Talent Spotlight Series: Micael Santos Joins as VP Travel Experience EMEA

Welcome to The Talent Spotlight Series, where we chat with our global team members about the careers that led them to Navan, what their roles look like, why they believe in their teams, and even their favorite travel memory. The participants were selected by their peers for the incredible work, team spirit, and how they embody Navan values. Read more from the series.

Micael Santos joined Navan as Vice President of Travel Experience, EMEA earlier this month. Based in Lisbon and tasked with building the company’s first team in Portugal, Micael will oversee all support in Europe.

Navan is Micael’s first foray into the travel industry. For more than a decade, Micael built his career in business process outsourcing, where he crossed paths with several Navan leaders in previous roles. He kept his eye on the industry throughout the pandemic and was keen to see it bounce back.

“I actually reached out to Navan because I saw that travel was coming back. I initially reached out to them as a potential client in my previous role when the team mentioned building a new office in Lisbon,” he explains. Navan elected to build an internal team rather than work with a business process outsourcing (BPO) company such as Micael’s previous employer, but a relationship had started to forge.

Micael has intimate experience in refining operations. As VP Travel Experience, he’s tasked with ensuring great service for all Navan customers as well as increasing efficiencies.

“I’m very excited about this new challenge,” Micael explains. Two primary aspects of Navan culture further convinced him that opening a new office and building a new team in a new country was a challenge worth taking on.

“Navan is a fast-moving and fast-growing company…and it’s offering a completely new solution in an antiquated industry. These each played a factor in my accepting the role. It’s not just about what Navan can bring to me, but what it’s already providing to the industry.”

Micael is looking forward to building a diverse team in Lisbon and to new team members joining from Germany, France, Spain, and throughout Europe. He expects the team to start small and grow quickly as Navan continues to grow its footprint across Europe.

“We're looking for new team members, who are willing to learn and are adaptive to a fast-paced environment while working in a great place and culture,” said Micael.

The Lisbon office is currently hiring. See what roles are available to join Navan today.