Leone Lage Perdigão

The rare combination

I help companies get AI right, from strategy through implementation.

Most people in AI work at one altitude. They're either strategic advisors—great at frameworks and roadmaps but disconnected from actual implementation—or they're engineers, excellent at building but lacking the business context.

I work across both. This isn't an accident; it's the result of 15 years in software engineering and 6 years specializing in AI systems. I advise leadership on AI direction, then embed with teams to build it. Principal-level thinking with hands-on delivery.

My Journey

My path started in software engineering in 2010. For over a decade, I built production systems, cloud infrastructure, and distributed architectures for companies like IBM, PostNL, and Randstad.

Six years ago, I shifted my focus decisively to Artificial Intelligence. I saw that the gap between AI possibilities (research) and AI realities (production) was where projects failed. I went back to university to earn my MSc in Artificial Intelligence (Distinction) while leading AI engineering teams in the industry.

Today, as the founder of TaoQ AI, I bring this dual perspective to every engagement. Whether I'm designing an Agentic AI architecture, establishing MLOps standards, or advising a CTO, I focus on solutions that are not just technically sophisticated, but production-ready and impactful.

Credentials

Strategic

• PostNL (AI Center of Excellence): Collaborating with the CTO office on enterprise AI strategy and organizational standards for 30,000+ employees.
• IBM (Advisory AI Engineer): Served as technical authority for AI solutions across 15+ countries in North, Central, and Eastern Europe.
• TaoQ AI: Founder of an applied AI research consultancy serving tech companies.

Technical

• Engineering Leadership: Overseeing multiple specialized teams (Prototyping, Core Tech, AI Adoption).
• Hands-on Delivery: I still write code, fine-tune models, and review PRs. I believe you can't lead what you don't understand.
• Academic Rigor: MSc in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Bath.

Why this matters

The gap between AI strategy and implementation is where value is lost. Strategy without implementation is just slides. Implementation without strategy is just tickets.

Real value requires both—from the same person who can see the full picture. That is the value I bring to your team.