Bayer announced today its plan to open a Digital Hub in its Warsaw offices in July 2021, creating new job opportunities for up to 400 IT experts, mainly Software Engineers, Full Stack Engineers, Data Engineers and Data Scientists with expertise in machine learning, AI and Operations Research. The focus of the new hub is on developing innovative digital solutions of global scope for Bayer’s Crop Science, Pharmaceuticals and Consumer Health divisions.

“We are very happy that Bayer has chosen Poland for its new Digital Hub. Poland has a remarkably dynamic economy and Poles have an impressive talent for innovation and new technologies especially in areas like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning,” says Markus Baltzer, Senior Bayer Representative in Centrale Eastern Europe.
“The decision to expand our global digital and IT footprint into Warsaw was obvious, considering the quality of highly-talented IT professionals and graduates in both the city and across Poland, said Bijoy Sagar, Chief IT and Digital Transformation Officer at Bayer. “We are excited to welcome new, diverse thinking to our teams as we digitally innovate to deliver on Bayer’s vision of health for all and hunger for none.”
The new Digital Hub will be part of Bayer’s established global network focused on accelerating the digital transformation of Bayer. Colleagues in Warsaw will collaborate closely with existing IT locations in Germany, the USA, and many other countries around the world.
The initial focus of the hub will be the delivery of digital transformation projects within Crop Science where Bayer is using its unique position as an agricultural leader to deliver innovation that helps farmers grow more sustainably and responsibly. Bayer Crop Science is leveraging data and digital tools to accelerate research and development, create efficiencies in its operations and supply chain, and improve customer experiences. In addition, the Digital Hub will also host a set of cyber security experts and other digital talents.
Bayer intends to fill most positions based in the new Digital Hub by the end of 2022. In addition, Bayer will host a virtual hackathon at the end of May where IT specialists can work on digital solutions for health and nutrition.

Wipro has landed a $500 million contract from US cosmetics maker Estee Lauder, making it a major deal beneath CEO Thierry Delaporte. Wipro will present utility improvement and upkeep and infrastructure administration companies.
Estee Lauder manufactures high quality skincare, make-up, perfume and hair care merchandise and its merchandise are bought in round 150 nations and territories beneath model names together with Estée Lauder, Clinique, Origins, MAC, Bobbi Brown, La Mer, Aveda, Jo Malone London and Too Faced. When TOI reached out to Estee Lauder, the corporate stated, “We do not comment on speculation.” Wipro too stated it doesn’t touch upon market hypothesis.
Estee Lauder is betting huge on expertise for aggressive benefit.
“An increasing portion of our global information technology infrastructure is cloud-based. This allows for a more scalable platform to support current and future requirements and improves our agility and flexibility to respond to the demands of the business by leveraging more advanced technologies,” its 2020 annual report confirmed.
It additionally talked about focus areas over the following few years that embody increasing its omni-retail capabilities, social promoting, creating manufacturing and distribution services powered by expertise and utilising predictive analytics to optimise provide-demand planning.
Wipro has ramped up a big offers portfolio after Delaporte got here on board final June. TOI has reported on Tuesday that it has employed Stephanie Trautman because the chief development officer.
Recently, Wipro gained a deal from Telefonica Germany / O2 and its wider ecosystem to remodel its enterprise help methods and related high quality assurance for superior buyer expertise. Wipro stated it is a excessive-worth and first-of-its-type engagement for Wipro in telecommunications.
However, Wipro did not disclose the deal dimension. It additionally signed its largest contract ever with German retailer Metro, which analysts estimate has a price of $700 million over 5 years, and has the potential to go up to $1 billion over following 4 years.
Phil Fersht, CEO of HfS Research, stated, it is a vital win for Wipro and provides to the current momentum impressed by Thierry Delaporte and his localized method to gross sales and supply.
“The Covid era has been good to Wipro as the firm finds its feet in the new structure and streamlined management layer. Picking up the EL brand adds some gravitas to the new approach that will bolster its retail and CPG approach as the pandemic lifts and enterprises explore more flexible outsourcing models.”

ALTEN, the local subsidiary of the French group and one of the most important IT and engineering consulting companies, claims that the year we are going through is a very good one for the IT&C industry. In fact, due to the super qualified workforce, Romania delivers projects at the highest level.

