Global Services Day: Uruguay drives the growth of global services with talent and stability

Uruguay XXI, the government agency that promotes investments, exports, and country image, held the second edition of Uruguay Global Services Day. The event, which brought together leading players in the sector, provided a space to share industry trends and discuss the achievements and challenges of Global Service Centers in Uruguay.

The executive director of Uruguay XXI, Sebastián Risso, highlighted the relevance of the meeting. “Last year, we had the presence of the Director of Economic Policy of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Marcela Bensión, and this year of the Chancellor of the Republic, which reflects the importance that the government attaches to this very relevant sector,” he said.

Risso explained that approximately 30% of the country’s total exports come from this industry and highlighted the increase in employment in the sector, which went from 33,000 to 36,000 people in one year.

Uruguay XXI’s Investment Manager, Alejandro Ferrari, expanded on the sector’s outlook. “In a study conducted by our Competitive Intelligence department, we mapped more than 660 companies that generate around US$ 6 billion in exports. 37% of the people employed by the sector are concentrated in free trade zones,” he said.

Ferrari also pointed out that diversification towards services has been key to the country’s economic development.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Omar Paganini, also attended the event and highlighted Uruguay’s stability as a key factor for attracting investment. “This is a strategic sector that works for the world retains talent, and attracts investment. Our stable rules of the game, adequate infrastructure, and the preparation of our population make Uruguay an attractive destination for this type of business,” he said.

The panel on opportunities and challenges for the sector included leaders from international companies such as TCS, BASF, and Sabre. Luis Pedro Sapelli, director of Global Services Latam for TCS, highlighted the importance of proximity to the government and local talent. “We have been in Uruguay for more than ten years, and today we have more than 1,800 associates, which reflects the good landing we had in the country,” he said.

Guillermo Prosper, vice-president of Finance at Sabre Uruguay, stressed that the global services industry allows exporting knowledge and talent without people having to emigrate. Patricia Nunes, general manager of BASF Services Americas, added that the proximity with the government, academia, and local talent has been fundamental for BASF to grow in Uruguay from 14 to more than 1,100 employees in a decade.

The second panel, focused on success stories, included the participation of Claudio Piccardo, manager of Technology and Processes at Pluspetrol; Virginia Marotta, general director of Hogarth Uruguay; and Erika Hannibal, director of Roche’s Senior Regulatory Group. Marotta highlighted Hogarth’s growth from 10 employees in 2015 to 150 in 2023 and noted that Uruguayan talent stands out for its ability to solve problems creatively.

Tom Olavi Bangemann, global services expert and director of ConAxia, closed the event by presenting the latest global trends in Service Centers. His speech addressed key issues such as outsourcing and globalization of services, which continue to be important drivers for the expansion of this industry.

With this second edition of Uruguay Global Services Day, Uruguay reaffirmed its position as an attractive destination for investment in global services and demonstrated the potential for growth and consolidation of this key industry for the country’s economy.