Joaquim Joca Torres

Virtual Advisory Board (VAB) is a global, invite-only community that connects senior executives, including CEOs, entrepreneurs, investors and industry experts, to advisory board and non-executive director (NED) opportunities in more than 80 countries and 145 industry sectors. Created during the COVID-19 pandemic by Mark Hamill and David Fernandez, VAB emerged to meet the rising demand for executives seeking board roles and organisations seeking global advisory talent. VAB operates as a non-profit, purpose-driven network focused on peer learning, professional development and strategic connections. Its programs include curated networking, virtual and in-person events, and board-readiness training through the VAB Academy and Speed-Connect sessions. For companies, the platform offers access to a highly qualified pool of advisors and NED candidates, supporting board formation, growth strategies and specialised advisory needs. Membership is selective and targeted at senior leaders with extensive executive experience, entrepreneurial achievements or significant industry influence. This curation reinforces the quality and relevance of the community, positioning VAB as a trusted environment for meaningful business collaboration and board-level opportunities. Recognised for its global reach and high-calibre network, VAB functions as a strategic catalyst for executives aiming to expand influence beyond traditional corporate roles. By fostering a space where members exchange insights, build relationships and access tailored opportunities, the organisation strengthens board readiness and accelerates advisory-career trajectories. VAB’s impact extends beyond role matching: it supports long-term leadership development, cross-border collaboration and the evolution of modern advisory practices across diverse industries.

As a Professor in the Digital Product Management postgraduate course at FIAP, I contribute to the advanced education of professionals focused on building, scaling, and evolving digital products in complex and competitive environments. I design and deliver content that connects strong theoretical foundations with real market practices, enabling students to think strategically, lead multidisciplinary teams, make data informed decisions, and create product roadmaps centered on customer value and business outcomes. I teach in both in-person and online formats, covering product vision and strategy, discovery and delivery, agile and hybrid methodologies, prioritization, experimentation, and performance metrics. I promote hands-on learning through case studies, practical frameworks, simulations, and structured discussions that reflect challenges faced by product managers in technology-driven organizations at different maturity levels. I mentor and support final projects, guiding participants to apply concepts to design, validate, and evolve viable, sustainable, user-centered solutions. I provide continuous, structured feedback to strengthen technical and behavioral skills, including strategic thinking, stakeholder communication, cross-functional leadership, problem framing, and decision-making under uncertainty. I collaborate with professors and industry professionals to keep the curriculum aligned with current trends and best practices, such as modern product frameworks, continuous discovery, hypothesis-driven development, experimentation culture, and actionable metrics. This role reinforces my ability to translate complexity into practical learning experiences, stimulate critical and systemic thinking, and prepare professionals to operate in dynamic digital environments, building products that solve real problems and generate measurable, sustainable impact.

A pioneering startup in governmental data intelligence that, since 2014, has connected technology, strategy, and social impact to help private companies, public institutions, and nonprofit organizations accurately track the issues that influence their interests. Its monitoring platform uses Artificial Intelligence to track and analyze, in real time, data from the Legislative and Executive branches across the country, enabling the anticipation of regulatory risks and supporting strategic decision-making. In addition to monitoring, the company develops solutions that strengthen stakeholder engagement and enhance institutional relations management. As an Advisory Board Member, I provide strategic guidance on portfolio decisions, sustainable expansion, and the consolidation of a product- and results-driven culture, aligning governance and innovation with the company’s long-term purpose. This experience reinforced my commitment to helping organizations and their leaders connect business and technology through modern product management and digital transformation practices, the foundation that now guides Gyaco’s executive consulting, workshops, and corporate education programs. ● Growth and Portfolio Strategy: Advised leadership on evaluating mergers, partnerships, and spin-offs, strengthening competitive positioning and long-term strategic vision. ● Product and Innovation Culture: Supported the development of a product-centered mindset, integrating technology, data, and business to deliver scalable, tangible results. ● Governance and Decision-Making: Contributed to simplifying complex strategic processes, prioritizing customer impact, operational sustainability, and long-term value. ● Business–Technology Integration: Fostered synergy between technical and executive teams, promoting efficiency, continuous learning, and a value-driven approach to execution.

