Leading English consulting firm sets up a GTI hub in Porto and will need 400 workers

The plan was already part of Kantar's initial goals when it settled in Porto, last October, and it is now materializing. After creating a regional skills centre, the English leader in data analysis and brand consulting will expand its presence in Porto with its first global technology and innovation centre (GTI hub).

From Porto, the company will "develop advanced technologies considered strategic for [its] differentiation. Technology is recognised as a key driver for Kantar's transformation and the new GTI hub in Porto will serve as an incubator for new technologies for the products and platforms that will power the next phase of growth for Kantar and its clients," says Kantar's chief technology officer, Alex Cesar, in a statement.

To support to this project, 150 vacancies will be opened throughout this year, but the plan is to create about 400 jobs over the next four years.

The profiles with priority in recruitment are software engineers and data engineers to work on the Kantar Marketplace platform, as well as in the Global Security and Infrastructure Transformation teams.

In the medium-term, the company explains that "Porto will become a centre of excellence for the areas of cloud, infrastructure engineering and application support". Within the structure of Kantar, the city of Porto will also assume itself as a "base for the community of digital nomads, formed by senior staff of the company”.

In the words of the technology director, at this moment the company is focused on "building a team and a technological base that accelerates Kantar's growth in a solid way". Thus, says Alex Cesar, "the choice of Porto for our first GTI hub is an important step in that direction and reflects the culture we are building."

"It's a fantastic city to live and work in, which gives us close access to a growing pool of tech talent. On top of that, the fact that we are in Porto will further enhance Kantar's attractiveness as a great place to work in technology," she believes.

Alex Cesar admits that "advanced technologies are fundamental to our product roadmap and our growth ambition, so I am committed to making Kantar a company of choice for technology professionals. We are building a unique culture within our community. We have broken stereotypes about how technology and business work together and created an inclusive environment where innovation thrives and our talent flourishes," he concludes.

Kantar is a UK-based multinational group specialised in consumer intelligence and consulting services for major brands. The group employs 27,000 staff globally, providing services to clients in more than 90 countries. In 2020, it recorded a turnover of over 2.5 billion euros, which places it among the top five leaders in market research.

The group's arrival in “Invicta” was facilitated by InvestPorto, the unit of the Porto City Council created to promote high-value investments for the sustainable growth of the city.