Boutique search for founder-led recruitment.
Scaling an international team out of Portugal requires more than just a pool of candidates - it requires commercial intelligence. Atlas by Cortese focuses on the selective placement of sales and growth talent that understands the specific demands of international markets, ensuring every hire is a strategic asset rather than just an addition to the headcount.
What we help with
- Account Executive
- Growth Marketing
- SDR / BDR
- CRM / Lifecycle
- Partnerships
- Demand Generation
- Customer Success
- Commercial Leadership
Why Clients Use Atlas
Founder-led perspective
Atlas is built by an entrepreneur with 15 years of B2B sales and business-building experience. We understand the commercial realities behind a hire - not just the résumé.
Internationally experienced talent
We focus on professionals who have worked across borders, markets, and cultures - and who bring real commercial maturity to international teams.
Lisbon-based advantage
Being based in Lisbon allows us to stay close to a high-quality pool of globally minded professionals living in Portugal, while offering a more human hiring experience.
More than placement
In addition to headhunting, Atlas can also support fractional roles, transition support, and local coordination when relevant for international companies.
Why Portugal has become a serious hub for commercial talent
Lisbon and Portugal have attracted a large concentration of internationally mobile professionals - including operators, sales leaders, and growth marketers. Commercially mature and remote-ready, this talent pool offers a compelling hiring opportunity for founders seeking relevance and international exposure over noise.
Our Process: How Atlas Works
01
Discovery & Commercial Alignment
We define the specific commercial impact the role must deliver, aligning the search with your founder vision and growth objectives.
02
Strategic Portugal Sourcing
We tap into Portugal's unique concentration of internationally mobile commercial professionals, including former founders and sales leaders.
03
Operator-Led Vetting
Every candidate is met and qualified by an experienced commercial operator, ensuring they possess the specific maturity required for international business.
04
Curated Selection
We deliver a focused shortlist of 3-6 highly relevant professionals, prioritizing depth of fit over volume of CVs.
05
Onboarding & Integration
We support the closing process and provide local coordination in Lisbon where needed to ensure a seamless team integration.
Who this is for
Founders and CEOs of high-growth technology companies looking for commercial excellence.
Operations and Sales leaders building distributed international teams from a Portugal hub.
Companies who prioritize commercial maturity and cultural fluency over high-volume pipelines.
Organizations seeking a boutique, founder-to-founder approach to executive placement.