Kevin Samuelson arrives at a living room hotel in Barcelona where he stayed after a meeting about even broader expansion in the city. For the American technology company he leads as CEO, Barcelona is a core market: it hosts the second-largest office in Europe, with industries that drive the economy, and here the director notes that people from across Europe are drawn to the city. In fact, 80% of the 300 employees at this office come from abroad, with 25 more based in Madrid. “People from all over Europe are eager to live in Barcelona, where we offer a wide range of roles and opportunities”, Samuelson explains. “The only downside is that employees often don’t want to leave when they’re ready to advance within the company”, he adds with a smile.
The aim is clear: strengthen the company’s presence in the city significantly. Samuelson does not spell out specifics, but it is evident he is considering it—opening new positions, adding more senior profiles, and fostering career growth for local staff.
The information concerns a software company headquartered in New York with two decades of experience in its sector, now operating under the umbrella of a business holding since February 2020. Koç Industries, described as a major player with revenues around $120 billion, helped the company achieve $3.2 billion in the last fiscal year. The key, Samuelson notes, lies in cloud-hosted programs that manage operations across specialized industries.
“In this field, an enterprise resource planning system (ERP) for all industries has revealed a challenge: it requires substantial customization to fit the same product into many different sectors,” remarks the CEO of Infor. To address this, the company designed its software with sector-focused capabilities. On one side, automotive, aviation, and defense; on the other, fashion and feed; and finally, distribution. “This unique blend of specialized content and talent in each industry has powered a strong growth trajectory,” the executive observes.
In Spain, the brand isn’t as prominent in the public domain as some rivals, yet Samuelson believes it is well known among target industry players. He recently returned from dinner with a finance executive from an automotive-focused company. “The advantage is that we don’t need to invest heavily in broad advertising campaigns—we can concentrate on our strengths and gain recognition there,” she notes. Notable clients include Carolina Herrera and Zanini, among others.
The central challenge mirrors the broader European landscape: leveraging SAP’s power and making companies feel increasingly comfortable with cloud solutions. “Spain isn’t lagging behind other nations in Europe, yet Europe overall trails behind the United States. Acknowledging the moment is key to progress, Samuelson concludes. “We’re at a very interesting moment with expected disruption, so the market leaders five years from now will look very different from today”, he says, indicating the ambition to be among those leaders.