Ricardo Brito: 'IG&H has a very open and inclusive culture'
Now in his fourth year at IG&H, Ricardo Brito is a Manager in the firm’s Platform Delivery team in Portugal. We asked Ricardo six questions about his time at the international management and digital consultancy.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself?
I studied Information Technology & Management to pursue a management career in IT. Prior to joining IG&H in 2020, I worked at other IT consultancies focused on project management and digital transformation. Over the years, I have gained extensive experience with OutSystems work in the banking industry.
What drew you to IG&H?
When my daughter was born, I thought deeper about work-life balance. The priorities had changed. I began searching for a company that could offer a balanced work-life environment, a place to develop myself and grow.
I knew a few people that work at IG&H and they told me that the firm truly differentiates itself with its core values, including the value of ‘people first’. My first interview confirmed this – the discussion was about 3 hours where we talked about work and much broader topics such as life and personal ambitions. In the best of ways, I felt like I had gone to the psychologist instead of an interview. It was unexpected but great.
Not much later, I decided to join the firm. I still feel that was a great decision!
What is your role and what does it involve?
I’m one of the Service Managers from Platform Delivery. My role is very simple: Taking care of my team and making sure they have all their needs met to deliver their work. If they are happy, I am happy. A Service Manager is responsible for the delivery part of an end-to-end project. This means all the ideas and designs that we discuss extensively need to be implemented correctly to deliver value to the client.
Besides working on specific projects, I’m also aware of the other projects that our Platform Delivery practice runs. A Service Manager also supports IG&H’s sector teams [healthcare, retail and financial services] with developing proposals for new projects and clients.
In our leadership group, we share experiences and goals. Also important: we keep a close eye on talent development. We ensure that all consultants are working on the “right project”, based on personal and professional goals.
What does a typical day at IG&H look like?
It all starts with a coffee together with the team during our daily. At a pension project, for instance, we always end the daily meeting with a blessing. If you’re the last person who speaks or you accidentally give the word to a colleague who already spoke, then you have to do a blessing for the team; share some motivational words. It’s a fun way to get focused and stay sharp in the first minutes of the workday.
The main priority is being present for the team. If someone requires my help, I need to clear the agenda for them so they can continue with their work and proceed later with mine. A successful day for me is when I have helped everyone that asked for my support, replied to all chats on teams and there is no item in the inbox to act on. Mission accomplished!
What do you enjoy most about working at IG&H?
The people for sure! The firm has a very open and inclusive culture – I can be myself and there is enough space for everyone to grow. I like the balanced way of working that provides me with enough opportunities to be involved in different topics at different levels. The “open-door” policy that we have is also great so we can talk to everyone about any topic.
What has been your proudest moment at IG&H?
Well, there is not just one moment that I’m proud of... a few I can share. Obviously, the moment I got promoted to Manager was a lovely recognition.
Being part of the organisation team for the events in Portugal and when I volunteered to be part of IG&H’s worker’s council, The Voice, is another. And finally, the moment when two colleagues asked me to be their mentor was something to be proud of – and hugely accelerated my personal development as well.