Jorge Portugal
Madrid
Summary
Results-driven professional with a proven track record of leadership excellence, skilled in strategic planning, team collaboration, and driving projects to successful completion. Strong focus on fostering a collaborative environment, ensuring adaptability, and delivering impactful outcomes. Effective communication, problem-solving acumen, and unwavering reliability in dynamic settings. Several years of diverse experience as an innovative technology professional have honed skills in enhancing systems and aligning technical solutions with business objectives. Proven success in leading projects from start to finish and contributing to organizational growth and success.
Overview
34
34
years of professional experience
Work History
Leader, Customer Experience (EMEA/South)
CISCO
02.2023 - Current
- Responsible for the execution of +$300M software adoption programs
- Direct report to EMEA/South VP for Customer Experience
- Oversaw day-to-day activities of 12 Customer Success employees across 7 countries, fostering inspiring atmosphere to optimize employee experiences.
- Move ARR to 'Green' in the Adoption Lifecycle and always achieved set quarterly goals
- Led cross-functional teams to achieve company-wide goals, fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation.
- Increased team productivity by streamlining communication and implementing effective project management strategies.
- Built high-performing teams by recruiting top talent and providing ongoing support through professional development programs.
- Mentored junior staff members, helping them develop leadership skills and advance their careers within the organization.
- Evaluated staff performance and provided coaching to address inefficiencies.
- Evaluated customer needs and feedback to drive product and service improvements.
- Provided reporting for forecast analysis and ad-hoc reporting in support of decision-making.
Customer Success Specialist (EMEAR/South)
CISCO
06.2019 - 02.2023
- Engaged with Cisco EMEA/South top customers to drive Cisco solutions adoption and increase overall customer satisfaction.
- Accelerated business value by delivering accelerators (1:1 technical sessions with customers for accelerating product adoption), ask-the-expert (ATX) sessions (1:many webinars) and custom engagements, to advance customer implementation, usage, adoption, and optimization of specific solutions
- Shared product/services leads with key stakeholders.
- Enhanced team collaboration, sharing best practices and working together to resolve complex issues.
- Implemented process improvements that resulted in increased efficiency within the Customer Success team.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to advocate for customer needs and drive product improvements.
- Provided ongoing training sessions for clients in order to maximize software adoption and utilization.
- Increased customer satisfaction by addressing concerns and providing tailored solutions for their needs.
- Mentored new hires within the Customer Success team contributing towards overall improvement in team performance and cohesion.
Consulting Systems Engineer, Data Center
CISCO
01.2011 - 01.2019
- Responsible for driving Cisco Data Center Architecture business in Portugal
- Developed relationships with customers, vendors, partners, and corporate services organization to drive successful Data Center projects
- Acted as customer's trusted advisor, delivering business value through technology solutions
- Train, support, and coach Cisco partner engineers
- Promote demand generation activities related to Data Center technologies and architecture - seminars, demonstrations, customer events, workshops.
- Maintain a local Lab, maximizing the impact on customers and partners, improving Cisco's ability to differentiate from the competition and showing the business advantages of end-to-end solutions
- Mastered the full range of Cisco Data Center Technologies: Data Center fabrics; Computing Systems; Storage Systems; Cloud Systems
- Member of several Cisco communities: Global Data Center Systems Engineers Virtual team (SEVT); EMEAR Competitive Tiger Team; Cisco Enterprise Cloud Data Center Jedi Team
- Contributed significantly to winning large-scale contracts by demonstrating exceptional technical prowess during proof-of-concept demonstrations for prospective clients.
- Assisted sales teams in crafting compelling proposals tailored to each client''s unique needs while adhering to corporate guidelines for pricing structures and profit margins.
- Mentored junior engineers by sharing industry knowledge, best practices, and fostering a collaborative team environment.
- Championed a culture of continuous improvement by consistently seeking out new technologies, industry trends, and best practices to stay ahead of the competition.
- Improved client satisfaction scores by providing expert consultation on system design, configuration, and troubleshooting.
- Led complete business transformation projects for clients, offering solutions based on customer requirements.
