Latest news with #MarcoSantos
Business Insider
6 hours ago
- Business
- Business Insider
I'm a CEO who's led teams in the US, Latin America, and Europe. One country's business culture stood out as the most sophisticated.
This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with 50-year-old Marco Santos, the Global CEO of GFT Technologies, an IT solutions company headquartered in Germany. The following has been edited for length and clarity. I've worked in IT my entire career. In 2011, I joined GFT as a country manager for Brazil. I focused on growing our presence there, but over time, I assumed more responsibilities. I became the CEO of GFT USA and Latin America, and then CEO of the Americas as a whole, including Canada. I was honored to become the company's global CEO in 2024, overseeing its strategic direction and over 12,000 employees. In July, I moved to Germany, where we're headquartered. During my tenure at GFT, I've lived and worked across South America, North America, and Europe. Here's what the work and business culture were like in each of those areas and how I think leaders can adapt to different environments where they may have to travel. I joined GFT in Brazil after working for an IT consultancy. I led a small operation of about 80 people, working for clients in Europe. We didn't have any clients in the local market. I had to take a startup approach, focusing on growing the business and building a local client base in Brazil. At that time, business culture in Latin America was very relationship-driven. Delivering on promises to build trust was very important. I leveraged my IT connections in Brazil to build good relationships and open doors. I tried to meet with people I already knew in the market and had worked with before, talking with them about how GFT could meet their needs. As we scaled, we were able to grow the business throughout Latin America more broadly. I assumed responsibility over GFT Costa Rica and Mexico, and then I assumed the whole of Latin America. The US market is super competitive I became CEO of GFT USA and Latin America in 2020. I couldn't fly to the US because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so I had to manage things remotely until moving to the US in July 2021. Our US headquarters are in New York, where I'd travel frequently, but I chose to stay in Florida because some of our key clients were moving operations there. Florida was also a more convenient location for flying back and forth from Latin America. I believe the US has the most sophisticated business environment in the world. I noticed clients are so open to new things. Innovation and transformation come before regulation. With so much innovation, particularly in IT, there's a lot of competition. I had to come to understand the US market well and articulate the company's competitive advantage. When we pitched to top banks, we communicated our previous experience in this area, how we solved problems for our clients, and the skills we had that no one else had. Compared to Brazil, where pitches were more generic and often involved talking about who you are and what you can do, pitches in the US have a heightened focus on the metrics you achieved while solving problems for previous clients, and your key differentiators. People in the US tend to be more direct and to the point than people in Brazil. They place a stronger emphasis on efficiency, key performance indicators, and return on investment. I learned a lot from my US colleagues and was eager to adapt to this communication style. In Europe, I'm learning to navigate a longer decision-making process I moved to Germany in July 2024. The former global CEO and I worked together as co-CEOs until January 2025, when I fully assumed the global CEO role. Recently, I've noticed a desire to accelerate the pace of change in Europe, but compared to the US, the decision-making process takes longer here, and the culture is more risk-averse. If there's an opportunity to bring something new, there'll be a longer process to evaluate that new thing. Across our clients, teams, and partners, there's a focus on planning strategically before implementing ideas. The culture requires you to look at all the options and scenarios, produce a comprehensive analysis of where you are and where you want to be, and create an operational plan. People will expect you to understand all the variables at play. As GFT's CEO, I have to learn from this culture to ensure that I'm planning more and assessing all the scenarios before we execute something. I've noticed that in Europe, once you do this comprehensive planning and come to an agreement, you can really start to execute, and things don't change. Meanwhile, in the US, things accelerate very quickly, but they can also change very quickly due to the competitive environment. Even if you're doing a good job with a project, a competitor might come along and start outpacing you, so you may have to make rapid changes. Leaders need to be adaptable to lead globally As an executive, I have found it very enriching to travel to different continents and cultural contexts. Coming to Europe is like experiencing a new world. It's multicultural, and it's relatively easy to visit different countries on the continent, so the diversity I'm experiencing is fantastic. Living in different countries has developed my skills. Being a fast learner and an adaptable person are essential for strong leaders, especially in IT. When changes happen in business, leaders with these skills should think about how to adapt and keep moving toward their long-term goals.
