About
I am an engineering leader and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience. My career spans building products as an individual contributor, scaling high-performing teams, and leading organisations from early-stage startups to global enterprises.
I have delivered complex, high-availability systems, scaled engineering organisations during rapid growth, and built cultures where diverse, autonomous teams thrive. My recent technical work includes Java development, event-driven architectures, CI/CD automation, Kubernetes operations, and cloud-native delivery.
I am passionate about developing engineers into leaders, reducing process friction, and balancing speed with maintainability. My entrepreneurial ventures have strengthened my ability to connect product strategy with execution, from MVP to scale.
Today, I lead JYSK’s Lisbon Tech Hub, acting as the on-the-ground proxy for the company’s Denmark head office, applying my leadership experience in team building, technical hiring, and mentoring.
Experience
JYSK / INSCALE — Lisbon, Portugal
Engineering Team Lead, Lisbon Hub (JYSK) / Software Development Team Lead (INSCALE)
Jan 2026 – Present
- Team Leader for JYSK’s new Lisbon Tech Hub, its first, contracted through INSCALE (local operating partner for recruiting, facilities, HR, and finance) while working directly for JYSK.
- As the only JYSK management presence in Lisbon, took on de facto local proxy functions for the Denmark-based head office beyond formal scope: people management, performance, and career development across multiple product areas.
- Drove hiring as a core focus: sourcing, technical interviews, and closing for the founding engineering cohort.
- Local anchor point for JYSK’s tech culture and processes, including regular travel to Denmark for team alignment.
Skills: People Management, Site Leadership, Technical Hiring, Cross-Border Stakeholder Alignment, Agile Coaching
Critical TechWorks | BMW Group — Lisbon, Portugal
Software Engineer
Jan 2024 – Dec 2025
- Delivered vehicle-data services with Java/Quarkus, Angular front-ends, and event-driven architecture.
- Built CI/CD pipelines and managed multi-tenant Kubernetes clusters on Azure using IaC.
Skills: Java, Quarkus, Angular, PostgreSQL, Kubernetes (AKS), Azure DevOps, CI/CD, Grafana, Infrastructure as Code
Head of Interactions
Jan 2019 – Dec 2023
- Managed several business units, focusing on people development, growth, and alignment with company culture and values while also being responsible for operations and finances.
- Promoted and coached Agile principles and methodologies within the units to create autonomous and resilient teams.
- Scaled a mission-critical BMW Finance Unit from 30 to 150 people across 2 locations with <5% attrition.
- Launched a sales tech unit from 60 to 140 people in less than a year, improving stakeholder approval and engagement.
Skills: People Management, Agile Coaching, Business Strategy, Organizational Leadership, Team Leadership
Coriant, Inc. — Lisbon, Portugal
Software Engineering Manager
May 2013 – Jan 2019
- Led multiple feature teams in a 130+ people product, including a senior cross-feature team of 7 architects and 2 DBAs.
- Managed architecture-related projects, ensuring seamless integration and delivery.
- Oversaw performance reviews, competence development, and hiring across teams.
Skills: Engineering Management, Software Architecture, Project Management, People Management
Nokia Siemens Networks — Lisbon, Portugal
Engineering Manager
Apr 2012 – May 2013
- Led Feature Development R&D Teams on the Optical Networks BU.
- Managed operations, execution, evaluations, competence development, and hiring across two sites.
- Collaborated on various innovation programs within the unit.
Skills: Engineering Leadership, Software Development, Innovation
Development Team Lead
Sep 2011 – Mar 2012
- Led an R&D team developing Ethernet support for a Network Management System (Java, Hibernate, JBoss, Oracle).
- Implemented Scrum methodology to improve processes and collaboration.
Skills: Agile, Team Leadership, Java, Oracle
QualquerDestino → LetMeGo → Localo → BookingMarkets — Lisbon & New York (Remote)
Co-Founder / Ops Lead / Product Manager
May 2010 – Apr 2012
- Co-founded and launched a travel-platform startup connecting travelers and hosts in Portuguese-speaking markets, starting as QualquerDestino.
- Rebranded into LetMeGo, the first marketplace combining hotels, vacation rentals, and private lodging, expanding into Brazil.
- Launched Localo with the same team as a new flavour of the platform, a lodging marketplace where hosts bid for travelers.
- When traction stalled, led the pivot into BookingMarkets, carrying the team and lessons learned into product development, integrations, and online marketing for Portuguese-speaking markets.
Skills: Startup Leadership, Product Development, Operations, Growth Hacking, Business Development
Nokia Siemens Networks — Lisbon, Portugal
(Earlier Roles: Software Engineer, Innovation Coach, Team Leader, Project Manager)
Feb 2009 – Apr 2010
- Developed and maintained Network Management Systems using Java and JEE.
- Proved feasibility of web-based rich-feature NM applications.
- Acted as Innovation Coach, fostering creativity and new initiatives.
Skills: Java, JEE, Agile, Innovation
Siemens — Lisbon, Portugal
Software Developer
Jun 2004 – Sep 2006
- Developed telecom network management systems in Java, JEE, Swing, Hibernate, Oracle.
Skills: Java, Swing, Databases
Skills
- Leadership & Management: Engineering Leadership, Site Leadership, People Management, Agile Coaching, Scaling Teams, Organizational Development
- Technical: Java, Quarkus, Kubernetes, Azure AKS, PostgreSQL, CI/CD, Event-Driven Architecture, Infrastructure as Code
- Entrepreneurship: Startup Creation, Product Development, Business Strategy, Growth Hacking
Recommendations
Ricardo Nunes — Senior Software Engineer @ GLS IT Services GmbH
“Sérgio is a natural leader. He has a very pragmatic vision of the team skills and goals and knows how to drive everyone to deliver their best.”
Christophe Silva — Solutions Architect @ Vodafone
“As a Line Manager he is the definition of a team captain. A good communicator who stands by the team, helps as much as he can, and trusts individuals to grow and take on more responsibilities.”
Luís Palma Gomes — Computer Science Teacher
“He was the most intelligent guy on our course – emotionally and intellectually.”
João Paulo Pires — Senior Software Engineer @ STEF-IT Portugal
“He empowers teams using lean and agile methodologies, giving space and support for personal and professional growth.”
João Leal, CSM, PMP — Solutions Architect @ NS90
“I saw him evolve from an excellent developer to a natural born leader, innovation coach, and later an entrepreneur. Combines technical excellence with transparency and is a driver for lean and agile.”
Alexander Torrenegra — CEO @ Torre.ai
“Very knowledgeable in software development, internationalization, online marketing, and entrepreneurship. Also a great human being you want to be friends with.”
Luis Betancourt — Digital Marketing Consultant
“Always researching ways to make our business grow.”
João Barreiro — Organizational Consultant
“Team player with innovative ideas, kaizen mindset, and a focus on continuous improvement.”
Francisco Andrade — Senior Staff Engineer @ N-able
“As Team Leader and Innovation Coach, he always gives his best and works at 110% to do more and better.”
Fred Figueiredo — Work-Life Balance Coach
“Leadership, team spirit, and skills were key for our success.”
Ricardo Santos — Agile Leader
“Highly motivated, focused, great team player, and passionate about software development.”