About Leonardo Loureiro
He is a Computer Engineer from the Universidad de la República, he also has an MBA from the Universidad Católica del Uruguay and several specialization courses from different national and foreign universities. He is Quanam's International Business Development Manager and CEO of Quanam USA, MBA professor at Universidad ORT Uruguay and radio columnist talking about how information technologies are transforming the world.
He has been a university professor since 1992, and for fourteen years he was a member of Cuti's board of directors, four of which he served as treasurer (2009-2012) and for the last three and a half years as president. In those 14 years he has represented the Cuti in various national and international organizations. He was commercial manager of ICA, has integrated several ANII evaluation committees and was Director of the Software Test Center.
With a strong focus on Innovation and Technology, with over 25 years of experience in the IT Industry, always working with the goal of putting technology at the service of organizations, so that the new capabilities created are reflected in results.
What is your proposal for the 2020-2022 period?
Consolidate the growth achieved in the last two years of the technological ecosystem to go to a new stage of development, thus providing growth opportunities for all industry players.
What is your plan of action and what would you define as a priority?
We are beginning a period with great uncertainties due to the global pandemic, several sectors of economic activity are in crisis and that will demand a great work of all companies in the sector to re-invent ourselves, seek new opportunities, strengthen our skills and collaborate with each other to have an increasingly united IT ecosystem.
Some of the objectives we defined for this period are:
- Internationalization: The industry has demonstrated its exporting vocation, we have to keep growing, see ways of associative work and work so that more companies start exporting and those that are already there consolidate and grow at higher rates than the current ones.
- Innovation: Our companies are already working on new technologies, many are at the frontiers of knowledge, but we see that it is important to establish innovation processes that allow the creation of intellectual property to generate economies of scale that allow us to grow in international markets.
- Talent: It will continue to be one of the focuses of the Cuti, we need to incorporate more and better talent to the industry throughout the national territory, we will seek to convince young people and re-convert specialists from other professions. We will also focus on working with the academy in programs that allow us to develop new specialties, associated with areas of cutting-edge knowledge to have more specialists, more masters and more doctors.
- Relations with the Government: As in the world's leading countries, the technology industry must promote and demand the participation of the state in its development. We will continue to work with the government so that among other things, the state is a driving force in the development of innovation, competitiveness, education, in the creation of incentives for the venture capital industry and in the development of instruments to facilitate the incorporation of technology in the rest of the national industry.
- An industry throughout the territory and with more women: We will continue to insist on how important it is for our industry that women choose this sector to develop. We will continue working to generate development opportunities for all citizens of this country, wherever they are, promoting the installation of work units of our partners in different cities of Uruguay.
What did you learn from your time at Cuti as President?
The most important thing that left me is to see that Cuti has a great responsibility, to be an active participant in the transformation of Uruguay, I believe that working together we can achieve a great change in our country. The president is the visible head, but there is a great team that surrounds him, both colleagues who are members of the board, as partners who actively participate, as well as an excellent staff that carries out with passion all the activities of the chamber.
What motivates you to want to repeat the experience?
Since its origins, the chamber proposed to work collectively in the development of the Information Technology sector, today it is even more relevant because of the development that our industry has had both nationally and internationally, continue with this line of work is a challenge that requires much effort and dedication, but at the same time is an exciting task that often gives us very rewarding moments, like seeing that a job generated in one of our companies changed the life of a person.
From your point of view, what are your main strengths for the Presidency of the House? What is your leadership style?
The experience of having served in various roles in past boards, as well as having been president in the last one is very important, but the most relevant strength I think is the knowledge of the entire ecosystem and working together with all the colleagues on the board. The training and experience of working in various areas of activity of the ecosystem, such as teaching, engineering, innovation processes, etc., have given me that deep knowledge I was talking about. The president of the Cuti must lead by example, working for the whole sector, with all the relevant actors in it, listening a lot, and doing a lot. Teamwork is essential, the integration of the new board has exceptional entrepreneurs, which will allow us to take the challenges ahead.
How do you see the Chamber and the Industry at the end of your term?
I want the ground to be prepared in two years so that in the following years exports will double and the sector will represent 5% of the country's GDP. For this it is important to have the work of all the actors in the IT sector, focused on specific but relevant issues for the industry, such as Business Development, Internationalization, Financing, Talent and Innovation, sure we will be able to achieve it, I want to work on high-impact issues that really move the needle of our exports, to have a solid industry that provides jobs to many Uruguayans.
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