Systems Engineer, Data Center
CISCO
01.2005 - 01.2011
- Country focal point and specialist for Cisco Data Center technologies
- Active part of several account teams for a set of Enterprise and Public Sector accounts
- Developed relationships with a set of customers to promote Cisco technologies, detect business opportunities and drive successful project implementations by engaging Systems Engineers for different technologies and Services Organization
- Acted as customers' trusted advisor, delivering business value through technology solutions
- Trained, supported, and coached Cisco partner engineers
- Created and maintained a local demonstration facility based on Cisco and alliance partners' technologies
- Member of the Global Data Center Systems Engineers Virtual team (SEVT); Deep expertise on Cisco Data Center Technologies: Data Center Networks, LAN and SAN; Application Networking Services; Computing Systems (from 2009)
Business Sales Consultant
CESCE S.I.
01.2004 - 01.2005
- Responsible for the pre-sales activities in Portugal related to the company Security Group
- Acted as customers' security consultant and trusted advisor, by delivering seminars, updating customers in regard to trends and technologies, and guiding customers to cohesive solutions
- Worked with mother company SIA (Sistemas Informaticos Abiertos, Spain) engineering and business development team to develop a portfolio of security products and solution
- Developed relationships with potential customers in order to promote SIA solutions, detect business opportunities and drive projects
- Coordinated both with technology providers and internal groups to define technical solution for specific projects
- Delivered technical and financial proposals
- Interfaced with the media to promote CESCE/SIA brand and gain relevance as a Security Consultant
Technical Business Manager
SIA Portugal
01.1999 - 01.2004
- Founder of 'SIA Portugal, Lda', SIA Group operation in Lisbon/Portugal, becoming responsible for the creation, hiring, management, and development of a technical team focused on Security Solutions and projects
- Manager for a technical team of 8 systems and security experts delivering both project implementation and small-scale managed services for systems and security
- Multi-disciplinary function, assuming both the leadership for pre-sales activities, technical management, and project management
- Helped win and deliver key security projects in Portugal: SIBS (Forward Payment Solutions S.A.) PKI (Public Key Infrastructure), which became the reference Certification Authority in Portugal, from which digital certificates are embedded in National Citizen Card; CGD (Caixa Geral de Depositos) - major bank in Portugal - PRINT project. For this project, a Security Architecture was designed and implemented, supporting all the Internet-facing infrastructure for the bank; Santander Bank Portugal - design and implementation of the Security Architecture supporting the Internet-facing infrastructure for the bank
- Improved operational workflows by identifying areas of inefficiency and implementing appropriate solutions.
- Increased overall team productivity by fostering a positive work environment and providing effective leadership.
- Communicated with customers and vendors positively with particular attention to problem resolution.
- Assisted with hiring process and training of new employees.
Senior Security Consultant
PBEM - Pinto Basto Electrotecnia e Máquinas
01.1998 - 01.1999
Network and Security Engineer
Bitmais
01.1996 - 01.1998
Systems and Network Administrator
Minho University Computer Science Department
01.1994 - 01.1996
Assistant Professor
Lusíada University
01.1993 - 01.1996
Intern Systems Engineer
CEL - Cachapuz Electrónica Lda.
01.1991 - 01.1993
- Software Development
Education
Engineering Degree (5 Years) - Systems Engineering And Informatics
Universidade Do Minho
Braga, Portugal01-1991
Skills
- Relationship building
- Conflict resolution
- Strategic planning
- Motivating teams
- Team leadership
- Continuous improvements
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Goal oriented
- Analytical thinking
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Excellent communication
- Reliability
Languages
English
Bilingual or Proficient (C2)
Portuguese
Bilingual or Proficient (C2)
Spanish
Advanced (C1)
French
Intermediate (B1)
Timeline
Leader, Customer Experience (EMEA/South)
CISCO
02.2023 - Current
Customer Success Specialist (EMEAR/South)
CISCO
06.2019 - 02.2023
Consulting Systems Engineer, Data Center
CISCO
01.2011 - 01.2019
Systems Engineer, Data Center
CISCO
01.2005 - 01.2011
Business Sales Consultant
CESCE S.I.
01.2004 - 01.2005
Technical Business Manager
SIA Portugal
01.1999 - 01.2004
Senior Security Consultant
PBEM - Pinto Basto Electrotecnia e Máquinas
01.1998 - 01.1999
Network and Security Engineer
Bitmais
01.1996 - 01.1998
Systems and Network Administrator
Minho University Computer Science Department
01.1994 - 01.1996
Assistant Professor
Lusíada University
01.1993 - 01.1996
Intern Systems Engineer
CEL - Cachapuz Electrónica Lda.
01.1991 - 01.1993
Engineering Degree (5 Years) - Systems Engineering And Informatics
Universidade Do Minho
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