Jason Morgan, Vice President – Sales & Marketing: We have a product that is focused on safety, and we have a long track record in the industry

Jason Morgan, Vice President - Sales and Marketing, offers a unique perspective on the intersection of international trade and investment migration. In this exclusive interview, as Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce Canada-Portugal, Jason explores the growing strategic alliance between Portugal and Canada. Furthermore, based on years of experience in the migration landscape, Morgan talks about the evolving landscape of Golden Visa programs in Europe and the expanding footprint of Mercan in Southern Europe. From trusted investment vehicles to urban revitalization through hospitality, he shares insights on what makes Mercan a long-term trusted partner for global investors.

As vice president of the Chamber of Commerce Canada-Portugal

Considering the current global trade context, why is it important for Portugal and Canada to establish a stronger commercial relationship?

The current global trade environment is one that has shown the importance of diversifying trade and strengthening new as well as existing partnerships. As founding members of NATO, long standing allies, as well as geographically close (with only a body of water between them), Portugal and Canada are ideally positioned to strengthen their trading relationship. Canada has a trade agreement with Europe and is looking to building upon that agreement to bolster trade both ways. It is my belief, as well as through my own experience, that Portugal has an opportunity to act as a bridge for this increased trade between both sides and to play an important part in this growing partnership.

Which sectors do you think will benefit most from the Chamber of Commerce?

Whether it’s aerospace, automotive, pharmaceutical, wine, leather, industrial, agriculture, tourism, and other industries, there are several opportunities to develop things further. As previously mentioned, for an expected increase in shipping of goods both ways between Canada and Europe, Portugal’s location places it in an ideal location to play an important part in shipping and perhaps even manufacturing. Tourism and airlines are also seeing increased volumes. There are a lot of North Americans and Europeans that now use these increased flight volumes between the two countries for access to other locations as well. We have also noticed a large increase in the number of visitors from Canada to Portugal. Our hope is that those industries trying to open new doors and expand to new markets will be able to count on the chamber to help them do so.

What are the future plans regarding Canada and Portugal bridges?

The objective is to properly build up the chamber in order to put in place a strong infrastructure of support that will make it easier to do more trade between the two countries. We have plans to increase opportunities through trade missions and events, as well as work alongside the sister chamber, as well as with parts of both governments in order to really help support any company or organization that would like to also be a part of this ever-growing trade partnership or to explore possibilities across the ocean.
 

As Vice President - Sales and Marketing at Mercan Group

With growing global interest in residency-by-investment programs, how do you think Portugal and Greece can position themselves to attract more investors?

I think these two countries have an opportunity to leverage their unique position so as to be the first choice for any foreign investors wanting to participate in one of these programs. Portugal and Greece are both extremely attractive countries, with good climate, amazing food, great culture and history as well as many other social components that people find very attractive. They also each bring something unique to the table, as well as cater to specific needs with regards to their programs.

With the uncertainty in the world right now, being able to show that they are stable and reliable places to do business will go a long way to showing the global investor community that these are ideal locations to invest and in turn help boost their economies. I believe the programs they offer navigate a fair balance between flexibility as well fairness in their requirements.

Looking particularly at the Portuguese Golden Visa Program, what are the best investment options for investors that seek Portuguese citizenship?

Naturally, I am of the belief that we at Mercan have some of the best products on the market. We have a product that is focused on safety, and we have a long track record in the industry. But I would say that the most important thing is that investors choose a product that they are comfortable with. This is an important investment, and they should look for a reliable company and product. A partner such as Mercan, with 35 years in business, is one that investors know will still be here to help them 10 years from now. They should probably avoid companies that are not locally established, as they might not operate by the same rules as others. Since they must balance the risks with the investment as well as with their immigration file, perhaps choosing an investment with too much risk may not be the best choice if the focus is on the immigration side.

Greece is turning into a hot hub for investment. Why is the Greek Golden Visa program attractive for Mercan and its investors?

Greece is an attractive place as the program is quite different from Portugal and fills an important space in the residency by investment field. It is ideal for those that seek a lower investment point and faster processing times for residency. It also has longer validity periods, making renewals a little further apart (and cheaper), as well as no residency requirements (which means even more flexibility). However, it requires relocating for citizenship, so that still leaves the space for Portugal to continue to provide value to other customers.

An aspect that was considered for Mercan when we expanded to Greece was that it was a natural progression, as we are able to leverage our expertise and resources from our 10 years in Portugal when we decided to expand to Greece. This made it much easier for us to establish ourselves and to have a good amount of success immediately there. Investors can invest knowing that the team that is working on these projects has been developing projects in Southern Europe for a long time, and that also helps them feel more secure in their choice.

From your perspective, what makes Mercan a trustworthy vehicle for investors all over the world to seek our investment opportunities in Portugal and Greece?

I would say that our 35 years in business is the first reason. With Mercan, you have one of the pioneers in this industry that has not only extensive experience in the field, but also a great track record. When starting a process that can take several years, working with a company that has been around successfully helping clients for that long can be more reassuring than a company that has only been around a couple of years, and may not even still be there by the time they’re done.

Another point I would say to consider is that our projects are extremely high-level projects. Due to the nature of the projects we develop, that we mostly operate and buy them back, we build projects that we know will be successful for many years to come. We work with the right partners, we choose the right brands, and we build for long-term success (not just quick profits). Mercan’s priority is always to make sure that things are done the right way, or else we wouldn’t have succeeded for so long. This is also why we have the support of all the largest brands.

Finally, I would say the final reason is the low level of risk of our offerings. Our focus is always on not overpromising but rather delivering and having a product that addresses the client’s needs. Though it’s always easier in business to make false promises and try to tell people what they want to hear, this isn’t the way we operate. We know that the best thing we can do is to provide a safe mechanism for people to fulfill their residency and citizenship needs while protecting their capital and providing a clear path towards their end goal. We do this in a way that works for all parties concerned, and the way we do this, investors can clearly see how safe and predictable our investment options are as well as the clearly defined exit strategies.

What can we expect from Mercan in the next years?

We have some exciting things in the works, though I can’t reveal too much. What I can say is that we have something else in the works for Portugal, as the sales cycle of our first Hospitality Fund will soon be done. We also have quite a few hotel openings coming in Portugal this year, as well as in the years to come, as more and more projects reach completion. This is exciting for both us and our investors, as this shows good progress but also opens up new properties for them to discover.

Our new project in Greece is also selling well and we are looking on building upon that success. The team there is only getting started and has very cool projects in the works that should be coming along soon as well.

Finally, I know we’ve been working on a few other exciting things which we can’t wait to share (though it’ll have to stay a mystery for now). Mercan has always been looking to the future and finding new opportunities for both us and our investors, and this is exactly what we’re continuing to do now. In this type of fast-changing industry, it is our capacity to adapt and constantly reinvent ourselves, while preserving the values of what it means to be Mercan, that has been the key to our success.