OutSystems has announced the appointment of Luis Blando as its Chief Product and Technology Officer. He combines the roles that two people formerly held. Patrick Jean left the role of Chief Technology Officer in October 2023 and is now Chief Product and Technology Officer at ABBYY. Gonçalo Gaiolas, who was Chief Product Officer and left in March 2023, Gaiolas is now Chief Product Officer at SoSafe.
Based in the US, Blando is tasked with accelerating platform innovation. As CPTO, he has the responsibility of deciding what is done and how Outsystems achieves it. The focus will be on improving Outsystem’s standing as a pioneer in low code application development and the embedding of generative AI capabilities into that. He will lead the strategy to support more customers in harnessing the power of generative AI through low-code, reporting to the CEO.
Paulo Rosado, Founder and CEO of OutSystems, commented, “Luis is a talented product and technology leader who brings his expertise in digital transformation to our accomplished executive team as we double down on delivering an AI-powered application platform for mission-critical software. I’m confident that Luis is the product leader who will accelerate our AI-driven product and technology roadmap.”
Who is Luis Blando
Blando has over 30 years in the technology industry, with over 20 years in leadership roles developing cutting-edge technology strategies. He joined OutSystems from Proofpoint, where he was SVP & GM of the Security Products Group. However, prior to that, he held senior roles at McAfee, Intel and Verizon, helping to build product teams and lead technical transformation.
His work at Intel on the Argentina Software Development Center by Intel is the five-time recipient of Argentina’s most prestigious high-tech award, the Sadosky Award. He holds six patents, according to his LinkedIn page. Blando also has two master’s degrees, one from MIT and the other from Northeastern.
Blando commented, “GenAI is going to change the way we work, and low-code is paramount to this transformation. At the forefront of shaping the future of software development, OutSystems is well-positioned to be a continued leader in this space. I’m thrilled at the opportunity to influence the OutSystems product roadmap and inspire the next generation of software developers, making AI-driven low-code widely deployed and universally loved.”
Enterprise Times: What does this mean
Blando has spent the last fifteen years within the security industry. He has clearly made a career-changing decision to move into the low-code environment with Outsystems. His previous experience might have seen him appointed as CEO of a security company. Instead he has chosen to help move the needle with Outsystems. The role that takes advantage of the wider breadth of experience that he has gained over the years.
Blando is a leader who has not previously changed companies quickly. He stayed at his previous four companies for between 4 and 9 years each. This move will have been a carefully considered one. With his extensive experience as a GM, is this part of a succession plan by Rosado?
