About us : Remaining loyal to your professional “family”
Les Affaires October 23, 2024, By Philippe Jean Poirier
Read the full article here
When Mohamed Guetat was hired as a programmer at Momentum Technologies in 2008, he quickly knew where he wanted to take the Quebec-based firm: towards IT consulting rather than product development. However, it took him a few years to get there. Portrait of a patient but determined leader who has chosen to remain loyal to his professional “family”.
“For an immigrant, the first work experiences are decisive,” says the man who is now CEO of Momentum Technologies. The Tunisian arrived in Quebec at the age of 26, with a degree in business computing under his arm and the desire to “live the American dream in French”. I was lucky enough to come across a company that welcomed diversity with open arms,” he says. I was able to spread my wings and give my all for the company and my customers.”
However, he quickly realized that he wanted to take the IT firm elsewhere: he wanted Momentum Technologies to move away from product development (according to him, “a market in decline”) to become a “solutions” firm that helps companies to extract value from their data and deploy cloud infrastructures. “At first, the door was closed. People didn’t believe in it. When I talked about it, people looked at me like I was an alien. They told me it wasn’t in the company’s DNA.”
The executive did not take “no” for an answer. He fine-tuned his message as he climbed the ladder. From account manager, he became manager, then director. In 2013, he was identified as a potential successor to the company and invited to participate in the shareholding. In 2017, he became Managing Director of Consulting Services, as Momentum Technologies experienced “beautiful growth”. This was an opportunity to open up the shareholding to a “young team of directors”.
Along the way, Mohamed Guetat points out that he always had the confidence and support of the company’s president at the time, Michel Ganache. Looking back, however, he also recognizes that the direction he favored brought a degree of uncertainty to the company. “The teams wondered whether we were in decline. For the partners, it was also a big challenge; they had invested a lot of money in the product they were developing. They wondered if we could turn things around [and make the new direction profitable].”
After acquiring the company in 2021, the CEO continued to push his idea of a “solutions firm”, conducting a strategic review of the firm’s future with his associates and an external consultant. “The diagnosis confirmed the direction I wanted to take. He was then able to implement the two key elements of his change of direction: the sale of the Products Division and the creation of a new Solutions Division. It was a decisive turning point for the company,” he says. The new division now accounts for a large part of our revenues. We now have a topical service offering, in a growing market, at the cutting edge of technology.”
Determination and a sense of family
To reach his goal, Mohamed Guetat had to demonstrate a little patience and a lot of determination. “When you believe in something, you never give up,” he says philosophically. He also advises managers not to rely solely on their intuition when making decisions. “My vision has always been supported by solid evidence. When I wanted to change the company’s business model, I based it on real market data. That’s how I was able to convince my partners.”
In the face of reluctance, one has to wonder whether he might have been tempted, along the way, to join another IT firm closer to his vision? My relationship with Momentum Technologies is a special one,” says the CEO. The owners have always run the company like a family; there was an anchoring, despite the ups and downs. And so, it became a second family for me.” At just 44 years of age, Mohamed Guetat still has several years ahead of him at the head of his professional family.
