Rafael Melo takes the helm of the Brazilian operation after eight years of building the global AI services company.
SÃO PAULO, September 2026 – Artefact announces the appointment of Rafael Melo as CEO of Artefact Brazil. Melo is the first Brazilian executive to be internally promoted to the role, a move that comes as Artefact accelerates its expansion across Latin America and broadens its footprint in AI and data in the region.
Melo joined the company as Senior Data Consultant in 2018. He brings more than ten years of experience in data analytics and is co-host of Data Circle Leaders, a community that brings together data professionals to discuss data-driven transformation practices.
Leadership grounded in local expertise
For Artefact, promoting an executive who already knows the clients, the team and the operation in Brazil signals organizational maturity at a moment of growth. The company is backing senior leadership with deep local market connection as a prerequisite for sustaining the region’s next growth cycle.
“Throughout my years at Artefact, I’ve always believed that AI only creates real value when they solve an actual business problem, not when they stay at the level of discourse. Today I lead a team who help companies across different industries, in multiple countries, put that belief into practice. That kind of impact for clients, for the team, and for society is what drives me every day, and it’s what I want to bring into this new chapter,” says Rafael Melo, CEO of Artefact Brazil.
Before joining Artefact, Melo built much of his career foundation at Rodobens, where he spent years in roles focused on planning and performance.
Eight years of building: honoring Alexandra Mangeard
Rafael’s appointment also marks the close of a chapter led by Alexandra Mangeard, who most recently served as CEO for Brazil and helped shape the operation from its earliest days.
Alexandra joined Artefact ten years ago and was central to establishing the company’s first office in Brazil in 2018, building the operation from scratch and bringing in the clients that would come to define its early growth. In 2025, she was named Managing Partner for Brazil, a role in which she was one of the few women among Artefact’s top 20 Managing Partners worldwide.
Earlier this year, Alexandra returned to Artefact France, her home country. Artefact extends its warm thanks to Alexandra for eight years of vision and leadership in building the Brazilian operation, and wishes her well.
About Artefact
Artefact is a global AI services company founded in France. Present in 27 countries with 36 offices and more than 2,500 employees, it serves over 1,000 clients worldwide, including around 300 global brands such as L’Oréal, Orange, Sanofi and Unilever. In Latin America, Artefact is one of the company’s fastest-growing operations, with close to 300 professionals across Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico, serving major companies in financial services, retail, healthcare and consumer goods, and is part of the Circle SP community in Brazil, where it is Great Place to Work certified.
