Paulo Sarmento takes helm at Cushman & Wakefield Portugal

Cushman & Wakefield has announced that Paulo Sarmento will take over from Eric van Leuven as head of Portugal, effective 1 January 2026. 

Paulo Sarmento

Van Leuven, who has led the firm for over 30 years, will continue with Cushman & Wakefield as an executive partner, focusing on client relations and business development.
Sarmento joined Cushman & Wakefield in 2018 as head of Capital Markets and has served as head of Transactional Services since 2022, overseeing all transactional service lines in Portugal, including Capital Markets and various agency teams. He brings 30 years of commercial real estate experience, having previously worked at Meyer Bergman (now MARK), Multi Corporation, and Sonae Sierra.
Van Leuven has been instrumental in leading Cushman & Wakefield Portugal for 34 years since his company's acquisition. He will remain a crucial senior member of the team, dedicated to serving clients and generating new business opportunities.
Paulo Sarmento, incoming head of Portugal, Cushman & Wakefield, said: “It is a great honour to be appointed to lead these talented colleagues with a collective focus on delivering exceptional advice and execution for our clients. We have an incredible team, a winning culture and an incredible global platform. I’m excited by the opportunities ahead for us and our clients.”  
Eric van Leuven said: “It has been a joy to work with our clients and colleagues to build something special in the Portuguese real estate market. Much has changed during that time, but solving our clients’ biggest challenges is as motivating as ever and I’m excited to able to focus on that. I couldn’t be happier for Paulo as he takes the next step in his career and look forward to supporting him in delivering our growth plans in Portugal and Iberia.”  
Oriol Barrachina, head of Iberia at Cushman & Wakefield, added: “Paulo is a leading advisor in Portugal whose deep experience, proven leadership and international mindset is a huge asset for our clients, colleagues and organisation. We could not have a better leader to continue our growth trajectory in Portugal, which owes so much to Eric. He hands over the leadership of a business in great shape with positive economic tailwinds supporting growth in Portugal and Iberia.”