Scaling a digital platform across regions as diverse as Europe, Asia and Latin America requires more than operational discipline. It demands an ability to translate global strategy into local momentum. “It’s about building systems that can think globally and operate locally,” says Alex Kartsel, Vice President at EWL Group, a major international staffing and workforce solutions company that connects talent from around the world with employers across Europe. Kartsel has spent more than 15 years helping internet and consumer tech businesses expand into complex markets while building systems that remain resilient at scale.
Today, at EWL Group, Kartsel guides an ecosystem that connects talent from five continents with more than 1,600 European employers. For him, it’s a mission rooted in both precision and purpose, and a reminder to leaders that meaningful scale happens when people, processes and purpose move in the same direction, creating a sense of unity even when teams are spread across continents.
Building for Local Relevance on Global Standards
What works in one country rarely lifts off unchanged in another. Kartsel learned this early while helping the mobility platform Bolt expand from one city to more than 30 across Poland. The breakthrough came from understanding how deeply growth depends on local nuance. “Success starts with understanding local realities,” Kartsel says. “From consumer behavior to regulation, every market has its own rhythm.” At Bolt, this meant adapting pricing models, onboarding flows and driver support structures while still preserving the global standard of experience that defined the brand.
This dual structure is one he continues to champion. The backbone of an organization must be standardized. Systems, performance metrics, internal culture and quality benchmarks all need consistency. The customer-facing components, however, benefit from adaptation. Local partnerships, communication styles and user experience should reflect the expectations of the market. “Global frameworks create stability, but relevance is earned locally,” says Kartsel.
Empowered Teams as a Foundation for Speed
Distributed operations falter when teams depend too heavily on headquarters. Kartsel’s tenure at OLX Autos, where operations spanned four continents and ten countries, demonstrated why empowerment is essential for cross-continental scaling. “Centralized decision-making simply doesn’t travel well,” he says. Local teams must be able to make rapid operational calls while staying aligned on global objectives. This autonomy fosters accountability, sharper problem-solving and the kind of speed global platforms rely on.
In Kartsel’s view, scalable organizations operate like ecosystems rather than hierarchies. Leadership sets the vision and the guardrails, while regional teams own the execution. Those closest to the market, he emphasizes, almost always have the best insight.
Data Guides Expansion, Culture Sustains It
As digital platforms grow, data becomes both compass and accelerant. Kartsel has led data-driven transformations in logistics optimization, demand forecasting and operational planning. But data on its own cannot hold a global company together. “Data allows you to scale intelligently,” he notes. “But culture is what keeps teams aligned when you’re ten time zones apart.” At EWL Group, this alignment is built on a shared mission of connecting people with meaningful work. Over a thousand colleagues operate with a unified purpose that transcends geographic distance. This cultural glue, supported by transparent communication and continuous learning, enables the organization to remain cohesive while navigating the complexities of global workforce mobility.
Turning Borders into Bridges
Kartsel’s approach to global expansion reflects a rare combination of academic rigor, operational experience and human-centered leadership. With both a Ph.D. and an MBA in management and business strategy, he brings an analytical foundation to the messy reality of high-growth environments. His work across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America has shaped a perspective that is both global in reach and grounded in practice. “Scaling operations across five continents is a journey of alignment,” he says. “If you get people, processes and purpose right, borders stop being barriers and start becoming bridges.”
To follow Alex Kartsel’s work and insights, connect with him on LinkedIn or visit his website.
