Catarina Aleixo

Senior Editiorial and Communications Consultant , International NGO

Lisbon, Portugal

Senior communications consultant and journalist with 20+ years’ experience supporting humanitarian and development organizations including APOPO, and global media (Reuters, Bloomberg). Bilingual (English–Portuguese). Specialist in institutional publications, strategic reports, executive summaries, and high-impact advocacy and donor communications. Available for international consultancy.

Contact Catarina Aleixo
Area of Expertise:
  • Communications, Media, Knowledge Management, Editor
Professional Experience:

Senior communications and editorial consultant with over 20 years of experience supporting international humanitarian and development operations, global media organizations, and multinational brands. Currently provide senior editorial consultancy to APOPO, leading the writing and coordination of institutional publications, annual reports, executive summaries, donor briefings, web articles, and newsletters for programs operating across Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Experienced in supporting communications within complex, multi-country operational environments with institutional donor visibility. Contribute to the development of communications approaches, positioning documents, and proposal narratives aligned with organizational strategy and donor frameworks. Regularly collaborate with senior leadership to shape high-level messaging and briefing materials that support fundraising, advocacy, partnership development, and institutional positioning.

Professional foundation in international journalism and financial reporting, including roles with Bloomberg News and contributions to Reuters and The Wall Street Journal, alongside reporting, editing, and translation work for Lusa News Agency, Macauhub, and Xinhua News Agency. Developed strong capacity to produce accurate, deadline-driven coverage of political, economic, and financial developments for global audiences.

Subsequent consultancy work has included editorial and strategic communications support for Mastercard (EMEA), Forbes, Pearson Education, and international technology clients. Across roles, specialize in synthesizing complex operational and technical information into clear, structured outputs; managing multi-contributor inputs across geographically dispersed teams; and ensuring alignment with institutional messaging, donor expectations, and editorial standards.

Develop and maintain editorial standards and style guidelines to ensure clarity, consistency, and brand coherence across outputs. Bilingual in English and Portuguese, with extensive experience drafting, editing, and adapting content across languages to ensure accuracy, cultural nuance, and consistency in multi-country reporting environments. Work independently in remote settings while collaborating effectively with multicultural, multi-stakeholder teams.

Education:

Master of Arts (MA) in Professional Writing, University of Falmouth, United Kingdom (2011–2013), graduated with Distinction. The program focused on advanced nonfiction writing, narrative structure, research methods, editorial practice, and professional publishing standards. The degree strengthened analytical writing, structural editing, and the ability to translate complex subject matter into clear, audience-focused communication.

Postgraduate Certificate in Creative Writing, Newcastle University, United Kingdom (2006–2007). Coursework emphasized craft, critical evaluation, and disciplined revision processes, reinforcing precision, clarity, and stylistic control in written work.

Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Portuguese and Brazilian Studies, King’s College London, United Kingdom (1992–1995). Combined language, literature, history, and cultural studies, providing strong cross-cultural competence and advanced bilingual proficiency in English and Portuguese. The degree laid the foundation for subsequent professional work in journalism, translation, and international communications.

Ongoing professional development has been embedded throughout a career spanning journalism, institutional communications, and consultancy, including continuous engagement with evolving editorial standards, digital publishing environments, and donor-driven reporting frameworks.

Affiliations and Achievements:

Final editorial authority for all English-language content at Macauhub, overseeing 8–10 daily financial and trade articles and maintaining publication standards in a fast-paced environment. Mentored early-career journalists at Lusa News Agency, guiding reporting structure, news judgment, and editorial discipline.

Established and maintain organizational style guides (Macauhub and APOPO), harmonizing tone of voice across diverse, multi-audience communications platforms.

Designed and manage APOPO’s structured newsletter and donor reporting systems. Since formalizing the monthly newsletter channel in 2023, annual income attributable to this stream has grown to approximately USD 50,000, with sponsor reporting communications generating comparable additional revenue. Wrote speeches and executive statements for senior leadership and edited high-level donor and advocacy documentation.

Advocate for stronger internal communications systems, currently developing a Communications Focal Point model to improve information flow between country programs and global teams. Recognized for elevating complex technical content into clear, ethically grounded communications and for shaping narrative direction in strategically sensitive contexts.

Over 20 years of independent remote consultancy experience, operating across cultural and linguistic contexts (English–Portuguese) and building bridges between technical specialists, leadership, and public audiences.

Available for:

  • Consulting assignments
  • Job opportunities
  • Being headhunted – make me an offer

Years of Experience:

More than 20 years

Highest Qualification:

Masters

Languages:

English, Portuguese

Nationality:

Portugal , United Kingdom

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