The company plans to reach over 730 employees in 2021, following a recruitment of 100 IT and engineering specialists for offices in the country.
The dynamics of the projects of the last months, as well as the cautious optimism of the clients are favorable indicators, which announce a good year for the entire IT&C industry. The pandemic has already forced companies in the region to change their perspective and business model, which has boosted the demand for support and consultancy for the research and development (R&D) area.
“The Research & Development (R&D) part is extremely dynamic, even in times of crisis, such as the one we are going through, because it determines employees to constantly innovate. It is, practically, their responsibility to develop, for the future, new, alternative, efficient and viable solutions for very competitive industries, such as the automotive industry, for example ”, states Lidia Pleniceanu, Business Unit Director at ALTEN Romania.
2020 for the company
The last year has affected us all, in one way or another, and transformed the way we approach work and business. We have seen how, at least during the lockdown months, many organizations have chosen caution and postponed their new projects and investments. Since last autumn, however, a slight dynamism has been observed in many sectors of activity. The pandemic has stepped on the accelerator pedal for local digitization projects. It was a challenging time. Overall, the IT sector (more specifically, software development), the telecom area and the financial-banking area were the least affected by the changes in the economy. ALTEN customers in these areas continued to develop projects at a pace close to normal.
Moreover, the company currently has new projects in progress or discussions for new projects. In terms of solutions, last year there was an increase in demand for software that supports employee mobility and remote work. A macro trend, however, which has not been affected by the health crisis, refers to the change in approach from customers, from outsourcing resources to high value-added projects. More and more clients are asking experts to help them manage complex IT and engineering projects.
2021, between uncertainty and optimism
Romania is a bidder for the development of local activities, due to the good ratio between cost and quality. Today, when most companies are extremely attentive to this aspect, as well as due to the accelerated digitalization, which allows us to work more efficiently from a distance, we are becoming more and more attractive as a country.
“For 2021, we aim to hire at least 100 new specialists. With this action, we hope to report, again, a double-digit increase in business “, underlines the representative of ALTEN Romania about the company’s recruitment plans for this year.
For many businesses and even industries, digital solutions have meant, in the last year, the difference between bankruptcy and market survival. The lack of predictability has led other companies to respond differently to the crisis and to focus their attention in the short term, responding to current challenges.
Another reaction to the difficult times was and is, for many of the organizations, to invest in the future, in the R&D part. At the same time, the R&D segment is the one that will support the development of ALTEN in the next period.
The projects we are working on now and which will be implemented in the next 3-5 years will lead to the development of new and viable solutions for different markets. An eloquent example of this is that of R&D projects in the automotive industry, an industry that has been visibly affected in the pandemic by declining sales and yet continues to invest without interruption. However, experts consider it beneficial for the entire IT industry, the openness of many organizations and industries to the beneficial potential of technology. With the professional reconversion of many of us – this will result in a change of perception, as well as a more open embrace of technological means. However, although optimistic, the evolution of the technology sector, but not only, will depend, for the most part, on the evolution of case dynamics, as well as on the decisions of the authorities in this direction, taken at national and international level.

Source

DocProcess, the leader in business process automation in Romania, announces the opening of a commercial office in the United States. Salim Sunderji, the newly appointed CEO of the Group, will head the office opened in Austin, Texas.
“When we joined forces with Morphosis Capital, we developed a strategy to expand to new markets and become a global player. We want to be present in major markets worldwide not only through the services we offer but also through local offices. Opening a commercial office in the US is a natural step in our development considering that the market is renowned for its high interest in innovative technologies, including in the area of business process automation,” stated Liviu Apolozan, President and VP of Strategy, DocProcess.
Salim Sunderji, who will lead the Austin office, will focus on building a local team and attracting new clients on the US market. In addition to developing the US operations, Salim Sunderji is also responsible for setting up global partnerships and expanding DocProcess services in the UK, Middle East and India.
“We are considering partnerships with various integrators to accelerate the use of DocProcess’s products by US companies. The major advantage of DocProcess’s Business Ecosystem Automation platform is that it suits all types of companies, regardless of the industry in which they operate. Without changing their work infrastructure or internal processes, companies can improve and streamline their business operations through our customized solutions. I expect DocProcess solutions to be in high demand on the US market, where the global pandemic has changed the way companies work, and the way they collaborate with each other and with public institutions,” said Salim Sunderji, Group CEO and Head of DocProcess’s US office.
The Austin office is the third DocProcess location opened outside Romania. In 2018, the company inaugurated a research and development center in Grenoble, followed by a commercial office in Paris, in April 2020. Out of the 63 DocProcess employees, 17 are based outside of Romania.
With the renewed urgency felt by companies worldwide to further their digital transformation efforts, DocProcess expects the demand for automation solutions to grow rapidly on the US, Middle Eastern, European, and Asian markets. According to a survey conducted by PwC, 48% of CFOs plan to accelerate automation and other new ways of working, while 49% of CEOs will significantly increase their investments in digital transformation.
The key benefits of Business Ecosystem Automation are the acceleration of business processes (including invoice processing), a substantial reduction of payment delays, cash savings, as well as improved decision-making due to real-time access to quality data.
Undergoing digital transformation has been identified as a driver for agility, flexibility and scalability. It allows companies to rapidly and seamlessly integrate a large number of new clients, partners and suppliers, regardless of their technological capabilities. In the context of the WFH model that has become increasingly widespread since 2020, Business Ecosystem Automation offers connectivity anytime and anywhere, as long as there is an internet connection.
The company delivers automation solutions to global companies such as Carrefour, Cora, Mondelez, Strauss, eMAG, as well as Romanian entrepreneurial companies such as E-Boda, Altex and Flanco.

