Our Team

Leadership Team

Laurie Mcilwee

Chairman / Non-Executive Director

Laurie is a highly experienced executive and non-executive director across both listed and private businesses, with a strong track record in strategically growing and restructuring businesses.

He spent over half his career at Tesco PLC, joining in 2000 and serving as the firm’s CFO from 2009-2013, helping to oversee the firm’s substantial growth and overseas expansion over this period. In 2014, he embarked upon new roles in private equity and consulting, including an advisory role with the Boston Consulting Group and various non-executive directorships at leading firms in retail, logistics and hospitality sectors.

Laurie is an FCMA and an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration from Coventry University.

Sharon Lowrie

Non-Executive Director

Sharon has spent her career building, scaling and supporting companies through their growth, transformation and global expansion journeys where complex business and technology change is required. Sharon currently works in the Private Equity industry as an Industry Advisor and a portfolio CIO. She started her career at Accenture before setting up PrePay Technologies, a success Fintech business. Sharon has held various technology leadership roles including Group CIO Digital Platforms at the global travel firm TUI and Global Digital Delivery Director at Barclays Wealth. She currently sits on the Board of Addison Lee.

Sharon has a degree in Computer Science and Electrical and Electronic Engineering from The University of Strathclyde.

Walter Ruffinoni

Non-Executive Director

Walter has vast experience and a proven track record in the global IT services sector, having spent the last 12 years leading NTT DATA where he transformed the company through transparent communication, people engagement, and a clearly defined strategy. He is also the author of Italia 5.0, a book that explores the future of integration between public and private sectors, emphasising social, environmental and economic concerns at the core of technological innovation. Walter brings strategic thinking and leadership to our Board, guiding us through this exciting period of growth.

Walter holds an MBA in Economics from SDA Bocconi in Milan.

Stuart Deignan

Chief Executive Officer

Stuart was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Getronics Group in 2024 to lead Getronics into its next phase of growth. Stuart brings over 25 years of experience in global IT services, having held leadership roles at Globant, ThoughtWorks, Logica, CGI, and Wipro. He has a proven track record of driving growth and transformation across the US, LATAM, Europe, and Asia, with a focus on strategic vision, operational excellence, and building high-performing teams.

With extensive experience in defining and executing strategy, Stuart has successfully driven transformative change in large organisations to enhance business performance. He believes the key to achieving successful outcomes lies in building enthusiastic, entrepreneurial teams that collaborate closely with clients to solve critical business challenges through flawless delivery and innovation.

Stuart holds a degree in Chemistry from Queens University in Belfast.

Santiago Piacenza

Chief Operating Officer

Santiago Piacenza is an accomplished technology and operations executive with over 20 years of experience in the IT industry. He has built a strong track record leading large-scale delivery and operational functions across global markets.

Before joining Getronics, Santiago was responsible for delivery and operations at Globant UK, where he played a key role in scaling services and ensuring high-performance outcomes for enterprise clients across industries. He brings deep expertise in digital transformation, service excellence, and team leadership within fast-paced, high-growth environments.

Based in London, Santiago is focused on driving operational efficiency, enabling scalable growth, and ensuring the consistent delivery of value to customers through technology-led solutions. He is passionate about fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Mike Field

Chief Financial Officer

Mike was appointed Getronics Group Financial Officer in 2020. Mike brings over two decades of strategic financial leadership honed during his tenure as CFO of a top-tier Corporate and Investment Bank spanning Africa, the UK, India, and Australia.

With a proven track record of unlocking and sustaining performance potential for numerous businesses, Mike seamlessly integrates his extensive financial insights across diverse industries with his technological and operational acumen.

Mike is a Chartered Accountant and holds a post graduate diploma in the advance mathematical modelling of derivatives.

Harsha Gowda

Chief Technology Officer

Harsha was appointed Chief Technology Officer of Getronics Group in 2018. He has over 25 years’ experience in the technology sector designing and delivering large-scale technology transformation programmes having worked for leading global organisations like Verizon, British Telecom, and Colt Technologies with operations in the US, the UK, the Far East and India.

Combining extensive experience with his innovative approach, Harsha is well positioned to champion our commitment to providing leading digital solutions and delivering exceptional customer service, enabling our clients to focus on their core strengths whilst entrusting their technology needs to Getronics.

Harsha holds an MSc in Global Program Management from Oxford University and an MBA from Xavier University, Cincinnati.

Elisabete Mleczak

Chief Commercial Officer

Elisabete was appointed Chief Commercial Officer of Getronics Group in 2024, having joined Getronics in 2019 to lead our Latin America region. Prior to joining Getronics, she worked for leading multinational companies such as EDS, HP and BT.

Elisabete brings strong results-driven leadership to Getronics’ global commercial efforts whilst ensuring we provide clients with innovative solutions that deliver tangible business value together with exceptional customer service.

Elisabete holds a Telecom Engineering degree and an MBA from Fundação Getulio Vargas, Brazil.

Regional Managers

Gerald Eid

Managing Director, Germany

Gerald Eid started in his role as Managing Director for Germany at Getronics in 2014 and is now the DACH Regional Managing Director.

In 1988 he began his professional career at Daimler then moved to Debis Systemhaus in 1996 where he held various senior management and executive roles in Sales, Service Management and Operations. Before he moved to Getronics he was director of the T-Systems IDS GmbH.

Mukul Jain

Managing Director, APAC

Mukul started his career as an entrepreneur and then had a stint at KPN before joining Getronics in 2010. With a strong focus on change and innovation as well as proven success in creating growth through viable commercial strategies, instituting operational controls and maximising business efficiency.

Luca Pavan

Managing Director, WCE

Luca has more than 20 years of management experience in IT transformation across the USA, Latin America, and Europe. He began his career in the venture capital industry, leading the development and turnaround of several IT investees. Subsequently, he worked in key global IT groups before joining Getronics, where he led Service Operations in Europe and Datacenter Operations.

Based in Brussels, Luca holds a master’s degree in economics. Between 2004 and 2006, he was appointed as a teaching assistant at the University of Padua, Department of Business Management.

Paola Sapino

Managing Director, LATAM

Paola joined Getronics in 2010, leading various teams across Latin America, including the QA Testing Service, the Service Desk, and since 2021, the Operations area for the region. Paola is a systems engineer by training and began her professional career in the banking sector, working for over 10 years in various financial institutions in Argentina.

Her focus is on customer satisfaction, driving continuous improvement to achieve operational excellence, and attracting the best talent to implement innovative solutions to tackle the new challenges in our market. Paola lives in Buenos Aires.

Nicolás Chercasky

Managing Director, Iberia

Nicolás brings over 20 years of experience in the IT sector, combining a strong foundation in software development with a proven track record of leading multi-client engagements and driving growth in fast-paced, dynamic environments.

Before joining Getronics, he held senior roles at Globant, where he led digital transformation initiatives across a range of industries. His leadership journey has spanned from Europe, to LATAM, US and Africa – shaping a global perspective and a client-first mindset.

Nicolás holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of St Andrew’s in Buenos Aires and is based in Madrid. At Getronics, he is focused on strengthening one of the company’s most strategic regions by building long-lasting client relationships and leading high-performance teams that deliver impactful, technology-driven outcomes.

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