Around the world with Vodafone

My name is Luís Cortez and I'm based in Lisbon Portugal. My academic background covers both computer science and telecommunications and a postgraduate in management.

My first contact with Vodafone was in 2016, and from the first moment I felt like Vodafone was interested in knowing more about me as a professional and as a person - what would drive me, and what were my best attributes beyond just my technical and soft skills. This attention was a key motivation during the hiring process.

On top of that, the opportunities available at Vodafone to develop an international career with a direct impact across many countries, cultures, and time zones is something that very few companies can top.

The VTV Project

The Vodafone TV (VTV) project was exactly that kind of opportunity, and I started in 2016 - joining the VTV Engineering Team responsible for the deployment and evolution of the VTV project. Between 2016 and 2020, the service launched in Italy, Spain, New Zealand, Greece, Portugal, Romania, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Germany, and I was present, on site, for almost all of them, supporting the local teams across the different activities that enabled the VTV platform launch.

In 2018 I joined the team driving all TV projects under the Liberty Global Acquisition Program, and in 2021 I joined the VTV Architecture Team, with a clear objective to expand the platform features landscape directly at the inception of the architecture design.

So, most of my Vodafone career so far has been deeply connected to the Vodafone TV Project - a multi-device TV service wholly delivered on scalable and flexible cloud services. Its launch and development have been both innovative and disruptive. By leveraging the full potential of Vodafone Group and centralising most platforms and teams, the markets benefit from economies of scale and are competitive from launch. This blueprint approach - build once and deploy many - has been key.

Development and the next step

Working abroad across so many countries and cities has been one of the most effective catalysts for my personal and professional development so far. Engaging with the local cultures, languages, and values, expands and enhances our perception of the world around us. I believe that being able to leverage all this in my work every day makes the difference between a regular product and service, and great product and service. That difference might be in the tiny details, but these things matter.

My next big challenge with Vodafone is already underway and I’m excited by the chance to bring my experience into a new area. I've now joined Vodafone Group IT as a Principal Architect for the Product Integration Platform (PIP). I’ll be helping to drive the evolution of the Vodafone Group IT backbone, enabling the multiple services offered by Vodafone across our Markets.

So, I’ll be expanding my horizons beyond Vodafone TV to support the development of a vast landscape of products and services like: Vodafone Happy, Insurance, Vodafone ID, Content Provisioning or Mobile Connect to name a few.

It’s telling that one of my favourite quotes is from Albert Einstein: “The mind that opens to a new idea never comes back to its original size."  This has been one of the most inspirational concepts for me over the years and it captures what personal and professional development is all about.

In other words, you should be ready to challenge your assumptions, multiply your learning opportunities by engaging with local cultures, and you should maximise the number of development paths you can choose from. Your mind will expand with every new idea and experience you come across. Be open to incorporating them into your work and your professional journey.

My own journey has just started.