Bruno Ferreira’s background is a tapestry of countries and cultures. He was born in Brazil, raised in Belgium, and went to high school in the USA. “I try to take the best of those cultures with me in life,” says Bruno, who continued his international experiences in his professional career as well.
Bruno Ferreira is currently working at Projective Group as the Belgium Data Lead, but he quite literally travelled all over the world before joining us. “I was born in Rio to Brazilian parents and lived there until I was about three years old,” Bruno says. “Then, I moved to Belgium where I stayed until I was fifteen. After that, I did high school in Colorado, which was a very fun experience. High school in the USA is really just like you see in the movies.”
Following opportunities
From Colorado he moved back to Brazil for a few years, before leaving for Belgium again. Whilst security was definitely one of the reasons for Bruno to move back, so was opportunity. “I believed that a Belgian diploma would get me further in my career, and I’m very happy I made that decision,” says Bruno.
From early on, Bruno was drawn to the technical side of academics, engineering in particular. He got a master’s degree in industrial engineering, specialising in electronics. “It’s like the hardware part of data, so the interest was always there.”
Forging a career path
After graduating, Bruno started his first job right away—and you can take that literally. “I graduated on a Friday and started work on Monday,” he says. “So no gap year for me, unfortunately. More like a gap weekend, in which we celebrated well.”
Bruno started his professional career in engineering, in a role that allowed him to travel all over Europe. “My boss would come up to me on a Monday and say, I need you to go to Sweden to fix an issue with battery testing equipment. I stayed in that job for a few years, it was very diverse and challenging. I also learned a lot about different cultures and ways of working.”
My first job was diverse and challenging, I learned a lot about different cultures and ways of working.
After a couple of years, Bruno felt more and more attracted to data and AI. “I found it fascinating how reasoning could be transmitted to machines and no longer belonged only to the human mind,” he says. Bruno saw an opportunity in the market for switching to data and AI, since demand was increasing. “I thought it would be an interesting career path to follow, so I made the leap. My first experience in the data field was what got me into consultancy,” Bruno recalls.
Building expertise
Having worked in a Big Four consultancy for eight years, the opportunity to lead a team really attracted Bruno to Projective Group—though there was another crucial factor as well. “In my previous role, I was also leading a team, but it was very diverse. Having such a big domain made it very difficult to become an expert. I really liked the opportunity at Projective Group to hone in on the financial sector as a niche area of expertise.”
I really liked the opportunity at Projective Group to hone in on the financial sector as an area of expertise and further develop my people skills.
There are three main pillars to Bruno’s role at Projective Group today. “First of all, there’s the consultancy aspect. Second, I’m helping to manage the data team. And third is the sales and business development part of the job: going to clients, being present at events, and so on. Those three hats keep me busy, but I enjoy them all. I already had the technical background. Now, at Projective Group, I’m further developing my people skills, which is very nice.”
Learning lessons
So how does it all come together? Being brought up in different countries, travelling all over Europe for work… “I tried to learn the best out of each culture,” says Bruno. “One thing that I picked up in Rio was adaptability. Whatever the circumstances, Brazilian people have a very positive mindset and strive to live their best life in any situation. In Colorado, I learned the volunteering mindset of helping your fellow human. Whether it’s your neighbour or a family member who is sick, just had a baby, or whatever—the community comes together to support each other. People look out for each other there, and that is something I take with me wherever I go.”
It should come as no surprise, then, that Bruno’s highlight from his time at Projective Group so far also involves travelling. “In April, we went on an offsite to Malta which was an amazing experience. I’ve never had such an opportunity with any other company before. It was so nice to meet colleagues from different countries and catch up in such an amazing environment. I really appreciate Projective Group for that,” he says.
Conclusion
Bruno Ferreira’s global background, shaped by living in Brazil, the US, and Belgium, has enriched his professional and cultural perspective, making him a valuable leader and consultant. Bruno’s journey from industrial engineering to consultancy in the financial sector also reflects this adaptability and world perspective. His story shows us that there is great value in a diverse and dynamic career path, and that there’s a lot to be learned from every culture.
About Projective Group
Established in 2006, Projective Group is a leading Financial Services change specialist.
We are recognised within the industry as a complete solutions provider, partnering with clients in Financial Services to provide resolutions that are both holistic and pragmatic. We have evolved to become a trusted partner for companies that want to thrive and prosper in an ever-changing Financial Services landscape.