Andrés Ortola grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where his earliest lessons in leadership came not from business school, but from watching the people around him work, struggle, and rebuild. That foundation would carry him across four continents and into some of the most demanding leadership roles in global business.

Over a career spanning more than three decades, Andrés held senior leadership positions at Microsoft, Quest Software, and IBM, working across Madrid, Dubai, Singapore, Manila, and eventually settling in Lisbon. He went on to serve as Microsoft CEO in both the Philippines and Portugal — two very different markets that demanded the same thing: clarity, humility, and the courage to lead through uncertainty.

Along the way, Andrés led multiple business turnarounds, stepping into organizations at their most difficult moments and helping them rediscover momentum, culture, and direction. It’s that exact experience — the disorientation of a new role, the search for where to even begin — that became the seed for The Baker.