Gapstars Lisbon recently welcomed a new member into the fold, from all the way across the Indian ocean! Oshan Perera from our B&S team made the journey from the familiar shores of Sri Lanka to the sunny metropolis of Lisbon, Portugal for a brand new adventure in one of our global hubs.
Oshan’s journey with Gapstars began in 2022, where he joined the B&S team to help lead their B2B e-commerce development. B&S is a tech company that offers an end-to-end approach to connecting the value chain of consumer goods, enabling wholesalers, resellers and brand owners to grow at scale. In Sri Lanka, Oshan co-led a team of engineers and helped to oversee the Sri Lankan operations. His interest in migration was one that aligned with B&S’s foray into nearshoring, and the move to Portugal seemed fruitful for both parties. There began the process of crossing continents and exploring a brand new experience.
Relocation can be challenging for anyone, and Gapstars knew that ensuring a smooth transition was important both for efficiency and wellbeing. On speaking with Oshan, he remarked that he was grateful for all the groundwork covered before his move, and for all the background research that was done prior to the beginning of the migration process. Our Global Mobility team worked tirelessly to ensure that all his documentation was in place, his visa was secured and his financial burden was alleviated.
Having touched down in Portugal recently, Oshan had the opportunity to hit the ground running and work more closely with B&S. He found communications to be easy because of the small time difference between Portugal and the Netherlands, and he is now able to play a crucial part in aligning business requirements with technical expertise. Working from Portugal he is more involved with the product owners and members of the Dutch e-commerce team and he is able to effectively split his time coordinating between them and Sri Lanka.
The onsite experience was one that Oshan found refreshing. With Lisbon being a hub for advancement, Oshan found himself more exposed to emerging technologies and was pleased to find himself amongst a highly diverse group of people. According to him, a major highlight is the melting pot of different cultures from across the globe, along with the chance to step out of his comfort zone and explore the wonders of a brand new country.
Oshan believes that Portugal is the future of IT nearshoring, given the low costs of living, the expanding tech ecosystem and a timezone that is conducive to both Europe and the Americas. According to Oshan, Portugal’s open market and government policies encourage the establishment of new businesses and Gapstars is well-positioned to make a real impact there for its clients.