I serve as a Professor in the Postgraduate Program in Product Management at Descomplica, contributing to the development of professionals who aim to lead product strategy with clarity, analytical rigor, and a strong market orientation. This fully online, MEC certified program is designed to combine academic foundations with real world application, preparing students to operate across the entire product lifecycle. My teaching approach bridges theory and practice through real case discussions, applied frameworks, and critical analysis of current challenges in product management. I guide students in understanding the evolving role of the Product Manager, covering topics such as product discovery, user centered thinking, agile methodologies, roadmap definition, prioritization, stakeholder alignment, and the use of metrics to support strategic decision making. Throughout the course, I emphasize the integration of business objectives, customer needs, and technological constraints, encouraging a holistic and data informed mindset. The program is aimed at professionals seeking to strengthen their strategic, analytical, and leadership capabilities, enabling them to make consistent decisions in complex and uncertain environments. In addition to teaching, I actively contribute to content curation and continuous updates to ensure alignment with market transformations and global trends in product management, always contextualized to the Brazilian ecosystem. My goal is to expand students’ strategic repertoire and empower them to act as product leaders who create relevant, sustainable solutions focused on delivering value for both users and organizations.

PM3 is a leading school for product professionals in Brazil, recognized for combining practical education, applied content, and a strong connection to real-world digital market challenges. The institution focuses on developing Product Managers, Product Marketers, and product leaders, supporting companies and professionals in building products oriented toward value creation, sustainable growth, and strategic decision-making grounded in data, user needs, and business goals. As a professor, my focus is on developing professionals at different stages of product maturity. I deliver classes that integrate applied theory, hands-on experiences, and actionable frameworks, always connected to the reality of digital companies, scale-ups, and product-led organizations. My work strengthens students’ analytical, strategic, and leadership capabilities, enabling more mature decisions around product strategy, positioning, growth, and team management in highly complex environments. I teach strategic courses within the PM3 portfolio, with a focus on product, marketing, and leadership: ● Product Manager Course: I develop content focused on building, evolving, and managing digital products, covering product discovery, delivery, prioritization, metrics, business alignment, and the strategic role of the PM. ● Product Marketing Course: I teach positioning strategies, go-to-market, value propositions, customer-oriented messaging, and integration across product, marketing, and sales. ● Product Marketing Fundamentals Course: I deepen essential product marketing concepts, focusing on market and user understanding, competitive differentiation, and value communication. ● Product Leadership Course: I work on the development of product leaders, addressing strategic decision-making, team management, organizational influence, product culture, and leadership in environments of scale and ambiguity.

Gyaco is the consulting company I founded to help organizations and their leadership teams bridge the gap between business and technology through digital product management and transformation. I bring more than three decades of experience in the Internet and IT markets, leading digital products across SaaS, e-commerce, finance, fitness, real estate, and hosting. This background strengthened my role as a strategic consultant and board advisor in initiatives focused on innovation and business performance. Value Proposition My commitment is to guide organizations in defining and executing digital strategies rooted in innovation, agility, and customer focus. Through Gyaco, I lead projects that strengthen digital culture, enhance product governance, and elevate the maturity of technology operations to improve efficiency, scalability, and competitiveness. Key Strengths I combine executive experience and a systemic view, uniting technical expertise with deep understanding of business dynamics. With 30+ years leading digital initiatives and mentoring executives, I provide end-to-end strategic support, from diagnosis to execution, focused on measurable results, continuous innovation, and long-term sustainability. My approach integrates strategic consulting and executive enablement across two fronts: Workshops and Development Programs ● In-company talks and workshops ● Continuous education for teams and leadership ● Training in product management, innovation, and digital transformation Strategic and Executive Consulting ● Coaching and advisory for leaders and product teams ● Digital maturity assessments and performance diagnostics ● Fractional CPO services, leading the evolution of product functions and business–technology alignment This model connects vision, strategy, and execution, helping companies build capabilities, accelerate digital evolution, and achieve sustainable results. Get in touch. +55 11 97067-8338 joca@gyaco.com

