Barcelona, 12 July 2010. – GFT Technologies AG (GFT), leading international provider of innovative IT services, announced the appointment of Manuel Urban as new Chief Operational Risk & Quality Officer for the whole GFT Group. Reporting to the Executive Committee, Manuel Urban will manage the operational risk in project development and quality, using globally recognised methodologies and processes. With this appointment, GFT has improved the efficiency of its quality model and reinforced the Quality Office mission to improve, monitor and support all its projects across the different Client Units with GFT’s methodology. Urban's new appointment enhances GFT capabilities to deliver risk management in all its projects. 

As Manuel Urban states, “establishing a prevention culture, a Non-Green-Light Culture, that motivates everybody within our organisation to detect, evaluate and report risks as quickly as possible, is a key factor in the success and quality of a project”. He adds, “managing risks avoids the need to solve subsequent issues, as any risk that is prevented by taking appropriate mitigation measures, should not then become a problem”.

Urban’s appointment opens a new period for GFT, in which the company focuses its efforts on improving risk prevention. This will involve the elements developed in the GFT Methodology for IT projects, such as early identification, easy evaluation of risks and the definition of measures for mitigation and contingency. Marika Lulay, CCO of GFT Group states: “Consistent, high-quality project delivery capability is one of GFT’s competitive advantages, differentiating us from competitors in this space”.

Urban developed his career in automotive companies, such as SEAT and, later on, in financial firms like Banco Atlántico, Banco Comercial Trasatlántico and Deutsche Bank. As a DBSCI (Deutsche Bank IT Consulting) Executive Committee member, in 1999 Urban took part in the international launch and later consolidation of the emagine multinational group. When emagine was purchased by GFT in 2001, Urban became a member of the Executive Committee of its subsidiary, GFT IT Consulting. His new position further supports his responsibility as Chief Information Officer in Spain and Brazil.

Born in Barcelona, 1955, Manuel Urban studied industrial engineering at Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña and has received continuing education in many IT and management areas, in which he has more than 35 years of experience.