World's Best Boss: Pedro Pestana Shares £3.3m With 120 Staff After Selling Marosa for £97m

• Pedro Pestana, founder of Spanish tech firm Marosa, decided to distribute millions among his entire workforce after completing a landmark sale
• The Vigo-based entrepreneur sold Marosa to multinational Wolters Kluwer for €112 million in a deal announced in August 2026
• Every one of Marosa's 120 employees received a share of the payout, including those who had only recently joined the company

Pedro Pestana, the founder of Spanish technology company Marosa, has become an unlikely global symbol of workplace generosity after choosing to share a portion of his multimillion-pound windfall with every member of his team.

The Vigo-based entrepreneur sold Marosa to Dutch multinational Wolters Kluwer for €112 million (roughly £97 million) in a deal announced in August 2026.

Rather than pocketing his entire share of the proceeds, Pestana carved out €4 million (approximately £3.5 million) and distributed it among all 120 members of staff.

How Pestana Split the Windfall

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Crucially, the payout was not limited to senior figures or long-serving employees. Pestana established a minimum payment guaranteed to every worker regardless of how recently they had joined the firm, ensuring that even newer recruits walked away with something meaningful.

The announcement was made at a gathering where employees were called forward in order of their length of service until the full team had assembled.

The moment was filmed, with organisers later describing scenes of "reactions of surprise, the applause, and the hugs" that swept through the room. Pestana was candid about his reasoning.

"Marosa was built through the hard work of many people," he said.

"Sharing the proceeds from the sale is a way to acknowledge that contribution and to give back to the team a portion of what they helped create."

He reserved particular warmth for those who had been with him from the earliest days of the startup, some of whom had stayed for nine years and taken on shifting responsibilities as the business grew. He noted that those early recruits had "placed their trust in Marosa back when almost everything still remained to be done."

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Marosa's Rise and the Wolters Kluwer Deal

Marosa specialises in software that helps businesses navigate VAT compliance, electronic invoicing, and cross-border tax obligations.

The company more than doubled its revenue in under three years before attracting the attention of Wolters Kluwer, whose Corporate Performance and ESG division will absorb the business.

Marosa's headquarters will remain in Vigo, and all 120 employees, including Pestana himself, will transition into roles within the wider Wolters Kluwer group.

Pestana also revealed a broader motivation for going public with his decision. He expressed hope that other business owners considering a sale would reflect on what their teams had contributed and ask themselves whether a similar gesture was possible.

"Every company and every transaction is different," he said.

"I would like someone who is preparing to sell their own company to learn about this experience and consider whether they could do something similar with their own team."

Source: YEN.com.gh