As most Brazilians, I used to love Carnival. In 2002, I was in Recife, my hometown, enjoying the festivities with friends. But that year I had to cancel the parties to fix problems in a JavaCard application we were developing for TIM Brasil, a leading mobile operator.
Those who see me today selling, strategizing, or negotiating with clients might doubt I once worked deep in the technical details of SIM card applications, or that I graduated with a degree in Electronic Engineering. But that's who I am: a mix of technical geek with deeply commercial expertise. This combination has made all the difference throughout my career.
I spent 16 years at Gemalto (now Thales), but the reality is more complex. It was Schlumberger, then the spinoff Axalto, then finally Gemalto after a merger with Gemplus. A leader in smart cards that became a powerhouse in digital security. The dream was always to be more than a commodity provider. My mission was exactly that: I was responsible for everything we sold beyond the plastic. I covered Latin America, and for about two years, the entire Americas.
My achievements caught the attention of senior management, who invited me to work alongside them in France. I spent two years learning how decisions are made at board level. But my blood was too Latin, too connected to clients and fast innovation. The adventure in France lasted only two years before I returned to the field.
One of my main achievements was creating a messaging business that grew from zero to $20 million ARR. The idea came from understanding how things worked from the inside - those days fixing SIM card applications during Carnival taught me something valuable. Latin America had become a massive SIM card audience, with almost 100% of mobile subscribers carrying one. And I knew how to reach them. It was 2007, and Google was launching performance ads. At a sales kickoff meeting I said, "We can do the same - we have tens of millions in audience." That day, a $20 million business was born.
The pathway to $20 million involved building teams, processes, and partnerships. This business shaped my career and taught me how to scale across cultures.
Fast-forward to 2017: after 16 years, I felt ready to turn the page. Thales' acquisition of Gemalto opened an opportunity to pursue my dream - immersing myself in Israel's startup ecosystem.
If my years at Gemalto were intense, my years in Israel were light-speed. Nothing moved faster than my transformation there. Israel was the perfect place for someone who loved strategy, go-to-market, and sales at all levels, but also loved execution and getting hands-on with what was happening. In the startup world, it's all about EXECUTION. That's my motto.
Before moving to Israel, I created Wenexo as my professional brand. After landing, I felt like an entrepreneur, with back-to-back meetings from day one. In one of those meetings I met the founders of Engie App (backed by Founders Kitchen), and they invited me to join full-time. This became one of the best professional experiences of my career - working out of a garage in the outskirts of Tel Aviv.
I lived in Israel for 6 years, worked hand-in-hand with Israeli founders, absorbed the startup mindset. I learned how Israeli companies think, build, and operate. Today I embody two distinct mindsets: a creative B2B leader with 16 years of corporate experience who created and scaled businesses with tier-one players, combined with a passion for innovation and hands-on execution.
The technical side of me never disappeared - it was just eclipsed by commercial success. During COVID, I decided to return to my origins and update myself in programming, development, and software. My instinct has always been to understand technology at its core to extract concrete innovation in the commercial world. So when AI arrived, I was already warmed up. Today I don't just use AI - I understand how it works inside, and I know how to extract maximum value from it.
In 2024, my family and I moved to the US, bringing everything I'd learned, plus one new ingredient that connected it all: AI-powered execution.
Landing in the US, I realized I had a unique value proposition for Israeli and LatAm companies seeking US market entry:
This combination of theory and practice, execution and strategy, delivered through multiple roles led by me, is what I call AE: Augmented Execution.
16 years at Gemalto (now Thales Group), progressing from technical roles to VP Business Development for the Americas.
Conceived, built, and scaled a mobile solutions business from zero to $20M ARR. Managed operations across Brazil, Mexico, and US. Lived in Mexico (2006-2007) and France (2009-2010) during tenure.
This is where I learned to build businesses across cultures, navigate complex enterprise sales, and scale operations internationally.
Made aliyah to Israel in 2018. Joined Israeli startup ecosystem, including work with Engie App (backed by Founders Kitchen with Uri Levine, Waze co-founder).
Lived in Israel for 6 years, worked with Israeli founders, absorbed the startup mindset. Learned how Israeli companies think, build, and operate - very different from Brazil or US. More aggressive, more technical, incredibly innovative.
This is where I learned what Israeli companies need when entering the US market.
Now based in Florida, leading US market entry for Israel-Brazil telematics joint venture (IturanMob).
What I've built in 4 months:
Result: From zero to operational US presence in 4 months.
Languages: Fluent in English, Portuguese, Spanish | Professional proficiency in Hebrew, French
This isn't just a resume bullet - it's real operational advantage. When your Israeli dev team, Brazilian executives, and American customers all need to communicate, having someone who speaks all languages (literally and culturally) matters.
I don't just give advice - I execute alongside your team. Over 20+ years, I've built expertise across business development, marketing, product management, partnerships, and customer success. I've not only performed these roles but managed teams responsible for execution in each area.
Using AI strategically, I can deploy all this experience simultaneously. When you work with me, you're getting a COO plus a team: Marketing expert, Web developer, Product Manager, Customer Success, and Sales Operations. AI is the tool that enables Augmented Execution: experience amplified by technology.
The result: I can act as your fractional COO in the US - handling business development, product-market coordination, marketing infrastructure, and operational setup - for a fraction of what a full-time US executive would cost.
I work with clients in engagements typically ranging from focused sprints (3-6 months) to ongoing fractional executive roles, depending on your needs and stage. The goal is always the same: build operational infrastructure that works, deliver first customer wins, and set up systems that scale beyond my engagement.
I'm not building a consulting empire - I'm building a practice that lets me do focused, high-impact work with companies I believe in.
I'm 50 years old. That matters because:
Forget what you know about US go-to-market consultants. Forget what you know about costs for building US presence. Welcome to the era of Augmented Execution.