Built and scaled a global learning function, now leading 10 direct reports.
Executive portrait
Learning leadership / AI innovation / Transformation
Rafael Saque.
Rui Rafael Baltasar Cardoso Saque dos Santos
Building capability.
Making change measurable.
I lead the people, investment cases and delivery behind meaningful technology change. My work brings together 9+ years of experience across learning leadership, digital strategy and technology-led transformation, backed by hands-on software and technical consulting experience. I build teams that deliver, learn and become stronger over time.
10Direct reports
~500Programme professionals
13+ yearsCareer experience, approx.
01 / Evidence, not buzzwords
Results that matter.
Selected outcomes from global learning, AI-assisted operations and international digital transformation.
Reduced dedicated technical onboarding preparation by over 60%.
Reduction in average review time through cross-functional AI-enabled change.
Professionals in a multinational technical programme supported by learning.
Grew the Ringier digital team while leading the transition toward digital publishing products.
Independent LightInTheBox market budget allocation; higher ceiling applied briefly near the end.
Measures reflect their real scope. Onboarding excludes company induction and later on-the-job ramp-up; the review-time gain was delivered jointly with engineering and operations. Client-specific financial values are not published.
02 / Selected innovation programmes
From business case to adoption.
Three examples, described at a deliberately high level to protect proprietary systems, project economics and client processes.
01 / INVESTMENT-LED INNOVATION
AI-guided specialist workflows
Owned the investment case for an AI-assisted guidance workflow, evaluating development effort, staffing, expected efficiency and business value. Worked with technical specialists to move the concept toward real use.
Value management · Scrum · Adoption
02 / KNOWLEDGE & LEARNING
Knowledge that answers
Led a controlled AI-assisted knowledge initiative that helps globally distributed teams find relevant approved guidance, with expert-reviewed assessments, updates and human quality checks.
AI adoption · Learning governance
03 / PEOPLE & PROCESS
Change that actually sticks
Led enablement, coaching, pilots and learning strategy as specialist teams adopted AI-assisted processes. Together with technical and operational partners, helped reduce average review duration by over half.
Capability · Quality · Impact
03 / My operating approach
Innovation needs more than ideas.
Successful transformation depends on clear decision rights, capable people and evidence. My responsibility is to connect the strategy with the teams and disciplines required to execute it.
01 /
Own the case for change
Define the problem, expected value, resource requirements and risks. Secure stakeholder support and investment before committing to delivery.
02 /
Deliver with multidisciplinary teams
Work across learning, engineering and operations using Agile/Scrum, clear priorities, pilot feedback, expert validation and thoughtful change management.
03 /
Measure, improve, scale
Track operational quality, adoption and impact — sometimes daily. Revisit the business case, retain human oversight and build capability that lasts.
04 / Career experience
Different industries. One consistent approach.
I have led digital strategy in e-commerce, digital transition in publishing, learning capability in multinational technical operations, and worked hands-on in software development.
Learning strategyAI adoptionScrum / AgileDigital transformationValue managementChange leadershipKnowledge governanceSoftware engineeringCybersecurity grounding
Cognizant — Global Head of Learning
Global learning and innovation leadership for a technical programme delivered for Google. Built an 11-person function; drive capability, investment cases, learning governance and AI-enabled adoption.
Ringier — Head of Online Marketing
Owned digital transformation work across publishing brands; bridged editorial and technology teams while growing the digital team from two to seven.
LightInTheBox — Search Engine Marketing Team Leader
Owned Portuguese-language market performance, discretionary digital budgets, tooling evaluation and Scrum-based cross-functional improvement.
Software development & technical consulting
Mobile apps, banking consultancy, prototypes, Agile delivery and real-world software implementation across multiple organizations.
Why I want to serve
A bigger mission. A higher standard.
I want to contribute to the NCI Agency becoming a world reference in learning innovation, responsible AI and digital transformation. That ambition starts with secure, useful capabilities — and with the people, discipline and measurable outcomes needed to make them real.
Let's connect
Let's make change matter.
Lisbon · Fluent in: Portuguese, English, French and Mandarin Chinese; Spanish conversational.