The 120 employees of the Vigo-based SME Marosa have received a total of €4 million drawn from the portion allocated to its founder, Pedro Pestana, in the sale of the company to Wolters Kluwer. The payout has reached the entire workforce, from those who joined in the early years to those who had just arrived.
“Marosa has been built on the work of many people. Sharing the sale proceeds is a way to recognize that contribution and give back to the team part of what it helped create,” explains Pedro Pestana.
Recognition for those who built the company
Among the recipients are professionals who have spent nine years at Marosa and who remain part of the team. Their trajectory is tied to the company’s beginnings, when a very small staff took on diverse tasks as the business took shape.
“The first employees trusted Marosa when almost everything was still to be done. We learned together and tackled a lot of work with limited resources. Seeing that they’re still here, after so many years, has special meaning for me,” says the founder.
The recognition has also extended to those who joined later. A minimum amount was set for everyone, including the most recent hires, with seniority not being a requirement to participate.
The announcement took place at a team meeting after the sale was formalized. During the gathering, the professionals were called by seniority until the entire staff had been assembled. The reactions of surprise, the applause and the hugs were captured in a video documenting that moment.
In addition to recognizing the team’s work, Pestana wants this experience to serve as a prompt for other business leaders to consider how they can involve their employees in the outcome of a sale.
“Each company and each deal are different. I’d like someone who is preparing to sell their company to learn from this experience and consider whether they can do something similar with their team,” he adds.
