Olive oil team

Ana Carrilho​

Oleologist​

Ana Carrilho became interested in the world of olive oil at university, at Instituto Superior de Agronomia in Lisbon, when she decided to enrol in the Oils and Fats Technology major. She always enjoyed challenges and, at that time in Portugal, the olive oil field was certainly that. To further her knowledge she travelled to Italy, where she joined the research and development department of the largest olive oil company in the world, Carapelli. Olive oil became a passion and she returned to Portugal as a guest researcher at the university where she had studied previously. She also spent two years studying in Spain, building three olive mills. Ana is an olive oil taster in numerous national and international competitions, as well as a staunch defender of the quality of Portuguese olive varieties. She is now Director of the Esporão Olive Oil Business Unit, a chapter she began in 2013.

Ana Gaspar

Olive oil quality and olive suppliers’ manager​

Ana Gaspar, who holds a degree in Food Engineering from Coimbra Agricultural School and a post-graduate qualification in Agronomy from Beja Agricultural School, currently manages olive oil quality and olive suppliers at Esporão. In 2011, she started her career in the wine industry, and in 2013 she took on a new challenge in Esporão’s olive oil business unit, subsequently falling in love with that area. That passion drove herto Mendoza, Argentina, in 2017, on a work exchange at Familia Zuccardi, a leading wine and olive oil company. She is trained in organic farming, integrated production, food contaminants, food fraud and allergens, and has passed the WSET® Level 2 course. Ana has also been a member of the jury at several national and international competitions.