NTT DATA Romania announces the appointment of a new executive director of the company. Starting with May 1, 2021, Maria Metz will hold the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NTT DATA Romania, will be a member of the Board of Directors and will take over the duties of Daniel Metz.
Maria has been active in the IT&C industry for over 20 years, since the company was founded. Throughout his career in NTT DATA Romania, he has actively contributed to the construction of relevant structures and the modeling of specific business processes, developing and integrating markets and portfolios to meet the ever-changing requirements. The leadership style is an integrative one, Maria being a supporter of the continuous transformation specific to an agile organization and of the importance of Man in a digital world. “I am honored by the trust placed in me by the shareholders; I strongly believe in the team, in the job well done, in the vision oriented towards people as a foundation in the constant evolution of the company ”, declared Maria Metz, the new CEO of NTT DATA Romania.
“Since the start of the company, we have established the vision and direction for the future and we have created a development environment for each member of the team; I assumed a pioneering role in the area of ​​outsourcing services and in a short time the company became one of the biggest players of the IT&C industry in Romania with an exceptional management team and a successful organization. One of the responsibilities of a leader is to hand over the baton at the right time. After 20 years at the helm of the organization, I am confident that Maria, together with the team of managers, is ready to lead the company to the next level in this atypical context. It is a generation of managers that I worked closely with and that was formed here in the company. It is a young, agile team, ready to face any challenge. We have always believed in the potential of the young people in the company and we have offered them coordination roles, being a supporter of inclusion and diversity. At the moment, I am pleased to see that we have a management team in which many roles are held by women, which is less common in the industry in which we operate. I will stay with the team, in my new role as Chairman of the Board of Directors “, said Dr. Daniel Metz, Chairman of the Board of Directors of NTT DATA Romania.
NTT DATA – part of NTT Group, is an innovative IT services company with a global presence and headquarters in Tokyo. We support clients in the digital transformation of the business through consulting, industry solutions, business process management and digitalization of IT services. NTT DATA provides them, and society in general, with access to a digital future. We are dedicated to the long-term success of our customers and combine global coverage with a local presence in over 50 countries around the world.

The Association of Business Services Leaders in Romania (ABSL) conducted a study in February-March on what are the characteristics of the 2021 new ways of working for the companies in our industry.
According to this study, over 90% of the participating companies said they have their employees working  from home (or from other places). At this moment, 38% of the companies stated that only the technical support staff goes to the office, while the rest of the employees goes there only on special contexts (ex. meetings).
About 95% of the surveyed companies will approach a post-pandemic hybrid working system, coming to the office in different percentages. Only 5% of companies said they will work 100% from office.

40% of the companies from the business services industry plan to gradually return to the office, in hybrid system, from July – August (this percent will reach 61% by the end of 2021 or 2022). 39% of responding companies do not know yet when they will return to office.
In the first five criteria for returning to the office, the companies mentioned: the individual choice of employees, the type and the stage of project, the team’s decision and the employees’ performance.

Source: Business Review

ECIT has experienced a profitable and strong growth since its foundation in 2013 and is now developing further due to the acquisition of the Norian Group.

ECIT provides services within accounting, payroll, managed IT services, cloud services and digitization. So far, ECIT has operated in five countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, UK, and Serbia) and approx. 60% of ECIT is owned by management and employees. 
ECIT is now strengthened through the acquisition of Norian (82% of the shares). Norian provides accounting, payroll, and automation services (robot technology) in six countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Poland, and Lithuania). 
The agreement ensures that active shareholders in Norian continue as active shareholders with ownership in both Norian and in ECIT.

Looking back at 2020, Norian had a turnover of 265 million Norwegian Krowns (MNOK) and approx. 550 employees. 

Therefore, in 2020 Norian and ECIT would have had a total turnover of MNOK 2,300 and 2100 employees spread over approx. 100 offices in 9 countries. 

