I help companies build optimization and decision capabilities —
and professionals grow their careers in Operations Research.
I work with companies applying Operations Research pragmatically: from prototypes and technical models to product strategy, team enablement and internal capability building.
From the first proof of concept to a solution your team can operate.
Senior technical support to accelerate internal optimization initiatives.
Turning analytical opportunities into roadmap, product direction and measurable impact.
Helping companies create or mature their internal optimization practice.
Real operational problems I solve with mathematical optimization.
01Delivery routes and technician assignments that minimize travel time and operational cost.
02Sequencing orders and minimizing setup times across constrained manufacturing lines.
03Inventory levels and replenishment across networks, balancing service, capacity and cost.
04Schedules and task assignments that respect labor constraints and operational demand.
05Facility locations and product flows that minimize logistics cost at the required service level.
For individuals building a focused, deliberate path in optimization and decision science.
A structured read of where you are today and a concrete roadmap for where you want to go in Operations Research — skills, projects and positioning.
Ongoing support with an individual development plan and regular 1:1s — accountability and guidance as you grow into the role you're aiming for.
I'm Ricardo Leão — an executive leader with 10+ years of international experience in Operations Research, Data Science and optimization. I sit at the intersection of three things that rarely live in one person: deep technical depth, team leadership and business judgment.
I've led high-stakes optimization work as Data Science Manager at Mercado Livre (across all of Latin America), as a consultant at Accenture, at Itaú, and today as COO & co-founder of an optimization venture — on projects for Vallourec, Votorantim, Hospital Albert Einstein, USPS, Cyrela and KPMG.
Today I work independently, bringing that full range — from the modeling and development to the boardroom — to companies building optimization capability and to professionals growing toward it. My experience spans France, Belgium, the US and Latin America, across logistics, manufacturing, steel, healthcare, real estate, e-commerce and financial services.
I model and engineer the optimization systems myself — Gurobi, CPLEX, Python, GenAI — not just specify them.
I lead multidisciplinary squads that ship to production and operate at scale across Latin America.
I frame every decision in P&L terms — savings, revenue and service — so the math reaches the bottom line.
I use modern coding agents to accelerate the development of optimization systems.
ChatGPT
Gemini
Claude
CopilotTools used in the development workflow.
Whether you're an organization facing a complex operational decision or a professional planning your next step in Operations Research, use this form to start a conversation.
OR-Path is an independent project focused on the practical application of Operations Research.
Through articles and resources, it explores how optimization and decision science are used to solve real operational problems across industries.
It also shares insights on careers and professional development in Operations Research.
