Oracle accelerates cloud and AI across the Southern Cone with new leadership and a 40,000-person training push

Oracle's Southern Cone playbook: Cloud, AI, and talent under new leadership

Oracle is reshaping its Southern Cone strategy under Sofía Guidotti, its new general manager for Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, and Peru (APUB). The focus is straightforward: accelerate cloud adoption, embed AI into core processes, and build local talent at scale.

Globally, Oracle reported first-quarter FY2026 cloud revenue up 28% to US$7.2bn, with IaaS up 55% to US$3.3bn. That momentum underpins a regional push centered on customer outcomes and partner-led execution.

The thesis

"Companies will need to accelerate the adoption of cloud solutions, advance the use of artificial intelligence, and strengthen their digital capabilities to compete on a global scale," says Guidotti. Her mandate: modernize processes, align people and partners, and translate technology into measurable business results.

Numbers that matter

• Cloud growth: +28% to US$7.2bn (Q1 FY2026).
• IaaS growth: +55% to US$3.3bn.
• Talent engine (Oracle Next): 40,000 people to be trained in LatAm by 2025; APUB has graduated 14,700+, with 3,200 hires and an estimated salary impact of US$27mn.

Strategic priorities under Guidotti

• Culture: Collaboration, inclusion, and pride of belonging to drive execution.
• Customer-centered growth: Long-term relationships and measurable outcomes.
• Partner ecosystem: Expansion across industries and markets to scale delivery.
• Talent development: Continuous learning to keep AI skills and cloud ops current.

Where growth is likely

• Argentina: Modernization across healthcare, financial services, telecom, agriculture, retail, and education.
• Peru and Uruguay: Higher digital maturity and potential for regional scale-outs.
• Paraguay and Bolivia: Infrastructure upgrades and development of local tech talent.

What clients are asking for

Executives are prioritizing operational efficiency. That means automating workflows, integrating real-time data, and deploying AI within customer and employee experiences-without disrupting mission-critical operations.

Segments Oracle will push

• Cloud migration: Move core systems to OCI with clear ROI and risk controls.
• Multicloud: Interoperability where it makes sense for cost, performance, and compliance.
• AI in applications and data: AI features across Oracle Fusion, NetSuite, and Oracle Database 23ai for predictive insights, generative assistance, and intelligent agents.

Live use cases in Latin America

• Healthcare/biotech: Widelabs uses Oracle Cloud to improve Alzheimer's patient outcomes; Biofy speeds antibiotic resistance diagnostics.
• Insurance: Federación Patronal Seguros pilots AI to personalize services.
• Financial services: Agents for real-time decisioning and risk analysis.

Infrastructure options and what's next

A potential data center in Argentina is under evaluation. Today, Oracle runs seven cloud regions in Latin America (two in Brazil, two in Chile, two in Mexico, one in Colombia). Deployment choices include Oracle Alloy with telcos and Dedicated Region Cloud@Customer for in-country needs.

AI capacity is a priority. Oracle's partnership with Nvidia helps provide access to advanced GPUs for training and inference at scale. See the partnership overview here.

What this means for executives

• Set a 12-24 month cloud plan: Map workloads to OCI and multicloud based on latency, sovereignty, cost, and vendor leverage. Define exit ramps and controls upfront.
• Activate AI in your core apps: Pilot built-in AI in ERP, HCM, SCM, and CX. Track reductions in cycle times, error rates, and service response.
• Invest in talent: Build pipelines for data, ML, and prompt engineering. If you need structured paths, explore AI upskilling programs by job role.
• Local compliance by design: If data residency is critical, evaluate Dedicated Region Cloud@Customer or Alloy with telco partners.
• Govern AI early: Establish data quality, access controls, model risk checks, and audit trails before scaling agents across functions.

Watchlist for the next 12 months

• Decision on an Oracle data center in Argentina and any new regional expansions.
• Availability and pricing of GPU capacity in-region for training and inference.
• Adoption of AI agents in finance, healthcare, and insurance with measurable productivity gains.
• Hiring and wage outcomes tied to Oracle Next and similar programs.

Bottom line: Oracle's APUB strategy is execution-focused-modernize core systems, put AI into daily workflows, and grow local skills. For leadership teams, the value shows up in speed, cost control, and better decisions across the front and back office.