Business Wire
15-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
GFT Acquires SAP Specialist Megawork to Accelerate Strategic Growth
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GFT Technologies SE (GFT) has agreed to acquire 100 percent of Megawork Consultoria e Sistemas Ltda. (Megawork), a leading Brazilian SAP consultancy, in a strategic move that aligns directly with GFT's five-year strategy. The acquisition advances the company's goals for high-value added service growth, expanded profitability, and deeper integration with major Independent Software Vendors. With this acquisition, GFT formally enters the SAP ecosystem – built around one of the most influential software companies worldwide. The move paves the way for GFT to offer a comprehensive SAP portfolio, supported by its GenAI product Wynxx to help accelerate and streamline SAP transformations. This offering will include implementation, upgrades, migrations, and ongoing support, while also embedding its next-generation AI capabilities to help clients navigate the evolving SAP landscape, particularly around SAP Cloud ERP. 'This deal reflects our ambition to scale into high-margin, high-value added services with SAP, one of the world's most recognized ISVs,' said Marco Santos, Global CEO of GFT. 'Megawork's SAP expertise, combined with GFT's leadership in cloud and AI, forms a powerful growth engine for the future. We want to massively improve the efficiency of SAP migrations, upgrades and implementation projects by 40 percent or more with our leading GenAI Product Wynxx. It's a natural next step as we continue to go beyond traditional transformation and deliver real business impact.' 'For everyone at Megawork and all our clients, this marks an exciting new chapter,' said Alexandro Carvalho, CEO of Megawork. 'Megawork becoming part of GFT gives our clients access to a global talent pool, cutting-edge innovation, and a broader set of capabilities to support their digital transformation journeys – regarding their SAP projects and beyond. We see a strong cultural and strategic fit, and this will strengthen our ability to deliver even greater value to our clients.' GFT is acquiring Megawork in an all-cash transaction, fully financed from existing funds, from the company's founders. The current leadership team are staying on to ensure continuity and a smooth transition. The acquisition advances GFT's five-year strategy. It accelerates the company's growth by opening new industry verticals – especially in manufacturing, pharma, public sector, energy, and consumer goods – where SAP is deeply embedded. And critically, it solidifies GFT's position in high-value added services by initiating collaboration with SAP. This partnership has the potential to enhance both GFT's revenue growth and profitability, as SAP services represent a higher-margin segment with sustained global demand. A key strategic advantage of the acquisition is the integration of Wynxx, GFT's GenAI product, into Megawork's SAP services. Wynxx will play a central role in accelerating SAP Cloud ERP migrations and project implementation, driving automation, reducing complexity, and unlocking faster time-to-value for clients. This not only reinforces GFT's AI leadership but also positions the company as a preferred partner for clients seeking to adopt SAP's AI-powered innovations. The acquisition also unlocks substantial cross-selling opportunities. A majority of GFT's existing global client base already uses SAP, presenting a clear path to expand services, secure new project wins, and deepen client relationships. Conversely, Megawork's clients will now benefit from GFT's strengths in cloud transformation, AI, data platforms, and Salesforce. There is minimal client overlap between GFT and Megawork, which presents clear opportunities for complementary growth and cross-selling across both portfolios. Megawork's team consists of approximately 350 highly skilled professionals. They are specialized in SAP consulting, support, and implementation. In 2024, the company reported revenues of around €14 million and an EBITDA margin of 21 percent, underscoring its strong profitability and operational efficiency. The closing of the transaction is planned for the fourth quarter of 2025 at the latest. The transaction is subject to approval by the national antitrust authority in Brazil. This press release is also available for download via the GFT newsroom About GFT GFT Technologies is a responsible AI-centric global digital transformation company. We deliver advanced Data & AI transformation solutions, modernize technology architectures, and develop next-generation core systems for industry leaders in Banking, Insurance, Manufacturing and Robotics. Partnering closely with our clients, we push boundaries to unlock their full potential. With deep industry expertise, cutting-edge technology, and a strong partner ecosystem, GFT delivers responsible AI-centric solutions that combine engineering excellence, high-performance delivery, and cost efficiency. This makes us a trusted partner for sustainable impact and customer success. Our team of 12,000+ technology experts operate in 20+ countries worldwide, offering career opportunities at the forefront of software innovation. GFT Technologies SE (GFT-XE) is listed in the SDAX index of the German Stock Exchange. Let's Go Beyond_
