They say time flies when you’re doing what you love. But when I look back at my 29 years with CI&T, it doesn’t feel like time flew — it feels like time built.

It built a career, a company, friendships, and, alongside them, my personal dreams, achievements, and family. It was not an easy journey, because no great story ever is. There were challenges, fears, learnings, victories — and plenty of fun. And through it all, I feel deeply proud that I embraced this path early in my life.

My story with CI&T started almost by chance — just as big stories often do. In the final year of my Master’s at Unicamp, during lunch, I saw a small sign at the university cafeteria advertising a developer role in a company I had never heard of. I felt an urge to put into practice all I had studied, so I applied. Soon after, I was on the first floor of a house in a residential neighborhood in Campinas, sitting at a small round table taking a technical test and later being interviewed by Gon, who became a lifelong, admired mentor and partner. I joined as the fifth employee, and on that sunny morning in December 1996, I began the professional journey of my life.

Those early days were full of hard work, bold dreams, laughter, and good memories. It’s still so vivid — the smell of steak with onions coming from our neighbor’s window while we were solving very complex object-oriented problems in C++. Passion, ambition, connection, resilience, and entrepreneurship were never missing. We didn’t know then that we were creating not just the only Brazilian tech company listed abroad and recognized in global awards, but also a platform for thousands of people to build careers, dreams, and life stories.

For me, it has always been almost impossible to separate the personal from the professional. CI&T has been the backdrop to some of my most important life moments. I married the love of my life in my early years here, celebrated by colleagues who made our modest wedding unforgettable. It is still part of my family’s life, like some special pieces of furniture we bought with the wedding gift we received. I raised my three children surrounded by CI&T friends and values.

Nowadays, CI&T is much more than a company for them — it’s a kind and living example of a team full of entrepreneurship, friendship, passion, and creativity.

Over time, I was also building who I am today as a professional. Challenges I once thought impossible became stepping stones to confidence, maturity, and growth. Today, I am in Europe, leading our expansion in a new region. It has meant moving part of my family abroad and leaving part in Brazil — a bittersweet arrangement that demands resilience and bravery. A price that sometimes we have to pay to go for our dreams. But once again, I feel the same excitement as when I saw that cafeteria sign years ago: the chance to build something new, to learn, and to grow.

After 29 years, people often ask me why I’ve stayed so long. My answer is simple: CI&T has always been a place where I could be myself, dream big, take risks, make mistakes, and learn. That freedom built ownership, belonging, and a culture where every CI&Ter contributes to our story.
As we celebrate 30 years, I think not only of the past but of the future. Technology will keep evolving — AI will reshape industries and push boundaries. But what matters most is something timeless: the human side of what we do. We are not just building technology — we are building a place where people can bring their whole selves, feel they belong, and thrive.

That is what PRIDE means to me. Pride in our achievements, yes — but also pride in being authentic, in embracing diversity, in creating a culture where everyone has space to dream and grow. That is the legacy of CI&T, and the promise I see for the next 30 years.

I am proud of where we’ve been. I am proud of who we are. And I am proud of where we’re heading — together.