André
What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?
As soon as I left Exeter, I came back to Brazil and co-founded Uello, a logistics tech startup. We began as a company of just 2 people, today we have over 90 employees, 10,000+registered drivers, and have delivered over 2 million packages in Brazil with an innovative business model revolving around the gig economy and technology. Today, I lead the product division of the company and am responsible for identifying, prioritizing and delivering technology and product enhancements.
Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?
What I enjoy most about my work is how much ownership I have. I am a part of every major decision that the company makes and am involved in every step in a way it would take me years to achieve had I followed a more traditional career path. I also like the fact that I can look back and be proud of how much we built from scratch; it is very satisfying and keeps me going even in the hardest times.
What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?
I have always been a very practical person; I prefer to get my hands dirty and actually execute rather than just study. The course provided me with several opportunities to visit actual companies and see our studies in action and being implemented. My final paper, which I wrote under the tutelage of Dr. Voicu Ion Sucala, was a wonderful experience exactly for this reason. I got to work with a metal manufacturing company directly and simulate their processes in different scenarios. It was great to present my results and to know they would be used to generate positive results for a real company. I left wanting to experience that again with more intensity.
What did you enjoy most about studying here?
I enjoyed how international my experience at Exeter was. I got to meet people from all over the world, to live among them, and learn a lot from them. It expanded my horizons a lot.
Why did you choose to study at Exeter?
The University of Exeter was one of the most prestigious and recognized universities available within the scholarship programme I was a part of. At the time, though I was studying engineering, I very much wanted to pursue a career in business. The Engineering and Management course seemed like a great fit for what I wanted, and my experience at Exeter and how it has influenced me since underscores how great that choice has been for me.
What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?
In an early stage startup everyone has to be generalist to some extent. There are just not enough people to have specialization. So I think that being able to navigate through most areas of a business whilst not necessarily being a specialist in any was invaluable. Courses like Business, Engineering and Management and others provide the necessary knowledge to become that generalist. For a startup, being tech savvy enough to communicate with and understand software engineers and other people in more technical fields is also critical. The rest is drive, dedication, and hard work.
What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?
Find a company with a mission and identity to which you connect completely. You are going to be working a lot and facing difficult odds, so there has to be a lot of drive, motivation, and eagerness to make this work. This only happens when there is fit between you and what the company represents. Also, don't be afraid to take risks, especially in the beginning of your career because it only gets harder to take those risks later.
What are your plans for the future?
I fell in love with the startup and innovation environment. I plan to stay in it, either growing Uello or helping other companies navigate through their journey.
