Rivio Talent: Gustavo Caruso, Head of Deployment

A Computer Science graduate of Unicamp who also studied at the University of Waterloo through the Science without Borders program, Gustavo Caruso has been building his career in some of the most challenging environments in the world.

At Goldman Sachs, he worked on mission-critical financial technology, modernizing P&L calculations and building derivatives pricing platforms. There he learned that in high-pressure environments there is no room for hesitation: the problem has to be solved, and fast. At Amazon, he absorbed one of the strongest engineering cultures in the world, building global compliance products for logistics operations at scale.

At Palantir, where he spent almost three and a half years before joining Rivio, he had a unique experience working immersed in clients’ routines and challenges. There he learned that technology only has value when it is born close to the problem. That experience shaped his vision: the difference between an average delivery and a deep transformation lies in how many hours you spend alongside the people who actually use what you build.

Engaged to Rafaela and dad to Leia Skywalker, a golden retriever, Caruso always nurtured the dream of creating something that would directly impact people’s lives. That purpose came true in 2025, when he joined Rivio, the company that is revolutionizing hospital management in Brazil. For him, combining the challenge of building from scratch, the commitment to give back to the country the investment it made in his education and the impact of caring for people’s health is the fulfillment of a personal and professional calling.

Outside work, his curiosity is almost limitless. His YouTube search history defies any algorithm: physics and astrophysics, vegetable gardening, dog training, fine dining, electrical wiring, exercise physiology, equity investing, unusual applications of artificial intelligence and sports highlights. Far from being a distraction, this range of interests fuels him to connect ideas in unexpected ways and to keep learning, which he considers his true motivation.

Why did you choose to join Rivio?

Gustavo: Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of building in some of the most demanding environments in the world. I worked with brilliant people, faced problems that demanded my best and learned what technology and execution at real scale mean. But there came a moment when I felt the call to go back to the beginning: to build something from scratch, with speed, hands-on, and with the chance to shape not only the product but the culture and processes from day one.

But we know there is something that goes beyond your professional ambition.

Gustavo: Yes, exactly. I studied at a public university and did an exchange program funded by the federal government. In other words, Brazil invested in me, and I always knew that one day I needed to give that back in a concrete way. Being part of a company that is transforming the healthcare sector in Brazil is one of the most meaningful ways to repay that debt.

Deep down, I always wanted to work on something that, at the end of the day, would have a positive impact on people’s lives. At Rivio, these three things come together: the challenge of building, the purpose of giving back and the impact of caring.

How do you see the technology culture at Rivio compared with other AI players?

Gustavo: The technology culture we are building at Rivio starts from a simple premise that makes all the difference: we are not just looking for excellent engineers. We are looking for people who take ownership.

That means bringing together smart, purpose-driven people who are willing to work hard and, above all, have the ambition and drive to win. But the verb “win” here at Rivio has a specific and special meaning: winning means delivering real value to Brazil’s hospitals and to patients.

Can you explain to outsiders how this specific meaning of the verb “win” translates internally?

Gustavo: Let me give you an example: it does no good to be the best developer in the world if you cannot understand the business problem, cannot communicate your solution clearly or cannot see how that feature moves the needle for the hospital.

What sets us apart from other AI players is not just technical quality; it is this combination of technical depth with strategic vision and a sense of ownership.

Is this combination noticeable in the day-to-day of people who work here?

Gustavo: Very clearly. At many technology companies there is a separation between those who “think about the product” and those who “execute.” At Rivio, we are working hard to break with that. Everyone on the team needs to be able to move between both worlds.

In the end, we are building a team in which each person, individually, raises the bar for everyone else. Not through ego, but by example.

Tell us about a memorable moment in your career that could have an impact on this new challenge.

Gustavo: One of the most defining moments of my career was learning, in practice, what it means to be truly customer‑focused.

At Palantir, I experienced firsthand the Forward Deployed concept — which they not only created but raised to a working philosophy. I spent weeks away from home, embedded with the client, sitting next to the people who actually felt the pain day to day. It was not a distant visit or just a discovery trip.

It was total immersion; in other words, it was essential to map and execute the existing processes to truly understand the problem, imagine new versions of those processes and only then bring in technology to transform reality.

We iterated on different solutions with the people on the front line, gathered results and presented the impact to the sponsors. And the cycle repeated itself.

From the enthusiastic way you describe it, this experience played a decisive role in your career.

Gustavo: It did. That experience at Palantir changed the way I think about technology; it even changed what I had understood engineering to be until then. I learned that the most sophisticated solution in the world is worthless if it was built far from the real problem.

Your colleagues consider you a detail-oriented, meticulous professional. Is that true?

Gustavo: Yes, I have always had the habit of diving deep into the subjects that interest me or the topics I need to master. I believe details make a difference, in both my personal and professional life.

One example outside work was when I adopted my dog Leia Skywalker as a puppy, at 58 days old. Even before bringing her home, I spent weeks studying. I watched YouTube videos, read materials about the breed and animal behavior, talked to experts and put together a training plan. For me, it was not enough to just “have a dog.” I wanted to understand her personality, her needs and how to create a healthy environment for her to grow up in.

Another example is in the kitchen. When I decide to cook a dish, I do not limit myself to the recipe itself. I look into the history of the dish, the context in which it emerged, the techniques involved and even regional variations, if necessary. That helps me execute the recipe better, but also understand the why behind each detail.

Is that attitude reflected in your work?

Gustavo: 100%. I believe this behavior carries over into engineering and product. I am not satisfied with just writing code or shipping a feature. I need to understand the business problem, map the existing processes, talk to the people who feel the pain day to day and only then design the solution. That thoroughness ensures that what we build is not only technically sophisticated but also relevant and transformative for the people who will use it.

Being detail-oriented is not about empty perfectionism, but about seeking depth so that every delivery, whether a dish, a well-trained dog or a technology solution, is consistent and makes me proud.

Do you think these traits are important for joining Rivio’s technology team?

Gustavo: Not necessarily these ones, because every professional has their own traits. But there are traits that are essential, some that we cannot do without.

I can say that a good fit for Rivio’s technology team is not defined by a specific stack or a résumé. A good fit, here, is defined by how a person thinks and acts. In practice, we look for people who have technical depth but do not hide behind it. People who can move naturally between code and conversations with the client, between the solution and the business problem it actually needs to solve. Understanding technology is a means, not an end in itself.

Are there other traits you consider important for a tech professional to adapt to Rivio’s culture?

Gustavo: We look for people who want to take ownership. We are not satisfied with professionals who wait for the task to arrive. We value those who identify the problem before everyone else and already come with hypotheses, proposals and attempted solutions. We look for people who want to win, but, as I said before, winning here at Rivio means delivering real, consistent impact on the lives of those who use what we build.

And what about professional purpose? How do you see it?

Gustavo: I left this point for last, but it is the most important: the purpose of the field we work in. We are transforming the healthcare sector in Brazil, we are revolutionizing how Brazilian hospitals are managed, and that requires people who care about what they are building. You cannot fake that in the long run.

And the people you meet at Rivio do not fake it. Every engineer on this team truly believes that what they are building will show up in someone’s real life — inside a hospital, in an ICU, in the routine of those who care for the people we love. That is the level of commitment we look for. And it is what defines the team we are building.