The Pivotal Leader in the IT Industry: Nelson Brandao

In the late 20th century, the Internet was a novelty for the average person, but today, we cannot imagine our lives without it. Information technology is a rapidly developing industry that is essential for the success of today's businesses. As companies become more dependent on technology, they need more skilled professionals to help them remain in the competition. To succeed, companies have to hire individuals who can both understand the complexities of IT and lead others to success.

Nelson Brandao is a leader in the IT industry today with a strategic vision and technical proficiency that has been vital to the success of various projects. With key certifications in ITIL, COBIT, ISO27002, and Scrum, a bachelor's degree in information technology, analysis and development of systems, and two MBAs, one in Strategic Project Management and the other in Strategic and Economic Management of Business, Nelson was more than prepared for the high-level roles that he would earn.

However, Nelson would only take on leadership roles after he gained experience in IT. While studying for his bachelor's degree, Nelson started his journey in Brazil as a PHP Developer to hone his programming skills and continued to improve his programming at WebStorm Internet a year later. The beginning of his career helped to set the foundation of his technical skills, which would help grow his career later on.

In 2008, Nelson's first call to leadership arrived in the form of a promotion from WebStorm Internet that promoted him to Software Engineering Manager. Nelson made sure to focus on the quality and performance of his projects, which would pay off when he was promoted to Chief Technology Officer two years later.

As CTO, Nelson restructured technical support and reshaped the company, developing partnerships with local communities in the process. He doubled WebStorm's annual revenue by implementing a project office that used ITIL, PMBOK, and Agile concepts. His leadership in this project drove both operational improvements and significant business growth, making it clear that Nelson could manage both technical and strategic aspects of the business to succeed in his work.

Digital Hub, an Adobe Solution Partner, took notice of Nelson's talent in 2015 when they gave him the role of Information Technology Manager. This was Nelson's first step into leading an international workforce, as he managed virtual teams from both Brazil and India. As IT Manager, Nelson was responsible for the architecture of Magento Commerce projects. His experience in Magento, which would later become Adobe Commerce, was key to his career growth as an international leader in IT.

Nelson was then hired as Head of Information Technology at Proxys Group to manage the entire IT department. Through hiring, coaching, and leading a team of forty, he supported multiple companies within the group and led the alignment of IT projects. His success in this job clearly shows Nelson's versatility in managing IT operations across diverse industries and his unique ability to align IT initiatives with broader business strategies.

Finally, after years of hard work, Nelson was hired by a major corporation located in Spain: Nestlé. As Senior Project Manager, he coordinated the integration of Magento (Adobe Commerce) solutions into the company's digital landscape, led agile development teams, and managed partnerships with external agencies. As a Product Owner, he owned a global DevSecOps implementation that sought to add scalability, reliability, and control over projects deployed globally for service providers at Nestlé. Nelson's strategic handling of this large-scale integration ensured the deployment of successful and efficient digital solutions within the company.

After working at Dufry Group, another company in Spain, for a year as a Global IT Digital Architect, Nelson was noticed by Schneider Electric, another major corporation, and hired as a Technical Product Manager. Nelson still works at Schneider Electric today, leading the strategic management of the Product Experience Platform, connecting a global PIM ecosystem with hundreds of digital applications across 70 countries, and enhancing the user experience for millions of customers.

The journey Nelson took to create a successful career is not one that all can accomplish. Extensive learning and hard work were involved, and Nelson had to adapt to whatever new concept his work presented to him. However, his hard work has awarded him with expertise in multiple aspects of the IT industry and leadership skills, the latter of which is one of the most rewarding skills to obtain.

Nelson's career path is a testament to the rewards of hard work and adaptability. With two decades of experience, he is now focused on exploring AI in e-commerce and expanding his global entrepreneurial ventures. His goal is to make a significant impact in technology and business, improving lives and economies worldwide.

Admirable traits, such as adaptability and ambition, drive Nelson to use new technology to impact thousands of individuals with his work daily. The success of several businesses can be attributed to Nelson's leadership, and he will continue to do so as long as he continues to grow his expertise.