With extensive experience across Financial Services, Oil & Gas, Professional Services, and Pharma, Marta Zaragoza stands out as a transformative leader in her role as Executive Vice President at BTS. “My career trajectory reflects a deep commitment to strategic growth and cultural inclusivity, honed through diverse industry experiences and global leadership.”  

Marta began her professional journey as an auditor at KPMG, followed by a pivotal role as a controller within the GE Group. These foundational experiences in accounting and finance equipped her with essential skills that have underpinned her success as a business leader. Her subsequent years in the telecom industry, marked by rapid growth and evolving business landscapes, provided her with valuable insights into business development and strategic project leadership. 

A defining chapter in Marta’s career came with her tenure at BTS, where she has spent the last 18 years. “My international exposure, leading teams across Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Italy, has significantly shaped my leadership style, making it more inclusive and culturally aware.” Marta’s entrepreneurial spirit has been fueled by her role in launching new offices in various markets, further demonstrating her capacity to drive business success on a global scale. 

At BTS, Marta has worked with a diverse range of clients, deepening her understanding of various business models and the unique challenges they face. “My experiences have cultivated a leadership approach that is both strategic and empathetic, focusing on empowering people to achieve business excellence.” Through her journey, Marta Zaragoza exemplifies the profound impact of conscious leadership and cultural agility in driving organizational success. 

Merging Cultural and Strategic Elements for Effective Transformation 

For Marta, launching BTS operations in Mexico was a transformative experience, offering valuable lessons in navigating the complexities of an emerging market. This endeavor provided insights into how to effectively adapt BTS’s value proposition to fit the unique cultural and business needs of local clients. 

Marta learned that flexibility and cultural adaptation are crucial for the success of global engagements. At BTS, the interplay between culture and strategy is pivotal; the two must either reinforce each other or risk undermining efforts. On the cultural side, BTS emphasizes people, and organizational shifts.  

“To drive successful business transformation, BTS ensures that both cultural and strategic elements are fully aligned from top to bottom and across all functions.” When gaps are identified, the team works closely with clients to address them, guiding them toward achieving their desired outcomes. This comprehensive approach helps in seamlessly integrating cultural and strategic aspects to support clients in their transformation journey. 

Balancing Local Needs with Global Objectives 

Marta oversees the largest offices in the South Europe and Latam regions, managing a range of unique challenges to drive growth and success. Here are a couple of key areas where the focus is particularly strong: 

• Local Adaptation of Global Strategies: One of the greatest strengths of Marta’s approach is the ability to adapt global strategies and practices to fit local contexts. This customization is crucial for meeting client needs effectively, as it ensures that global best practices are tailored to resonate with local cultures and business environments. The success of this approach is largely attributed to the teams’ deep understanding of local culture and needs. BTS operates within a flat structure that promotes collaboration and open communication. This environment, rooted in the core value of ‘Putting the Team first,’ allows for empowered decision-making and a strong alignment with clients’ transformation goals. 
• Talent Attraction and Retention: Talent is considered the most critical asset, and attracting and retaining top talent is essential for ongoing success. This is particularly challenging in geographically distant offices. To address this, BTS emphasizes a strong corporate culture that fosters a sense of belonging and provides opportunities for rapid growth. The organization ensures that career opportunities are merit-based, which helps in retaining high-performing employees. Local leaders play a vital role in modeling this culture, reinforcing the commitment to continuous learning and improvement, which helps in keeping the talent engaged and motivated in the long term. 

By focusing on these areas, Marta and her team effectively navigate the complexities of managing diverse offices while driving meaningful growth and success. 

Creating New Perspectives 

“Based on my experience, designing workshops for senior managers requires a tailored approach that aligns with their specific needs and objectives. It’s essential to understand their vision for success and the unique challenges they face.” The goal is to help them bridge the gap between their current state and their desired future.  

Effective workshops go beyond simply speaking the language of senior leaders; they create an environment that encourages these experienced professionals to view their reality from a new perspective. This approach empowers them to experiment with fresh ideas and adopt the mindset necessary for driving business transformation. By addressing their unique obstacles and aligning with their vision, workshops can inspire and equip senior managers to lead their organizations through significant change. 

