Team and partners | Brains&Bytes

Team

Felipe Mendes

Founder of Brains&Bytes · Board Advisor, Mentor and Transformation Specialist

Leading Brains&Bytes, Felipe Mendes brings 17 years of driving deep transformations. He took his first CEO role at 34, after an international career in leading companies.

Early on he faced the challenge of driving change in complex, resistant environments, and that became his passion. His experience includes active participation in three mergers in the sector, with different outcomes and strategies. He also worked in companies acquired by global Venture Capital funds (KKR and Advent), which gave him a singular view of how organizational transformation unlocks value.

Felipe not only led internal transformations in large Services organizations across Latin America, he also witnessed the structural changes in the sectors he served as a strategic supplier, such as Retail, Consumer Goods and Durables.

He created Brains&Bytes to support executives and teams who recognize the need to change but are still looking for clarity on how. All of that experience is now available to clients.

Ricardo Moura

Partner at Brains&Bytes and Head of Products and Experience · Market Intelligence and Transformation Specialist

Leading strategic projects at Brains&Bytes is Ricardo Moura, a senior executive with over 20 years in Market Intelligence, Data Analytics and Customer Insights, supporting C-levels on critical decisions across Technology and Durables, Consumer Goods, Services, Retail, Media, Pharma, Agribusiness and Automotive, among others.

Throughout his career he has led data-driven transformation programs, the integration of consumer data and sell-out, CX, branding, product launches and more, always connecting strategy, data and execution with a focus on ROI and sustainable growth.

His specialty is turning data into decisions: structuring frameworks, prioritizing high-impact levers and bringing cross-functional teams together to change course, gain speed and capture value.

At Brains&Bytes he serves as Head of Products and Experience, designing tailored solutions for executives and teams who know they need to evolve, but want clarity, method and traction.

Felipe Armijo Cerda

Partner at Brains&Bytes for the Chilean market · Commercial Growth and Operations Specialist in Latin America

Felipe Armijo Cerda brings more than 14 years leading commercial growth and operations in multinationals across Latin America. As Country Manager in Chile and Peru and Commercial Director for the Southern Cone, he was responsible for operations with P&L of up to US$ 21 million and teams of up to 125 people across five countries.

His strength is building and scaling B2B businesses: standing up commercial operations from scratch, designing growth strategies and leading high-value consultative sales, negotiating with global corporate accounts such as Apple, Xiaomi and HP. He has worked in demanding, multicultural environments where the challenge is understanding the client's business and translating it into decisions that move the needle.

He comes from the world of market intelligence and consumer research, which gave him an uncommon ability: reading complex data and converting it into concrete commercial strategy. He now complements that with AI applied to business and is taking a certification in Agentic AI at MIT.

Commercial Engineer (USACH) with an MBA (PUC Chile). At Brains&Bytes he acts as partner for the Chilean market, connecting data intelligence and commercial judgment to help companies build, organize and grow their operations.

Partners

A network of specialists that extends what we do.

Alan Falkas

Consulting Partner · Strategic Finance, Operational Structuring and Management Efficiency

With more than 25 years of experience, Alan Falkas stands out for combining strategic vision with practical execution. He has led complex operations and served as CFO for Latin America in technology and market research multinationals.

His track record includes leading M&A processes, implementing ERPs and building finance functions from scratch. As an entrepreneur in specialty retail, he lived the challenge of building a profitable, scalable business, combining corporate discipline with entrepreneurial agility.

His philosophy is that reports and spreadsheets only create value when they lead to safer, faster decisions. At Brains&Bytes he works alongside leaders to structure processes and organize data, turning management into concrete results.

João Célio Oliveira

Consulting Partner · Operations, People Leadership, Delivery and Management Efficiency

João Célio Oliveira has more than 20 years of experience and a solid track record in operations management and commercial performance, across companies of different sizes and leading international projects in North and Latin America.

Over his career he has led teams and operational transformation programs, integrating processes, people and results. In the food industry, a global benchmark, he led restructurings and service strategies, optimizing resources and revenue.

For 10 years he was lead facilitator in Management Development courses focused on strategic planning, time management and business. Known for a collaborative leadership style, he built high-performing teams, achieving, for example, a 27% reduction in cost of goods sold in a single cycle.

Mirana Machado

Consulting Partner · Strategic Marketing, Communication and Brand Experience

Mirana Machado is a senior executive with more than 20 years in marketing, branding and corporate events. Her experience includes leadership positions with regional responsibility for Latin America, running initiatives across several countries.

Her track record is marked by developing and executing integrated marketing strategies, focused on high-impact B2B and B2C campaigns. At GfK, as Head of Marketing Latam and a member of the Executive Leadership Team, she led end-to-end strategies spanning branding, growth, digital marketing, events and communications.

Her results-oriented approach combines operational discipline and omnichannel campaign management to turn market intelligence into action and real impact.

Vanessa Lemos

Consulting Partner · Facilitator, Trainer and Coach

Vanessa Lemos has worked since 2010 as a consultant, professor and coach, focused on People Management, Leadership, Self-management and Competency Development. Before that she built a 17-year career in large multinationals such as Philip Morris, Unilever and Philips, always in Sales and Trade Marketing.

She has nearly 5 years of professional experience living in Brazil, Chile and Mexico. Her last executive role was Trade Shopper Marketing Director, and she served on the Board of the Consumer Life Style division. She is also YPO spouse mentoring director and a guest lecturer in executive programs. Her education includes Economics (FEA-USP), Neuroscience and Behavior (PUC-RS) and an MBA in Marketing (ESPM).