SAN FRANCISCO, CA, July 21, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Rick Lacerda has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Mr. Lacerda is recognized for his expertise at the intersection of artificial intelligence, strategy, and operations, having led strategic initiatives across some of the world's leading technology companies. Throughout his career, he has specialized in scaling complex operations, optimizing product and business strategy, and applying artificial intelligence to improve organizational performance and decision-making.

Mr. Lacerda currently serves as Senior Lead, Strategic Projects at Mercor, where he leads strategic and operational initiatives supporting the development of frontier artificial intelligence systems. He oversees a team of software engineering leads responsible for large-scale AI data production and quality, monitors operational and performance metrics, and collaborates with networks of hundreds to thousands of software engineers to improve execution and delivery. Working closely with leading technology companies developing advanced AI models, he identifies research and operational gaps, designs scalable process improvements, and helps ensure AI systems are trained using high-quality human expertise. He also plays a key role in recruiting and developing world-class technical talent to support Mercor's rapidly expanding AI initiatives.

In 2025, Mr. Lacerda founded Cortexa AI, an independent artificial intelligence and strategy consulting practice through which he advises organizations on AI adoption, product strategy, operational transformation, and business process optimization.

Previously, Mr. Lacerda served as Product Strategy and Operations Lead at DoorDash from 2024 to 2025, where he led cross-functional strategic initiatives to improve product execution, operational efficiency, and organizational effectiveness. His work focused on translating business strategy into scalable operational processes that accelerated product development and enhanced customer outcomes.

From 2023 to 2024, he served as Latin America Outreach Coordinator at Harvard Business School, strengthening relationships between the institution and leaders across Latin America while supporting strategic initiatives that expanded the school's regional engagement.

In 2022, Mr. Lacerda served as Senior Technical Product Manager at Amazon, leading cross-functional teams responsible for delivering technology products and driving strategic product initiatives across engineering, operations, and business stakeholders.

From 2019 to 2021, he worked as Strategy and Product Operations Manager at Rappi, where he led high-impact strategic initiatives supporting one of Latin America's fastest-growing technology companies. His responsibilities included designing operational improvements, supporting product growth, and driving strategic decision-making across multiple business functions.

Earlier, he served as Senior Analyst, Strategy and Operations for Mercado Livre from 2018 to 2019, developing growth strategies and operational recommendations that supported business expansion throughout Latin America.

Mr. Lacerda began his consulting career as an Associate and Management Consultant at L.E.K. Consulting from 2016 to 2018. During this time, he advised leading organizations on corporate strategy, growth, and operational transformation while contributing to the establishment of the firm's Latin American office. This experience laid the foundation for his long-standing specialization in strategy and operations within the technology sector.

His early professional experience also includes serving as a Strategic Projects Intern at Rocket Internet SE and as a Foreign Exchange Specialist at BOCOM International.

Beyond his corporate leadership, Mr. Lacerda has made notable contributions to the application of artificial intelligence in business. While at Harvard Business School, he participated in a landmark research collaboration with Boston Consulting Group examining how generative AI affects the productivity of management consultants. The study, involving approximately 800 consultants, demonstrated that artificial intelligence significantly improved performance on complex knowledge work and became one of the most widely discussed working papers in the field, attracting more than 150,000 views. His involvement further strengthened his expertise at the intersection of artificial intelligence, business strategy, and organizational performance.

His contributions to artificial intelligence have also been recognized through his selection as an MBA AI Fellow at Harvard Business School from 2023 to 2024 and as a Fellow at Harvard's Digital Data Design Institute in 2023. In addition, he served as a judge for the Their Pride Hackathon in New York, organized by the Association of Latino Professionals for America Foundation, where he evaluated innovative technology and AI-related projects.

Mr. Lacerda maintains active memberships in several professional organizations, including the Association of Latino Professionals for America Foundation, the Harvard Business School Brazilian Association, the Alumni Association of Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica (ITA), the Pride Association, and the Diversity Council.

He earned a Master of Business Administration in Management Science (STEM-designated) from Harvard Business School in 2023 after receiving a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Engineering from the Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica (ITA), one of Brazil's premier engineering institutions, in 2016.

Mr. Lacerda also holds certification as an Air Force Lieutenant through CPOR, the Brazilian equivalent of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), graduating in the top quartile of his class in 2012.

Throughout his career, Mr. Lacerda has attributed his success to persistence, resilience, and a commitment to continuous learning. He believes that sustained achievement is built through disciplined execution, adaptability, and the willingness to embrace complex challenges.

Outside his professional career, he remains committed to mentorship and community engagement. Since 2023, he has served as an evaluation committee member for the Brazil Conference at Harvard & MIT and as a volunteer mentor for the Harvard Brazilian Association. He previously served as Program Manager for TODXS, an organization dedicated to diversity initiatives, and has also volunteered with AIESEC.

His accomplishments have been recognized through numerous honors, including the Pride+ Impact Challenge award from the Association of Latino Professionals for America Foundation in 2022, first place in the MROSC Hackathon organized by the Office of the President of Brazil in 2016, a full scholarship from the Government of Japan (MEXT) in 2011, and victory at the New York Pride Hackathon hosted by the Association of Latino Professionals for America Foundation.

Born in Brasília, Brazil, Mr. Lacerda enjoys international travel, exploring different cultures, scuba diving, and Peloton cycling.

Looking ahead, Mr. Lacerda aims to continue advancing the application of artificial intelligence to solve complex business problems while leading global organizations at the intersection of technology, strategy, and operations.

About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. The suite of Marquis® publications, including Who's Who in America® and Who's Who in the World®, remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the globe. Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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