Gaining Insights Through Client Engagement 

Considering today’s fast paced business world, Marta ensures she stays at the forefront of trends and developments in dynamic industries through a proactive approach. By being actively involved in client projects and working closely with clients, she gains firsthand insights into the challenges and opportunities they face. 

Additionally, networking plays a key role in her strategy. Maintaining a robust network of professional contacts and experts across various sectors allows her to exchange ideas and knowledge in real-time, keeping her informed about the latest industry trends and innovations. This combination of direct involvement and strategic networking helps Marta stay ahead in her field. 

The Power of a Supportive Culture 

Marta’s motivation to drive impactful transformations and maintain enthusiasm amidst challenges is deeply rooted in her connection to BTS’s core purpose: inspiring and equipping people to do the best work of their life, thereby creating better businesses and a better world. This purpose is central to every client engagement and fuels her commitment to making a positive impact. 

Additionally, working with her talented colleagues at BTS plays a significant role in keeping her motivated. The dynamic and supportive culture at BTS, where core values are genuinely embraced, challenges her and keeps her engaged. Being part of a high-performing, big-hearted organization contributes to her drive and passion, even when faced with obstacles. 

The Growing Role of AI and Machine Learning in Business Transformation 

Marta highlights several emerging trends and areas of focus within the consulting industry that are poised to shape the future of business transformation. Over the past year, the critical importance of a strong digital backbone in every industry has become increasingly evident. While Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not a new concept, it is rapidly becoming mainstream. Leaders at all levels must grasp what AI is, understand its benefits, and recognize why it matters. BTS is dedicated to helping clients harness the power of digital technology, demystify AI and Machine Learning, and develop the leadership behaviors necessary to foster a culture that fully capitalizes on these new technologies. 

The expectations of leaders have also evolved significantly. In the past, the focus was primarily on driving performance and delivering results. Today, effective leadership involves engaging and leveraging the intelligence of others to create agile, responsive teams. Furthermore, leaders are now expected to inspire connection by focusing on the whole person, fostering meaning and belonging within diverse teams. BTS partners with organizations to navigate this evolution, working across all levels to discover new and more effective methods for evaluating, developing, and retaining talent. 

Additionally, change-readiness has become crucial for organizations to thrive in today’s environment of constant change. The nature of change has transformed: product lifecycles are shorter, and technology-fueled disruptions are more frequent. This shift necessitates a new approach to work, with individuals and organizations needing new mindsets and behaviors to adapt and succeed. BTS’s perspective on transformation reflects this continuous and dynamic nature of change, helping clients drive sustainable culture transformations and embrace the new realities of the business world. 

Mastering Active Listening 

For aspiring professionals aiming to excel in consulting and leadership roles, Marta’s advice highlights two crucial skills: 

• Active Listening: This skill is essential for accurately understanding a client’s or project’s needs. By truly hearing and comprehending what is required, you can tailor your approach more effectively and address specific needs. 
• Synthesis of Complex Information: The ability to break down intricate issues into manageable, understandable components is invaluable. This skill is particularly important when managing complex projects or engaging with high-level decision-makers, as it helps in navigating and solving complicated challenges efficiently. 

Mastering these skills will significantly enhance your effectiveness and impact in consulting and leadership roles. 

Expanding BTS’s Impactful Transformation Solutions 

Marta’s main goals and priorities for BTS South Europe and Latam revolve around several key objectives. First and foremost, she aims to strengthen the company’s market presence by achieving sustained double-digit organic growth. Additionally, Marta is open to exploring opportunities for inorganic growth to further accelerate BTS’s strategic goals. 

A crucial aspect of her strategy is to continue delivering exceptional value to clients in the region. By becoming an even broader transformation partner, BTS will leverage its full portfolio of capabilities and technology to reach a wider audience. Marta envisions driving impactful change on a larger scale, ensuring that BTS’s transformative solutions make a significant and positive difference across various sectors. 

To know more, please visit: https://bts.com/