New Employee Spotlight: José Carlos de Sousa Junior

Today, in this Employee Spotlight, I am speaking with José Carlos de Sousa Junior, our new Brazil Payroll Manager. José is based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and joined Immedis in May.

So, José, tell us a little about yourself

I'm a 34-year-old graduate of International Relations. I also have a Masters in Finance, Innovation & Entrepreneurship. I am a Taekwondo black belt, love to play soccer, hit the road on my motorcycle, and travel! I love Rock’n Roll, wine, and coffee. Finally, I'm the proud husband of Daniele Monique and father of my cute boy, Leonardo. Oh, and I am an Excel geek - it is always very exciting to learn and develop more about this program.

How did you get started in payroll? 

In my previous company, in addition to all my finance responsibilities, I was in charge of the expat payroll. This experience started my interest in global payroll.

Why did you choose Immedis?

I chose Immedis because it is a growing tech and global company. It will provide me with lots of opportunities to improve my payroll knowledge and work as part of a larger team on an international scale.

What was a defining career moment or high point?

My most recent career moment was joining Immedis after 8 years working with the Hyatt. Although I thoroughly enjoyed working with my colleagues, and I possessed a lot of internal knowledge, I felt there was no room for growth in the current structure in Brazil. As a result, I looked for an exciting new challenge at Immedis.

What are you working on today?

As the Brazil Payroll Manager, I am taking care of operations and helping to onboard new customers.

What is your toughest career challenge to date?

Up to now, the most challenging moment of my career was definitely after the COVID pandemic. I worked for the hospitality industry, which was hugely impacted by the pandemic. We had to dismiss many employees, which left me with a Finance team reduced from 10 to 4 people. It took a lot of reinvention and strategic planning to accomplish the tasks with fewer resources, but we managed it.

Who are your role models?

My main role model is the Brazilian legend Ayrton Senna, an F1 driver who died in 1994 in San Marino, Italy. His passion for his job, his dedication, and preparation, his ability to make critical decisions in milliseconds. All of which helped him to become the best driver in his era.

What is one of your ambitions?

My main ambition is to grow in my growth by learning and positively impacting all the people who rely on me – our customers, colleagues, while having enough time for myself and my family.

What is one thing most people don’t know about you?

One day I want to work outside Brazil and spend at least a month traveling in Asia, especially Indonesia, India, and China.

What motivates you to wake up and go to work?

The responsibility to make our customers happy with whatever is needed from me and that all my work is accurate and delivered timely.

What has been your favorite project so far?

At Immedis, my project now is getting to know the teams, the people, the culture, the systems, and, especially, the customers. So, I would say my favorite project so far is acquiring more knowledge and creating solid foundations for the upcoming projects we are working on in Brazil soon.

What would you like to ask our CEO?

What was the path you took to become Immedis CEO?

What was the best career lesson you have learned so far?
Sempre faça seu melhor, mesmo quando ninguém esteja vendo.
[Always do your best, even when no one is watching.]

You can learn more about our onboarding process, payroll operations, and customer success here.