Maria Hermínia Cabral de Oliveira was born in Luanda, in 1963. She is graduated in Economics from the University of Porto’s Faculty of Economics in 1985 before completing a Master’s Degree in International Cooperation and Development at the Higher Institute of Economics and Management, the Technical University of Lisbon in 1997. Beginning her professional career in 1985 at the Coordination Commission for the North Region, in the Studies and Planning Division (fishing sector), she then joined the North Region Hydraulic Resource Integrated Projects Management team. She has lectured at the University of the Minho (Industrial Cost Analysis) and the Faculty of Economics at the University of Porto (Cost Accountancy) between 1985 and 1988. Between 1988 and 1991, Maria Hermínia served as the Assistant State Secretary for Agriculture. In 1991, was nominated Cooperation Attaché at the Embassy of Portugal to Angola. Between 1993 and 1995, she was assistant to the State Secretaries for the Environment and for Planning and Regional Development. She was furthermore consultant on European Affairs in the Portuguese Parliament between 1997 and 2002.

Between 2002 and 2003, she was Head of Office for the State Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and, between 2003 and 2004, Vice-President of the North Region Coordination and Development Commission. Between 2004 and 2005, Maria Hermínia served as Assistant State Secretary for Regional Development in the 15th Constitutional Government and manager of the Operational Health Program (Healthcare XXI). Awarded the Portuguese Aid Institute’s prize for the “Best International Development and Cooperation Master’s Degree Student” in 1997, she was also a member of the “New North” Award Jury for the North Operational Program in 2010 and 2011. Maria Hermínia Cabral was the executive coordinator of both the Gulbenkian Environment (2007-2011) and Advanced Healthcare Training Programs (2008-2009). Currently she is the Director of the Gulbenkian Program Partnerships for the Development.