With three decades of experience spanning the Middle East, Africa, India, and APAC, Stephen Fernandes, Chief Growth Officer & Head Middle East at Planview, brings a rare blend of regional insight and global perspective. Tasked with steering Planview’s expansion and growth strategy across the Middle East, he is focused on building a robust local foundation, accelerating partnerships with hyperscalers and system integrators, and positioning Planview as the execution engine for enterprise transformation. In this exclusive conversation with Sandhya D’Mello, Technology Editor, CPI Media Group, Fernandes discusses his vision for driving measurable impact, empowering customers through AI-powered connected work, and establishing Planview as a trusted transformation partner in the region.
What does it mean for you personally and professionally to take on the position of Chief Growth Officer & Head Middle East at Planview?
Taking on this role is both a personal milestone and a professional privilege. Personally, it’s a full-circle moment—having spent over two decades in the region, I’ve seen its transformation firsthand. Professionally, it’s an opportunity to lead a brand that’s globally recognised for strategic execution and bring that excellence to a region that’s hungry for innovation. It’s about building something meaningful, with impact and scale.
You’ve been tasked with relaunching and executing Planview’s growth strategy and go-to-market plan in the region. Can you share your priorities for the first year?
The first year is about building a strong foundation and generating momentum. My key priorities include:
- Establishing a robust regional footprint—with local leadership, a regional data centre, and delivery capabilities to ensure proximity and responsiveness.
- Forging strategic partnerships with AWS, global system integrators, and regional digital champions to accelerate market access and innovation.
- Elevating brand awareness around Planview’s AI-powered portfolio management and connected work solutions, positioning us as a transformation enabler.
- Securing early wins with key clients across industries to demonstrate tangible value, while deepening engagement with our 30+ existing regional customers.
- Building a scalable partner ecosystem that can drive transformation across sectors and support long-term growth.
It’s about laying the groundwork for sustainable success while delivering impact from day one.
With 30 years of experience across Middle East, Africa, India, and APAC, you’ve seen technology evolve rapidly. How do you see digital transformation priorities in the Middle East today compared with other regions you’ve worked in?
The Middle East is no longer following global trends—it’s shaping them. Unlike other regions where digital transformation is often reactive or incremental, here it’s bold, strategic, and future-focused. Countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia are making landmark investments in AI, cloud infrastructure, and data ecosystems—not just to enhance efficiency, but to position themselves as global leaders in innovation. At Planview, headquartered in Austin, Texas, we’re proud to be driving AI-powered enterprise transformation, helping organisations bridge the gap between strategy and execution. With the Middle East rapidly emerging as a global AI powerhouse alongside the U.S., we’re seeing unprecedented opportunities for collaboration and impact. This is a pivotal moment for visionary enterprises ready to lead with purpose and precision.
Planview is known globally for strategic portfolio management and digital product development. How do you plan to position the brand uniquely in the Middle East market?
We’re positioning Planview as the execution engine for transformation. While many platforms focus either on strategy or delivery, Planview uniquely connects both—bridging the gap between boardroom vision and frontline execution. Planview is proud to be a Leader for the fourth consecutive year in the Gartner’s Magic Quadrant. In the Middle East, where transformation programs are ambitious, complex, and involve multiple stakeholders, this capability is essential. Our AI-powered platform empowers leaders with real-time visibility, operational agility, and the ability to deliver outcomes at scale. It’s not just about managing portfolios—it’s about enabling transformation with precision and speed.
You’ve successfully built businesses from scratch at Cognizant, Tech Mahindra, and other firms. What lessons from those journeys are you applying to this new mandate at Planview?
Three key lessons continue to guide me in this new mandate at Planview:
- Local relevance is non-negotiable. Success in this region demands building with the Middle East, not just for it. Strengthening relationships with regional clients and aligning with local priorities is essential.
- Partnerships drive scale. Sustainable growth comes from ecosystems, not solo efforts. Strategic alliances amplify reach and impact.
- Execution beats strategy. Vision sets direction, but traction builds credibility. Delivering measurable outcomes early on is critical.
At Planview, I’m applying these lessons by building a high-impact regional team, forging strategic partnerships, and focusing relentlessly on delivering value from day one.
Strategic alliances and partnerships have been a hallmark of your career, what kind of ecosystem partnerships do you see as critical for Planview’s success in this region?
For Planview, success in the Middle East will be driven by a three-tiered ecosystem strategy:
- Hyperscalers like AWS to ensure scalable, secure, and compliant cloud delivery—critical for enterprise-grade transformation.
- Global and regional system integrators to lead execution, bringing deep expertise in digital transformation and aligning with national visions.
- Industry-specific partners across sectors such as government, financial services, energy, and telecom to provide domain depth and accelerate time-to-value.
This ecosystem approach allows us to combine global innovation with local relevance—delivering outcomes that matter to both public and private sector leaders.
You authored the book Relaunch to Win. How does the framework you outlined in the book resonate with the challenges and opportunities you now face at Planview?
Relaunch to Win is a framework built for navigating change with clarity of purpose, courage to execute, and conviction to achieve. Its five phases—Assess, Align, Transform, Measure & Monitor, and Relaunch—are guiding our approach at Planview Middle East as we re-enter a fast-moving region. It’s helping us stay purpose-driven, build strategic partnerships, and focus relentlessly on performance. More than a concept, it’s a growth-led operating mindset.
Looking ahead, what is your long-term vision for Planview in the Middle East, and how do you see the company contributing to enterprise transformation and innovation in the next five years?
My vision is for Planview to become the go-to platform for connected work and strategic execution in the Middle East. Over the next five years, I see us:
- Powering national transformation programs across the Middle East.
- Enabling AI-driven decision-making for enterprise leaders.
- Building a vibrant customer and partner ecosystem that scales innovation.
- Becoming a trusted advisor for strategy-to-execution journeys.
Planview will not just support transformation—it will accelerate it, with intelligence, agility, and impact.
Image Credit: Planview