«In addition to Finance, Accounting and Payroll, Norian has expertise in business development, automation and quality control as well as significant experience with large customers. Competences that will strengthen ECIT. » says CEO of ECIT, Peter Lauring. 
«The operational responsibility will lie within the management team in Norian, who will be shareholders in both Norian and ECIT going forward. Such a structure ensures committed managers and employees», says Lars Inge Tordal, Head of F&A and Payroll at ECIT Norway. 
Knut Anders Opstad, CEO of Norian says «Entrepreneurship and innovation permeate ECIT, and this was important when we chose to say yes to becoming part of ECIT. We will continue to develop Norian through a focus on employees, a high degree of automation and good customer experiences, and at the same time help build something bigger in ECIT. »

For further information, contact: Peter Lauring, CEO ECIT, +47 404 53 804 

KPMG has announced plans to establish an IT services hub in Vilnius. In a step to consolidate IT functions, the company is looking to hire 10 to 20 specialists in 2021.
A member firm of the KPMG global organization, KPMG in Lithuania and Latvia has recently become part of KPMG Sweden. The merger is part of the company’s business development strategy that seeks to strengthen KPMG’s competitive position in the region as well as enable future investments and continuous digital transformation.
“The new IT competence centre in Vilnius is part of our integration process,” explains Rokas Kasperavičius, CEO at KPMG in Lithuania. “Since KPMG in Sweden, Lithuania and Latvia started to manage the KPMG in 3 different countries together, moving the IT function to Lithuania has emerged as the optimum solution for our newly combined business.”
Lithuania became the chosen site for KPMG’s regional IT centre due to its skilled and multilingual IT talent pool. The new centre will provide back-office IT services for KPMG operations in Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania and other Nordic countries. Along with performing daily IT operations, KPMG’s IT team in Vilnius will work in cybersecurity and data analytics domains.
“The key factor that differentiates KPMG is that it is a services company itself,” says Mr. Kasperavičius. “Working at our competence centre in Vilnius, IT specialists will not only address KPMG internal needs but will also have the opportunity to participate in projects with KPMG clients – key business leaders in different countries.”
KPMG is looking to onboard up to 20 IT professionals by the end of 2021. The company will be hiring IT support specialists, computer infrastructure engineers, cybersecurity and data analysts, and experienced team leaders. With over 200 IT back-office specialists in the Nordics, the company expects to steadily expand its Vilnius IT team to support the growing needs of KPMG in Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania and other countries in the Nordic region.

Wella Company, a global leader in the $100B beauty business, is planning to open a new Shared Services Centre (SSC) for the EMEA region in Łódź. The Łódź office will house F&A support teams and serve as an IT Centre of Excellence (COE) for the EMEA region.

“Creating the Shared Services Centre is a very important project for Wella Company and Łódź was an excellent choice for our investment: Both partners and infrastructure effectively meet our needs. It is a city with strong industrial roots, has a high level of education which results in many qualified specialists. We believe an investment in this region is a great benefit for us, but also a huge opportunity for the development of Łódź. That is why we are proud that the SSC will be built here and we greatly appreciate the support we have received from the city authorities. We are convinced that this investment will contribute to the emerging business potential for the citizens of Łódź and will serve them in making important professional decisions – says Natalia Lisina, General Manager for Eastern Europe, Wella Company.

Wella Company will be an important stimulus for the Łódź region and vehicle for economic growth. “Wella Company believes that the new Shared Services Centre is an investment in people, dreams and talents”, said Lisina.
Adam Pustelnik, First Deputy Mayor of Łódź said: “The corporate name of the Wella Company, our investor, makes direct reference to the German word for ‘wave’ and its logo shows the silhouette of a powerful woman with wavy hair. This logo was introduced back in 1924, at a time when here in Łódź the working women of the local textile industry were a symbol of our city. It was also a time when the historical coat of arms of the city, a boat, was brought back into use. I see a lot of shared symbolism, and I do believe that the “wave” of investment which moves Łódź today, will be on the rise. Together with the Wella Company, high-quality service jobs are emerging in Łódź which are of critical importance to any city with aspirations. In the first months of its presence in Łódź, Wella Company will quickly recruit the staff the company needs, and thus we will begin a successful cooperation between partners who, for many reasons, make an ideal match”.

Łódź is a unique place: it is full of good energy, wonderful people and has a rich industrial history. In addition, its location makes it a perfect place to do business. This has already been noticed by many global brands that have launched similar Centres here. The city, known mainly for factories as well as universities and students, will now be enriched by a new investment from a global cosmetics company.
Wella Company is one of the world’s leading beauty companies (iconic brands such as Wella Professionals and Clairol) with 6,000 employees globally, and a presence in over 100 countries.