Bruno Mota, CEO of Devoteam Portugal and global VP at the French tech consultancy, shares a candid story of ambition, humility, and internal conflict on Expresso’s podcast “The CEO is the Limit.”
Rooted in a humble upbringing between Mafra and Sintra, Mota credits his work ethic to his parents and defines himself as a grounded leader who values substance over style. "I inherited the value of work from my parents," he says.
A former futsal athlete and computer engineering graduate from ISEL, Mota discovered early on that his strengths leaned more toward leadership than coding. That led him to found Bold, a technology consultancy born out of a desire for freedom and cultural alignment.
The decision to sell Bold to Devoteam in 2009, he says, was altruistic: “It was better for the people and for the business.” Still, relinquishing strategic control was tough. “It’s difficult for an entrepreneur to step back,” he admits. Now leading Devoteam Portugal, he operates in what he calls the “Champions League” of tech—with high stakes and little room for error.
Mota openly reflects on the tension between his roles as entrepreneur and corporate executive. “I like leading, but also having ideas and making things happen,” he shares. Looking ahead, he doesn’t rule out stepping away from the CEO title: “The entrepreneur doesn’t always have to be the executive. I can be in the back office and still contribute.”
In this episode, he reminds listeners that leadership isn’t about the spotlight—it’s about making an impact, with purpose and perspective.
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