Latin America. We interviewed Genetec's newly appointed Managing Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Jason Souza.
In addition to telling us what it has been like to take on his new professional challenge, Jason referred to the current challenges facing the company he is joining, the Latin American market and, in general, the security industry.
What are your impressions of taking over as Managing Director of Genetec?
Well, I see a very interesting challenge. What caught my attention was, above all, the disruptive innovation that Genetec is doing in the region with launches such as Security Center SaaS. We are first in the industry thanks to more than a decade of learning and development. I'm new, so I've learned about all these research and development resources that Genetec has in the last few weeks.
What motivated you to accept this new position?
Something that was very interesting and very important to me in making the decision, not only that I'm Canadian and I'm proud to be with a leading Canadian company in the industry, is that it's a really private company. It's not a company that has a corporate owner. There is nothing negative about it, there are other challenges, but really Genetec can focus 100% on innovation and development, and not necessarily on making a number or having the pressure to do a number for other reasons. That was a big reason why I was very interested in taking on this challenge."
How did you think of the dynamic work within Genetec?
There is a great team of professionals in Latin America and the Caribbean: engineering, commercial marketing, business development. With this team, I'm going to learn a lot. I'm here to offer my experience as well, but I think timing is important to me. Our channels and, in general, the industry face major challenges in 2024. We've seen it and the ecosystem is already looking for a solution. As far as I'm concerned, it's an honor and a privilege to join this team.
What will be Jason's goals at Genetec?
Latin America and the Caribbean is a very varied region. What happens in Mexico City is not the same as what happens in Monterrey; Medellín is very different from Bogotá or other parts of the region. So I think it's hard to generalize; There are several elections this year, which may change the public sector. However, there is something very common everywhere and that is that this industry continues to consolidate. We're seeing this movement of Data Centers, of investment in the cloud... The cost of capital is a challenge for everyone and that's why our Security Center is so interesting, because it moves to a slightly more disruptive model where you can have an annual cost instead of a capital cost at a certain point in time.
And what challenges will you face?
As an industry and as citizens, on a professional and personal level, the cybersecurity challenge remains very large. I think that's a constant battle for everyone and to keep up, you always have to be investing, learning, which is another challenge in itself. Another important challenge is to respond with our channels, to what they ask for and what our end users demand. Also, with interest rates, with investment, all of that costs more today. Inflation not only in Latin America, but everywhere, is going to be much more difficult. We're seeing more consolidation in our market, purchasing, so I think this is going to continue and I think Genetec is very focused on looking at the challenges of our end users and trying to work hand in hand and solving and finding solutions to these problems.
What tools will you use to meet these challenges?
Well, what I have is more than two decades of experience in the region, learning and evolving. I think I bring energy and passion, while I know a lot about the ecosystem. Keep in mind that it's not just Jason, it's going to be a great team working together. I believe that they will give me a valuable learning experience of what Genetec is, what we can do and what we have done for many years. I come to bring energy, passion and years of experience, so that all this is added to the great team that Genetec has and its great ecosystem of channels. We are all here to improve the day-to-day life of our ecosystem.
