Selina Guerrero had only been at Globalscape for six months when Fortra acquired the company. But she soon found that despite the larger size of the combined entity, the open, friendly environment she’d grown used to didn’t change—it only expanded. A year and a half later, the senior manager of business development program has earned two promotions and now helps her own growing team flourish in a unique culture rife with opportunity.
The History of Globalscape
Globalscape was founded in 1996 to give Windows-centric organizations the ability to secure and automate mission-critical file transfers. Fortra acquired the company in 2020 to build out its data security suite, and today Globalscape solutions are a key part of the Fortra secure file transfer solution, alongside GoAnywhere and FileCatalyst.
Selina’s Career Journey
Selina started as a business development rep (BDR) at Globalscape in 2020 and soon advanced to the regional sales manager role shortly before the acquisition. “It did all change when I joined Fortra,” she remembers. “One of the most exciting parts of being acquired is that you have all these amazing opportunities presented to you, one of which was managing the international business development team. After we were acquired, I became the associate manager for the international business development team, and through all of the opportunities presented, I have been able to progress into senior manager over the business development program.”
A Smooth Acquisition
Even though Globalscape had been around for decades, many employees felt it had maintained that special startup environment. “I loved working for Globalscape,” Selina says. “It was a small company with a family feel.” She and others wondered what would happen as they joined Fortra, and what the culture would be like.
“Globalscape was a really great fit for the data security portfolio at Fortra, and a really great fit for us and our customers as well,” she says, noting the acquisition went much more smoothly than she could have imagined. “It was just so well aligned, and everyone was so welcoming, and helpful, and genuine, which you don't always find. That was pretty incredible,” Selina notes, adding there was a lot of focus on easing the team into the transition.
Getting to Know the Fortra Team
Globalscape employees got some one-on-one time with Fortra leadership to hear about the changes. “Shortly after the acquisition, they set up meetings just to get to know us and give us the opportunity to ask any questions we had.”
Selina says getting to meet her new Fortra peers was also a highlight. “When we became part of Fortra, we got to meet and work with some of the GoAnywhere folks, so our former competition became our team.”
Broader Solutions for Customers
The Globalscape team has thrived as part of Fortra, which continues to invest in enhancing these popular products. Selina believes Globalscape works very well under the secure file transfer umbrella alongside FileCatalyst and GoAnywhere. “It gives our customer the ability to choose the best fit for their needs,” she says.
In fact, the Globalscape team can now introduce longtime customers to the full line of Fortra cybersecurity and automation solutions in addition to the expanded set of secure file transfer options. “We have the advantage of being able to cross-sell,” Selina says. “I had the opportunity to present Clearswift ICAP to customers, which was exciting because it provides the [data loss prevention] DLP piece we couldn’t provide before.”
Maintaining a “Work Family”’ Feel
“The Globalscape culture felt like your work family,” Selina explains, even though she joined virtually during the pandemic. “Everyone made themselves available. They were super helpful in getting me on-boarded, learning the product, and learning all my resources.
Surprisingly enough, that friendly vibe didn’t change after Fortra acquired the business. “It feels like a Fortra family,” she says. “Everyone is so warm, so genuine, and so helpful. This is also the biggest feedback I always get from any new hire. I think they're taken aback by that. You have an amazing company culture, and then you have so many opportunities in front of you as well. That's what makes Fortra unique: You have that startup feel, but in a huge company that you never knew could have a culture this phenomenal.”
Career Growth in New Directions
Selina recognizes the level of growth at Fortra is a major benefit of the acquisition as it leads to new opportunities. “You can grow in so many different ways,” she says. “Your path isn't necessarily in just one direction. You can veer off, and as you grow in your career and develop as a person, you can change the direction you'd like to go. There's just so much opportunity. I've gone from BDR to sales to heading up the international team to now running the BDR program. It's been a hold-onto-your-seat kind of journey, and it's been absolutely incredible.”