GFT Technologies Names Top LATAM Exec Marco Santos as CEO

German IT giant GFT Technologies, which has extensive operations in Latin America, reshuffled its top leadership, promoting Marco Santos to CEO.

Santos (who’s 47 years old) will succeed current CEO Marika Lulay, who’ll be stepping down later this year.

Santos will assume his official duties in July 2024 but will be taking full charge as CEO until January 2025. He’ll spend six months working with Lulay in order to gain valuable insights and ensure a smooth transition of leadership.

Additionally, GFT’s current CFO, Jochen Ruetz, will be promoted to Deputy CEO, supporting Santos in his new role.

Big news: #GFT today appointed Marco Santos as the new CEO. He will take office on 1 July 2024.
Read our press release ▶ https://t.co/qxV86jro8i pic.twitter.com/unfUNQtkw8

— GFT Technologies (@gft_tech) March 26, 2024

Santos is a seasoned leader with a successful track record at GFT. He joined the company in 2011 and has held several leadership roles within the organization, including Country Manager for GFT Brazil and Head of Latin American Operations.

During his tenure, he oversaw the remarkable growth of GFT Brazil and was promoted to CEO of GFT Americas in 2023, managing operations across North and Latin America.

“Marco Santos is a proven leader with a strong commitment to growth and innovation,” said Ulrich Dietz, Chairman of the Administrative Board of GFT Technologies, in a press release.

GFT is a global company with over 12,000 employees working across dozens of delivery centers in 20 countries, including Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Panama.

Earlier this year, GFT acquired Bogota-based Sophos Solutions, a key vendor of core banking solutions, cloud services and automation tools.

The company’s success is attributed in part to the financial expertise and strategic vision of Jochen Ruetz, who has been with GFT for over two decades. His promotion to Deputy CEO ensures continuity and strengthens GFT’s leadership team.

“I have had the pleasure of working closely with both Marco and Jochen for many years,” said outgoing CEO Marika Lulay.