and purpose,” he adds.
Achievements to Date
António is proud of spearheading a movement inside Deco Proteste, it resulted in the strengthening of a culture where talent thrives and consumers benefit from real impact. As CEO of Euroconsumers he is driven to introduce this movement also in the other organizations of the Euroconsumers group.
António also sees their expansion into venture investment and startup partnerships as an achievement. He points out that it signals a new era of innovation-led advocacy.
The Leadership Style
António’s leadership is anchored in respect for human capital and a belief that empowered people are the cornerstone of sustainable impact. “This conviction was shaped,” he says, “through my international career and especially through transforming Deco Proteste into a great place to work — a culture recognized for people-centric values, diversity, and mission focus.”
António does not believe in just navigating transformation. As a leader, he strives to guide by courage, responsibility, and an unwavering belief in the power of consumers. His decision-making rests on three core leadership principles. One is “clarity of purpose.” According to him, every action of his is anchored in consumer empowerment.
His second principle is “courage to innovate.” In an organization, not everyone accepts new ideas or change easily. There are many who will resist innovation. António does not allow that to hinder the progress of innovation. He leads “boldly” amid resistance. The third core principle he adheres to is “agility with accountability.” He says that he is moving fast but responsibly.
“At Euroconsumers we believe the future doesn’t just happen,” António adds. “It is shaped by those bold enough to rethink the present.”
Innovation is the Systematic Tool
Innovation is at the core of whatever António and his team do. He points out that innovation is a systemic tool for fairness and empowerment. For example, AI copilots are used to detect fraud as well as personalize advice, and loyalty ecosystems reward conscious consumer behavior. Additionally, their strategic venture capital investments support startups driving disruptive innovation in consumer empowerment.
“Innovation must be a force for good — one that lifts the consumer, not just the quarterly report,” António says.
Staying Ahead of the Curve
In order to ensure that Euroconsumers stays ahead of the curve, António and his team integrate consumer data and policy signals in dashboards, conduct tech scouting through global networks, and encourage venture capital partnerships. And, instead of treating consumers as passive recipients or feedback providers, they co-create with consumers in user labs. “We’re building solutions with consumers, not just for them,” António says.
Trends Shaping the Future of Consumer Protection
António notes that these three trends are most likely to shape the future of consumer protection:
- AI as personalized consumer allies: Artificial intelligence (AI) will act as a personal ally to consumers, offering them tailored messaging, product recommendations, and personalized services.
- Ethical, transparent loyalty models: Loyalty models are designed to retain consumers over time. As consumers become more aware of data privacy and security, companies are going to increasingly design loyalty models built on transparency and ethical practices.
- Ecosystems where advocacy organizations actively fund and scale innovative startups: Consumer advocacy groups will play a direct role in funding and scaling innovative startups. It will create an ecosystem where consumer protection and a company’s growth are not at odds.
Advice for Aspiring CEOs
António advises aspiring CEOs to lead by unlocking the potential of others. He tells them not to avoid situations that can be unpleasant. “Embrace discomfort” is his advice to them, as it signals transformation.
António also encourages aspiring CEO to “fund and nurture innovation, especially disruptive ventures aligned with their mission.”
