We are serious about being here long-term, and we understand how this country works.
Um dos mais reconhecidos economistas do Brasil, Paulo Guedes, aceitou integrar o conselho consultivo da Revolut, fintech britânica em expansão pela América Latina. A escolha não é acidental: em um setor financeiro cada vez mais regulado e competitivo, a empresa sinaliza que pretende crescer não à margem do sistema, mas em diálogo profundo com ele. Ao lado de especialistas em conformidade e governança com raízes nas instituições centrais do mercado brasileiro, Guedes representa a aposta da Revolut em legitimidade construída — não apenas em velocidade.
- A Revolut deixa de ser uma aposta experimental no Brasil e assume o papel de player de longo prazo, com estrutura institucional para sustentar essa ambição.
- A competição no setor de fintechs brasileiras se intensifica num ambiente regulatório mais exigente, onde credenciais importam tanto quanto tecnologia.
- Guedes, Luiz Lobo e Ana Novaes formam um trio com memória institucional cobrindo macroeconomia, risco e governança — lacunas que a empresa precisava preencher para avançar.
- O CEO da operação brasileira foi direto: as nomeações não são simbólicas, são estratégicas — parte essencial da próxima fase de crescimento da empresa.
- A Revolut sinaliza alinhamento com os padrões globais de governança justamente quando o mercado brasileiro exige que as fintechs falem a língua das instituições que regulam o sistema.
Paulo Guedes, ex-ministro da Fazenda que conduziu o Brasil por anos de turbulência econômica, aceitou uma cadeira no conselho consultivo da Revolut, fintech britânica que vem construindo presença silenciosa na América Latina. O anúncio, feito em junho, revela uma escolha deliberada: a empresa quer se ancorar ao establishment financeiro brasileiro, reunindo figuras que conhecem tanto os mecanismos das altas finanças quanto as particularidades do ambiente de negócios local.
Guedes traz a credencial mais visível — expertise macroeconômica, histórico nos mercados globais de capital e o tipo de conhecimento institucional que só se adquire tendo ocupado uma cadeira ministerial. Mas a Revolut foi além de contratar um nome. Ao lado dele, a empresa nomeou Luiz Lobo, veterano de gestão de riscos e conformidade com passagens por Deutsche Bank, BTG e Travelex, e Ana Novaes, cuja trajetória atravessa governança corporativa, regulação e instituições como B3, FGC e CVM. Não são nomeações decorativas — cada um carrega uma memória institucional específica e insubstituível.
Glauber Mota, responsável pelas operações brasileiras da Revolut, foi direto sobre o cálculo: as três contratações fortalecem de forma significativa a capacidade institucional da empresa e trazem expertise complementar essencial para a próxima fase de crescimento. A mensagem subjacente é clara — a Revolut não está mais testando o mercado. Está aqui para ficar, para escalar, e para fazê-lo nos termos em que o sistema financeiro brasileiro realmente opera.
O momento é revelador. O setor de fintechs no Brasil amadureceu. O tempo de avançar rápido e ignorar as regras cedeu lugar a um ambiente mais regulado e cauteloso. Crescer agora exige falar a língua da governança e do pensamento institucional de longo prazo. As nomeações ao conselho da Revolut são uma declaração fluente nessa língua.
Paulo Guedes, who spent years as Brazil's Finance Minister steering the country through economic turbulence, has accepted a seat on the advisory board of Revolut, the British fintech company that has been quietly building its presence in Latin America. The appointment, announced in June, signals something deliberate: a major digital banking platform is anchoring itself to the Brazilian establishment, assembling a roster of figures who understand both the mechanics of high finance and the particular texture of doing business in the region.
Guedes brings the obvious credential—macroeconomic expertise, a track record in global capital markets, and the kind of institutional knowledge that only comes from having sat in a minister's chair. But Revolut's move goes deeper than hiring a name. The company is constructing what it calls a long-term operation in Brazil, one built to the specifications of global governance standards. That requires more than vision. It requires people who know how Brazilian regulators think, how the financial system actually works, and where the friction points live.
Alongside Guedes, the company appointed Luiz Lobo, a veteran of compliance and risk management who has worked at Deutsche Bank, BTG, and Travelex—the kind of resume that reads like a map of Brazil's financial infrastructure. There is also Ana Novaes, whose experience spans corporate governance, regulation, and the institutions that hold the system together: B3, the FGC, the CVM. These are not decorative appointments. Each person brings a specific kind of institutional memory.
In a statement, Guedes framed his involvement in the language of opportunity. Revolut, he said, represents one of the global leaders in a new generation of financial services, built on an obsession with customer satisfaction. He expressed enthusiasm about contributing to the company's institutional strength and sustainable expansion. It is the kind of language a former minister uses when he believes in what he is joining—or at least when he wants to be seen that way.
Glauber Mota, who runs Revolut's Brazilian operations, was more explicit about the calculation. The three appointments, he said, significantly strengthen the company's institutional capacity. They bring complementary expertise that will be essential for the next phase of growth. What he was really saying: Revolut is no longer a scrappy startup testing the waters. It is a company that intends to stay, to scale, and to do so in alignment with how Brazil's financial system actually operates.
The timing matters. Brazil's fintech sector has matured considerably. The days of moving fast and breaking things have given way to a more regulated, more cautious environment. Companies that want to grow now need to speak the language of governance, compliance, and long-term institutional thinking. Revolut's board appointments are a fluent statement in that language. They say: we understand the rules, we respect the system, and we have hired people who can navigate both.
Notable Quotes
Revolut represents one of the principal global players in the new generation of financial services, and I am enthusiastic about contributing to the company's institutional strengthening and sustainable expansion.— Paulo Guedes
We are building a long-term operation in Brazil, aligned with the highest global standards of governance and supervision. These appointments significantly strengthen our institutional capabilities.— Glauber Mota, CEO of Revolut Brasil
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does a fintech company need a former finance minister on its advisory board? Isn't that a bit theatrical?
It would be if Guedes were just a figurehead. But Revolut is signaling something specific to Brazilian regulators and the financial establishment: we are serious about being here long-term, and we understand how this country works.
But Guedes left office years ago. What does he actually know about fintech?
He knows macroeconomics, capital markets, and the political economy of Brazil. That matters more than knowing how to code. Revolut needs someone who can translate between the startup world and the regulatory world.
The other two appointees—Lobo and Novaes—they seem more technical. Why them specifically?
They are the infrastructure. Lobo knows compliance and risk inside Brazilian banks. Novaes knows the regulators themselves—she has worked at B3, the FGC, the CVM. Together with Guedes, they form a complete picture of how to operate here.
Is this just about compliance, or is there something else?
It is about credibility. Fintech companies are still fighting the perception that they are outsiders. By hiring people who are deeply embedded in the system, Revolut is saying: we are not here to disrupt recklessly. We are here to grow within the rules.
What does this tell us about where fintech is heading in Brazil?
That the wild west phase is over. The companies that will win are the ones that can speak both languages—innovation and institutional legitimacy. Revolut just hired people who are fluent in both.