Meet Alfredo Granai, new Opus President, Latin America.

Meet an international business leader with a track record of successes.

Alfredo Granai has extensive experience in setting up and developing businesses for large and medium-sized companies not only through expansion in existing markets but also by developing start-ups and take-overs.

“My experience will come in useful now,” says Alfredo Granai, who from 1 January is President, Vehicle Inspection Latin America.

“Our primary goal in Latin America at the moment is to expand and consolidate in Argentina, Chile and Peru, and to penetrate new markets. Together, they should provide us with annual sales of USD 50 million within five years.”

An unexpected opportunity.
Alfredo Granai did not discover the vehicle inspection industry, rather it discovered him.

“I was working as President of Latin America for DePuy Synthes at Johnson & Johnson when I was contacted by a headhunter. At the time I knew nothing about the industry or the company Opus.”

The headhunter must’ve told you something interesting, since you took up your position as president for Opus Bilprovning in Latin America on 1 January this year.

“Without a doubt! What I like most about the company is its integrity, a value I hold in the highest regard. I was also attracted by its flexibility and straightforwardness. When it comes to the assignment itself, Opus is a dynamic company that handed me the opportunity to manage and develop its operations in Latin America.”

We mentioned Opus’s goals for its Latin American operations. If we break it down into Alfredo Granai’s individual assignments, then he has quite a lot on his plate right now.

A double challenge.
Because it’s not just about expansion in countries where Opus already has a presence (Argentina, Chile and Peru) but also expanding into completely new markets, it’s a double challenge in a way.

On one hand it naturally concerns taking care of existing business; maintaining good relations with partners and making sure that everything continues to work with the same high quality, while on the other hand it means developing new markets, which is a different kind of challenge.

“In a new country, identifying the needs of the market and our partners is a job in itself. Because vehicle inspections are all about rules and regulations, it is important to build relationships with local, regional and state authorities while maintaining high ethical standards. Once a new market is well established, it’s also essential to train and develop the country managers, who in turn must each build up their new markets.”

In general terms, the Opus brand must represent the best technology and customer service. If this is to succeed, it is essential for all employees to have a customer-friendly approach and that customers feel that Opus is professional, fair and impartial.

So what does Alfredo Granai do when he’s not working?

“I try to cycle at least 100 kilometres every week and play golf a few times a month. When I take vacation, I love to go skiing or hiking in Colorado.”