2025-06-19

Fernando Nunes – a global team player with a heart for rescue services

After a long career in professional handball, both as a player and a coach, Fernando Nunes switched arenas, but not his commitment. Today, he works as Regional Sales Manager at Rescue Intellitech, supporting local dealers in Portugal, Spain, France and South America in making the technology accessible to those working in demanding and high-risk environments.

Rescue Intellitech is a Swedish company with global presence, developing solutions for cleaning and decontaminating firefighters’ protective gear from cancer-causing substances. In his role, Fernando draws on his international experience – making him particularly skilled at building strong relationships and understanding the needs of local dealers. His job is to ensure they have the support they need to serve their customers in fire and rescue services as well as public agencies.

– We meet people who run into burning buildings while the rest of us run out. These are incredible encounters with true heroes. Being even a small part of making their work safer and more effective is the best part of my job, says Fernando.

From the sports arena to the exhibition hall

Fernando began his professional handball career as a teenager in Portugal. After playing in both the Portuguese and Spanish leagues as well as for the national team, he moved on to leadership roles as a coach and sports director. In parallel, he gained experience in international sales – first in sports equipment, and later in sports analytics software.

As he and his wife moved across Europe – from Portugal to the Netherlands, then France and finally Sweden – he continued working remotely with the French market. After some time in Sweden, he took on a role as project manager for padel court installations, and through his network there, he came across Rescue Intellitech.

– Rescue Intellitech was looking for someone with sales experience, cultural understanding, and fluency in Portuguese, Spanish, French, English – and a little bit of Swedish. It felt like a perfect match, so I sent in my CV. The rest is history.

More than just sales

Today, Fernando travels extensively, visiting dealers, supporting customer meetings, giving presentations, and attending trade fairs around the world. His goal? To contribute to the company’s continued growth, and to achieve not only individual, but above all, collective goals.

– I thrive when we work toward shared goals. I’ve been part of many teams over the years, and the feeling of building something meaningful together still beats everything.

_____________________________________

5 quick facts about Fernando Nunes

Lives: In Bjärred, and sometimes misses the buzz of the city
Background: Former elite handball player with an international career in both sports and sales
Languages: Portuguese, French, Spanish, English, and a bit of Swedish
Day off: Spends time with family and their dogs, and watches sports on TV
Summer plans: A true Swedish summer at home – with a few trips to follow