Business Wire
10-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
GFT and NEURA Robotics Create Strategic Partnership to Build Next Generation Software for Physical AI
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GFT Technologies has been selected as a strategic partner by NEURA Robotics to develop the software platform powering the next generation of physical AI – underscoring GFT's technological strength and marking its entry into one of the most dynamic sectors of the decade. NEURA Robotics, a global pioneer in cognitive robotics, is creating intelligent machines that learn, adapt, and act autonomously in real-world environments. Following the successful completion of a next generation software platform project, and based on its deep expertise in data, AI, and high-performance architecture, GFT is ideally positioned to partner with NEURA Robotics' mission to bridge the gap between software intelligence and physical action. 'Being chosen as a strategic partner by NEURA Robotics is a powerful validation of GFT's next generation technology leadership,' said Marco Santos, Global CEO of GFT. 'We are bringing our core AI software and digital platform expertise into the robotics realm—extending our responsible AI-centric strategy into a sector that's set to transform industry and everyday life alike: robotics and physical AI.' 'With GFT, we have found a strategic partner that shares our vision of bringing cognitive robotics into real-world application. Their deep technological expertise and strong track record in AI software engineering and in complex and highly regulated industries helps us close the gap between AI insight and physical execution – laying the foundation for a new era of intelligent machines,' said David Reger founder and CEO at NEURA Robotics. This partnership not only reinforces GFT's credentials as a global innovation leader but also opens up new growth opportunities in the booming robotics sector. This press release is also available for download via the GFT newsroom About GFT GFT Technologies is a digital transformation pioneer. We design AI-centric business solutions, modernise technology infrastructures, and develop next-generation core systems for industry leaders in Banking, Insurance, and Manufacturing. Partnering closely with our clients, we push boundaries to unlock their full potential. With deep industry expertise, cutting-edge technology, and a strong partner ecosystem, GFT delivers AI-centric solutions that combine engineering excellence, high-performance delivery, and cost efficiency. This makes us a trusted partner for sustainable impact and customer success. Our team of 12,000+ technology experts operate in 20+ countries worldwide, offering career opportunities at the forefront of software innovation. GFT Technologies SE (GFT-XE) is listed in the SDAX index of the German Stock Exchange. About NEURA Robotics NEURA Robotics was founded in 2019 by David Reger to close relevant innovation gaps and usher in the era of cognitive robotics. The award-winning innovators from Metzingen pursue a strict "one-device" approach across their entire product range - from industrial to household robots. Behind this is the idea of a smartphone with arms and legs, combining all central components and sensors for physical artificial intelligence in one device. With the "Neuraverse," the company creates the prerequisites for the iPhone moment in robotics and bridges the gap between technology and humanity. Fundamental cognitive abilities, safety and operating system, and a partner-open development environment enable the scaling of robotics applications in unprecedented ways. A growing range of apps and autonomous learning open up a wide field of applications for robots of all types in everyday society, as well as previously unattainable flexibility and cost efficiency in automation. The robotics hub emerging around NEURA attracts many international market leaders. NEURA Robotics has established partnerships with Kawasaki Robotics, Omron Robotics and Safety Technologies, Delta Electronics, and other leading manufacturers. All innovations and technological components required for this success, including Al, are developed by NEURA Robotics itself. This has set new standards in physical Al, precision, and safety. NEURA's cognitive robots can see, hear, and have a sense of touch. They act fully autonomously and learn from experience. At Automatica 2025, NEURA is presenting the third generation of the humanoid all-purpose robot 4NE1. NEURA is also bringing MiPA, the world's first cognitive household and service robot, to market.
