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Always work as if you were starting out is the tip of the Chairman of the Board
Businessman Jorge Sukarie, current chairman of the ABES Board and who held the presidency of the entity for two terms (2004-2007 and 2013-20015), is the second interviewee of the special series of articles and interviews that Portal ABES is publishing to celebrate the association's 30th anniversary.
Founding partner and president of Brasoftware, an associate since 1989, Sukarie talks about her experience leading the presidency of ABES, comments on policies aimed at technological innovation and assesses the current scenario and prospects for the IT sector in the country.
Since when is Brasoftware associated with ABES? What were the initial reasons that led you to join?
Brasoftware has been associated since 1989, when we still didn't have a legal framework for the sector, the piracy rate in Brazil was above 90% and we lived in market reserve. Our objective with the affiliation was to participate more actively in the creation of an environment conducive to the development of the software sector in Brazil, in discussions on intellectual property protection and in greater freedom of choice in the standards to be adopted in our market.
Since when have you participated in the association's management?
I quickly engaged the Entity Council. I don't remember the exact date, but since the beginning of the 90's I became a counselor. A few years later, I became Vice-President of the Board and only assumed the position of Executive President for the first time in the 2004–2007 term. Then, I returned to the Board as president for three years, vice president for another three years and resumed the executive presidency in the 2013-2015 term. Now, I return to the Council as president. You can see that my involvement with ABES is and was intense, practically since its foundation.
What transformations do you see in the Brazilian ICT sector when you compare the period 2004-2006, of your first term as head of ABES, and the period 2013-2015?
In my first term of office, 2004-2006, we were going through an intense moment for Brazil, in the first administration of President Lula, with the prices of commodities up there, and the country on the crest of the wave. The ICT sector was contemplated with the Brasil TI Maior Plan, full of supposed incentives, but which in the end really contributed little to the development of the sector. In the second term, we faced the beginning of what we are experiencing today, which is this troubled environment in the country's politics and economy, in which the few achievements that the ICT sector had achieved in the last decade were weakened.
What are the main challenges that entrepreneurs in the sector will have to overcome in the coming years?
I usually say that being an entrepreneur in Brazil is something for persistent and determined people, to be able to face the country's legal and tax panacea. Especially in the coming years, we will still have to live with the negative impacts of political and economic crises on businesses, in addition to fighting corruption crimes, which have crossed all limits. Therefore, the forecast is for very challenging years ahead, but I am sure that Brazil will emerge from this and will continue to be one of the ten greatest powers in the world, and will serve as an example for other nations in the future in the fight against corruption.
In your opinion, what are the differentials that ABES offers to its members?
ABES offers a series of very important services for companies of all sizes. Among them, I would like to highlight legal advice, certificates, legal guidelines and tips, industry events, market research, health insurance under special conditions for its members, among others. In addition, it works hard to create better conditions for the development of the ICT sector in Brazil, discussing public policies, legal frameworks, innovation, promotion, etc.
Could you mention the work fronts on which, in your opinion, ABES should focus its activities in the coming years?
In recent months, we have experienced a scenario of uncertainty, in which ABES' position was more conservative and conciliatory, trying not to further degrade the inhospitable environment in which we have been forced to do business. My suggestion now is to prepare a positive proposal for the sector and present it to the Government that is at the head of the country, whether it is President Dilma's or any other that will take over in the coming months. This proposal should initially focus on the resumption of the country's economic growth, on incentives for innovation with the new technologies that are presented, sources of promotion, discussion of proposals for the improvement in work and education relations, that is, in the formation of workforce for the sector.
What are your management tips for new entrepreneurs who are structuring their technology and software startups?
If I had to sum up my advice in one word, it would be “perseverance”. Entrepreneurship in Brazil is not easy and only with serious, dedicated, suitable work, with a long-term vision and, above all, with a lot of perseverance, is it possible to succeed.
Returning to Brasoftware, how has the company's performance/services evolved over the years?
Today's Brasoftware is completely different from the company I founded three decades ago. We started out as a reseller of boxed software, delivered boxed on 51/4 and 8 inch floppies for CPM and PC. Currently, we are technology providers, offering cloud solutions to our customers. You can imagine the technological evolution that we have experienced over almost 30 years of operation and the challenges to continue to be always innovative and to get ahead to maintain the market leadership position that Brasoftware has always had. On the other hand, this challenge of technological evolution is the fuel for our motivation to always work as if we were starting or reinventing the business.
What are your expectations for the ICT sector in the coming years?
The ICT sector will evolve even faster in the next three to five years than it has in the last 10 years. New technologies allow us to create disruptive businesses, such as Airbnb, Netflix, Uber, among others, that challenge us to review legislation, taxation, labor relations and everything else that we had in the old economy and that, today, must be seen from this new perspective of services that have been changing the way we interact. This brings a new opportunity for companies in all segments of the economy and for the ICT sector, which is the implementer of these technologies, a new world of business possibilities. In this scenario, companies in the sector, such as Brasoftware, and class associations, such as ABES, play a key role in ensuring that these technological resources are accessible and that the regulatory framework for them to develop is available.
See also the interviews with the former presidents of ABES Carlos Sacco and Daniel Boacnin.
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