The North American Portfolio Managers Focus Group May 2025

On May 20, Yonder organized the second edition of the CSI Portfolio Managers Focus Group, the North American edition. This is a small event, especially for Portfolio or General Managers responsible for a group of business units, helping them gain insights into the black box of R&D. R&D is the core of our business and the fundamental value of any CSI company.

Members of the management teams of several different CSI operating groups attended this event. Three of our content experts shared a topic with the group to create discussions, gaining insights into the R&D black box and learning from the different approaches and challenges among the groups.

Bogdan Chiorean, Head of Product and Innovation, hosted a session on product management maturity: putting a number on software waste. Here is his take on the event: “Being part of the Portfolio Managers Focus Group in Canada was a great experience. I had a chance to speak, but what I appreciated most was the open dialogue we had throughout the event. It wasn’t just about presentations—it was about learning from each other.

We had people from most of the operating groups with different backgrounds; some were more technical, and others were more business-focused. That mix led to good conversations and fresh perspectives.

I think it helped all of us sharpen our thinking, both in how we run the businesses we’re responsible for today and how we continue to build the broader Constellation portfolio. It’s sessions like this that really support our long-term approach of owning companies forever and making them better, step by step.”

Paul Cirstean, Head of Innovation, who is also part of CSI’s AI Focus Group, confirmed that sharing knowledge between groups was incredibly valuable. “What stood out to me was how much we can learn from each other when we share how we leverage AI. Co-presenting the CSI webinars on AI and discussing this with the other members in the Focus Group was already a great experience. But now, discussing the challenges faced by decision makers from different groups, regions, and verticals has created an extra dimension.

Together, we constantly refine our knowledge on technology, its applicability, market needs, business challenges, and the options of cross-fertilization. Combining different competencies creates a more profound understanding, so that we can improve our businesses. I fully enjoyed sharing my knowledge and gaining new insights from the people who run the groups and set out the strategies.”

“We often collaborate with companies or groups one-on-one, or we get invited to share our knowledge during a particular Summit or Event.” Says Remus Pereni, CTO at Yonder. “But there aren’t many events where technology and business strategists come together to share insights. We saw a need and created the Portfolio Managers Focus Group.

This was the second edition, and, like the first one, participants told me that they valued the discussion between Portfolio Managers at a high level and gained more insight into the R&D topics that are very much part of their business.

I am very proud of my company. We started over 30 years ago, developing software as part of our clients’ teams, and we evolved into a dedicated development partner, focusing on achieving our clients’ objectives. And now, next to our software development, we offer consultancy services not only for the actual software solutions and product divisions, but also at the boardroom level, helping clients and large software groups gain insight into R&D and thus with their strategic decisions for their software products.”

We are planning a European edition in the London area on October 7 and the opening dinner on October 6. If you are interested in joining (pending approval), please contact us at [email protected].