Deel, a rapidly growing global payroll and HR provider, announced the election of Francis deSouza, a seasoned tech veteran and entrepreneur, to its board of directors. deSouza’s extensive experience in leading and expanding complex businesses is expected to bring invaluable expertise to Deel as the company continues its ambitious growth trajectory.
Francis deSouza’s Background
- Co-Founder of SynthLabs: deSouza is a co-founder of SynthLabs, a pioneer in Artificial Intelligence (AI) research and technology focused on transparent, auditable AI alignment and safety.
- Former CEO of Illumina: As the CEO of Illumina, deSouza led the company to achieve $4.6 billion in revenue in 2022, serving 9,500 customers across 150+ countries.
- President at Symantec: Before Illumina, he was President at Symantec, a leader in cybersecurity and enterprise data management solutions.
- Experience with Microsoft: deSouza led a product group at Microsoft after its acquisition of Flash Communications, where he was co-founder and CEO.
- Board Memberships: He has served on the boards of the Walt Disney Corporation and Citrix, bringing a wealth of governance experience to Deel.
Deel’s Rapid Growth and Achievements
- Customer Base and Revenue: Since its inception five years ago, Deel has rapidly grown to serve over 25,000 customers, including major brands like Nike, Hermes, Reddit, and Shopify. The company achieved over $500 million in annual recurring revenue in 2024 and has been profitable for over a year and a half.
- Strategic Acquisitions: Deel’s recent acquisition of African payroll company PaySpace has expanded its capabilities, giving it the most native payroll engines of any global payroll provider.
Strategic Importance of deSouza’s Addition
- Future Goals: Deel aims to serve more complex enterprise customers and expand its products and services to help companies manage payroll and HR globally.
- Vision for Growth: Co-founder and CEO Alex Bouaziz emphasized the strategic importance of deSouza’s addition to the board, highlighting his potential to help Deel achieve its vision for the future of global work.
Francis deSouza’s election to Deel’s board of directors marks a significant milestone for the company as it continues to scale and expand its global footprint. His extensive background in leading and growing complex businesses, combined with his expertise in AI, cybersecurity, and data management, positions Deel to achieve its ambitious goals and shape the future of global work.
