Luis Plácido dos Santos is the Head of Gulbenkian Scholarships since 2021. He joined the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in 2014, where he has had project management roles in the Programs of Human Development and Sustainable Development, as well as a role in the Secretariat of the Board of Trustees’ evaluation taskforce.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in management from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Coimbra and a master’s degree in management from the Nova School of Business and Economics. He also completed postgraduate studies in Philanthropy, Grantmaking and Social Investment at Bayes Business School – City, University of London, where he also obtained a specialization in Charity Investment. Additionally, he has completed specializations in Fundraising at Harvard University, Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation at the University of Bologna, and Peace Operations and Humanitarian Action at the Human Rights Center of the University of Coimbra.

Before transitioning to the philanthropic sector, Luis worked in the private sector across diverse areas, such as information systems, consumer goods, and energy.