“Disrupt or Get Disrupted.”
Jose L. Fernandez is a strategic global business leader with more than 30 years of experience transforming technology organizations across the globe. From senior leadership roles at Fortune 100 companies like Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, Cisco, Arista Networks, and Lenovo to founding and leading Salesfy Consulting, Jose has become a recognized authority in AI transformation, global sales leadership, channel development, and strategic business growth. His passion lies in helping mid-cap companies and startups navigate the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence and digital transformation to drive real-world results and competitive advantage.
Fluent in five languages—English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Italian—Jose’s multicultural fluency underpins his unique ability to build global teams, develop cross-continental go-to-market strategies, and form strategic alliances across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. He has held senior P&L roles managing revenues from $10 million to multi-billion-dollar portfolios, delivering operational efficiency, international expansion, and consistent profitability.
As Founder and CEO of Salesfy Consulting, Jose helps organizations unlock the power of artificial intelligence to optimize operations, improve customer experience, and accelerate top-line growth. His method involves AI discovery workshops, strategic alignment, partner selection, implementation leadership, and performance measurement. Salesfy is particularly effective for startups and mid-market companies ready to embrace AI but unclear where to begin or how to maximize ROI.
Jose’s impact reaches far beyond the boardroom. Over the past six years, he has mentored more than 30 startups and scaleups through organizations like the Venture Mentoring Team and Endeavor. His mentorship focuses on international market entry, sales leadership, team development, and AI implementation strategy. Jose’s coaching style is transparent, collaborative, and driven by measurable outcomes—qualities that have made him a sought-after mentor and advisor.
Throughout his career, Jose has led numerous high-profile transformations. At Lenovo, he built new global channels, doubling revenue in key business units, launching global advisory boards with top-tier partners, and integrating AI-driven solutions across verticals such as telecom, healthcare, and automotive. His leadership helped evolve Lenovo’s strategy from transactional hardware sales to high-value solution delivery, including cutting-edge AI deployments like digital twins and predictive maintenance.
Jose also served as President and GM of Lenovo’s Data Center Group for Latin America, where he drove a significant turnaround from negative to positive profitability while increasing customer satisfaction and reducing employee churn. His ability to build high-performance cultures and deliver sustainable growth has been a hallmark of his leadership across multiple industries including telecom, financial services, manufacturing, and SaaS.
His corporate tenure includes transforming Cisco’s cloud and managed services businesses across LATAM, driving over $300M in revenue, and building AI-focused data center capabilities in collaboration with top providers like Intel, AMD, NVIDIA, and Microsoft. His experience extends to managing pre-IPO scale strategies, SaaS deployment models, and B2B software lifecycle planning.
A dedicated educator, Jose currently lectures at the University of Miami on topics like AI and cybersecurity. He is passionate about making technology accessible and actionable for business leaders. His public speaking engagements span major global events and industry conferences where he delivers insight on sales innovation, AI trends, and executive leadership.
Jose’s personal motto—”Disrupt or Get Disrupted”—embodies his belief that proactive transformation is essential in today’s fast-moving markets. Whether advising on a board, guiding a CEO, or mentoring a startup founder, he brings an unmatched combination of wisdom, humility, and forward-thinking strategy.
Character:
Jose leads with integrity, empathy, and a strong sense of purpose. His commitment to mentoring others and giving back reflects a personal ethos built on trust, service, and long-term impact.
Knowledge:
With deep expertise in artificial intelligence, enterprise technology, and global sales strategy, Jose offers practical, real-world knowledge shaped by decades of experience at top-tier organizations and fast-growth startups alike.
Strategic:
Jose is a big-picture thinker who connects technology with business outcomes. His strategic planning consistently delivers growth, international expansion, and innovation aligned with each company’s mission and market.
Communication:
A multilingual communicator and seasoned public speaker, Jose excels at translating complex ideas into clear, actionable guidance. He builds alignment across cultures, functions, and executive teams with clarity and confidence.
