Alberto Gutiérrez, founder of Civitatis, hands over the CEO position to Andrés Spitzer to continue the company's large-scale growth

Its founder and CEO, Alberto Gutiérrez, will step down from his executive role and appoint Andrés Spitzer, current Chief Product and Technology Officer (CPTO), as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective January 1.
Alberto will remain on the Board of Directors, contributing his extensive technological experience and deep industry knowledge to continue supporting the company's growth strategy and vision. This transition marks a natural evolution within the company. After nearly two decades of success and sustained growth, Alberto Gutiérrez leaves a legacy that has transformed a personal project into a global leader in its category, with 1.2 million travelers booking activities every month.

Andrés Spitzer has a distinguished track record in technology, marketplaces, and the tourism sector, driving innovation and growth for organizations. His experience includes stints at companies such as Amazon, Europcar, and Ubeeqo, as well as a successful period leading product and technology strategy at Civitatis. Andrés Spitzer possesses the ideal profile to lead the company in its next phase of large-scale growth.

Unlike many high-growth travel technology companies, Civitatis has consistently maintained positive cash flow since its inception in 2008. The company was developed by its founder without external capital until the investment from Vitruvian Partners in April 2022. This combination of growth and profitability is unique in the industry and highlights the solid foundation built over the past 18 years.

Civitatis' success is built on highly effective marketing channels (both B2C and B2B), a robust technology platform, and a customer-centric model that offers carefully curated activities and guided tours in users' languages. The ease of booking and the carefully selected experiences result in highly satisfied customers who return to Civitatis for every trip. Civitatis is also leveraging Artificial Intelligence as a strategic tool to accelerate improvements in user experience, offerings, and operational workflows, helping to scale its marketplace while preserving experiences based on trust and the human touch.

In recent years, with the backing of majority shareholder Vitruvian Partners, Civitatis has continued to focus on a selection of high-quality products and strengthen its leadership in Latin America, where the company is growing by more than 40%, demonstrating its strong market position and operational excellence in the region.

Enrique Espinel, Chief Operating Officer (COO) since the company's early years, will continue in his role. In this new phase, Enrique will further strengthen the focus on international expansion, especially in Latin America, with the goal of accelerating the company's global footprint even more.

Statement from
Alberto Gutiérrez, Founder: "Starting Civitatis 18 years ago was a dream; seeing it become the global leader it is today in all our markets is a privilege. This is a personal decision made at a time when the company is stronger than ever. I am handing over the reins with complete confidence. Andrés has the vision, technological expertise, and determination necessary to take Civitatis to levels we haven't even imagined yet."

Andrés Spitzer, incoming CEO: "It is an honor to assume this role and build upon the incredible foundation that Alberto has laid. Civitatis is a rare gem in the tech ecosystem: a profitable, growing company, beloved by both its customers and partners. My priority will be to leverage our technological and product capabilities to accelerate our ecosystem, delivering even more value to our travelers, travel agencies, and suppliers."

Sophie Bower-Straziota, Vitruvian Partners: "Alberto is a prime example of our mission to support the most ambitious and talented entrepreneurs in achieving their vision. From our initial investment in 2022 to our subsequent investment to acquire a majority stake, we have witnessed firsthand Alberto's exceptional vision, leadership, and management. The company's ability to balance high growth with genuine profitability is outstanding, especially in a context of rapid digitalization. We are fully committed to this next phase and are confident that the leadership team, under Andrés's guidance, will continue to deliver outstanding results."

Mariano Dima, President of Civitatis: "Alberto is a true visionary who has built a category-defining company from the ground up. His legacy is a business model that has become a benchmark for the industry. As we move forward, Andrés is the ideal leader to drive our next phase of large-scale innovation. With Enrique continuing to lead operations and expansion, the executive team is perfectly aligned to capture the enormous opportunity ahead with nearly 850 million Spanish and Portuguese speakers worldwide."

Source: Civitatis.