CI&T , a global AI tech acceleration partner, has strengthened its EMEA leadership team with the appointments of Melissa Smith Machado as Chief Strategy Officer and Alex Cross as Chief Technology Officer. Together, they bring a blend of strategic vision and advanced technical expertise to expand CI&T’s capabilities in the region.
In their new positions, the pair will connect business strategy with technology through an integrated operating model designed to accelerate time-to-value for clients. A central focus will be on embedding CI&T’s proprietary GenAI platform, CI&T FLOW, into client programmes to drive scalability, maximise impact, and deliver measurable outcomes.
As Chief Strategy Officer, EMEA, Melissa will focus on refining CI&T’s value proposition in the region, developing go-to-market strategies, and building strategic capabilities to help clients unlock measurable business impact. She will also play a key role in executive leadership to accelerate growth.
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As Chief Technology Officer, EMEA, Alex will be responsible for expanding CI&T’s technology, data, and AI capabilities across the region. His remit will involve developing a technology partner strategy in the region, which includes leveraging our global partnership with AWS, and ensuring CI&T FLOW is integrated across client work.
Melissa joins CI&T from Deloitte Digital, where she built and led the UK Customer Strategy and Insights team. Over her 17-year career, she has advised many global brands on customer strategy, omnichannel growth and innovation. She is recognised for creating propositions that connect physical and digital experiences to drive business results.
Alex’s extensive consulting background spans various senior technology leadership positions, including roles at IBM and, most recently, CTO of Cloud at Endava. He has helped customers develop early AI concepts into successful business operations, spearheaded large-scale cloud transformations, and established Endava’s global DevOps and platform engineering capabilities. Throughout his career, he has advised CxOs and directors across multiple industries, including banks, fintechs, telecommunications, and logistics providers.
“Melissa and Alex bring together customer insight and technology in a way that speaks directly to the challenges our clients face,” said Nick Curran, Chief Growth Officer at CI&T. “Their combined expertise will help us respond with clarity and speed, ensuring we continue to stand out as a partner for digital acceleration in EMEA.”
“Our expansion in the UK marks a new and exciting chapter. Melissa and Alex’s mission will be to leverage GenAI and CI&T FLOW to address the challenges our clients and their customers are navigating,” said Solange Sobral, EVP & Partner at CI&T. “With CI&T FLOW already demonstrating nearly 50% efficiency gains, their work will extend further. They will help our clients scale innovation responsibly, connect strategy with execution, and achieve AI-driven outcomes that are measurable and meaningful. This mission will be central to ensuring CI&T delivers greater impact and value across the region.”
CI&T is a global digital specialist, partnering with some of the world’s most ambitious brands to accelerate digital transformation. With over 7,600 professionals in strategy, design and engineering, CI&T has spent three decades delivering measurable business impact for clients worldwide.