The Expansion and M&A Playbook of Dennis Herszkowicz, TOTVS

When it comes to pulling off successful acquisitions in tech, few people in Latin America have a playbook that’s as refined as Dennis. The CEO of TOTVS has been at the forefront of one of Brazil’s most aggressive expansion strategies, leading about 50 acquisitions.

It all started 25 years ago, when Dennis co-founded an auction website that would compete with giants such as DeRemate and Mercado Libre. And while he didn’t win that fight, it was the best way to learn about how to build and grow a startup.

This episode is a masterclass about balancing focus and expansion – and when the time comes, about how to prepare for an exit in the best way possible. What you’ll learn:

– How Dennis got into the tech world;
– How to balance execution and long-term vision;
– When is the right time to expand your offering;
– What to consider when exiting through an M&A, including the buyer’s view;
– How Dennis sees the IPO exit route today in Latin America;
– Why Dennis sees the AI race being different for every founder;
– And what’s next for TOTVS.

My name’s Brian Requarth and this is the Latitud Podcast. Vamos, LatAm!

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