My path as an author began almost unintentionally. While working at Locaweb around 2011 or 2012, I immersed myself in the rise of the Lean Startup movement in Brazil. I wanted more than theory; I wanted practice. This led me to create ContaCal, a calorie counter developed entirely through experimentation and continuous validation. As I shared my learnings with friends who were launching Casa do Código, they invited me to turn this experience into a book. That became my 1st publication, “Guia da Startup,” a practical guide on how to bring an idea to life using Lean Startup principles. A few years later, I identified another gap. Product management was growing internationally, but Brazil lacked local references that reflected our unique context and challenges. Drawing from my daily experience at Locaweb, I wrote my 2nd book, “Gestão de Produtos,” focused on the product lifecycle and adapted to the reality of Brazilian tech companies. The evolution was natural. If the 2nd book explored the function of product management, the next step was leadership. After years in roles such as CPO, CTO, Head of Product and Head of Engineering, I realized there was little accessible material for leaders responsible for shaping teams, creating direction and enabling value delivery. This insight became “Liderança de Produtos Digitais,” my 3rd book, dedicated to those leading product organizations. My 4th book was born from a new phase in my career, shaped by my experiences at Lopes and Gympass. I learned that digital transformation is ultimately about behavior and culture. I wrote “Transformação Digital e Cultura de Produto” to show how cultural and behavioral change is essential for real transformation. Across all four books, my purpose remains the same. I turn real experience into accessible knowledge to help people and companies build better products with clarity, maturity and focus on what truly matters.

Verzo is a technology company founded in 2015 that enhances hospital information systems (HIS/ERP) with innovative solutions focused on the strategic standardization of medications and supplies. With operations across 17 Brazilian states and more than R$ 1 billion in EBITDA increase generated for its clients, Verzo has become a reference in operational efficiency and financial intelligence in healthcare. Its tools optimize costs, increase profitability, and strengthen hospital governance through data, automation, and intelligent integration with multiple market databases. As an Advisory Board Member, I act in a consultative capacity, supporting product strategy and the consolidation of a culture focused on results and sustainable innovation, reinforcing Verzo’s positioning as a strategic healthtech for the digital transformation of hospital management. ● Product and Growth Strategy: Guidance on prioritizing new solutions, including tax and hospital operations modules, to strengthen product–market fit and expand the company’s competitive relevance in the sector. ● Expansion and Strategic Partnerships: Support for decisions related to churn reduction, portfolio diversification, and the formation of strategic alliances, driving sustainable and scalable growth. ● Governance and Operational Efficiency: Alignment of technological innovation, efficiency, and financial impact, reinforcing Verzo’s role as a catalyst for tangible results in hospital management. ● Product and Innovation Culture: Encouragement of a product-centered mindset, fostering cross-functional collaboration, continuous learning, and the delivery of tangible value to clients and partners.

Skeelo is the largest digital book ecosystem in the market, recognized for transforming the way people access knowledge and culture. Founded in 2019, Skeelo combines technology, innovation, and purpose to enable readers to discover, learn, and be inspired whenever, wherever, and however they choose. Operating across freemium, premium, B2B, and B2C models, the company has been redefining the digital reading experience in Brazil and strengthening its role as a key driver of digital transformation in the publishing industry. As an Advisory Board Member, I provided strategic guidance during the organizational structuring aimed at sustainable and scalable growth, supporting the consolidation of a strategic vision that balances innovation, operational efficiency, and long-term impact. ● Product and Portfolio Strategy: Advised leadership in shaping an integrated product vision, connecting user needs to the company’s growth and differentiation goals. ● Organizational Structure and Scalability: Supported the strengthening of the product function, enabling consistent expansion across freemium, premium, B2B, and B2C models. ● Business–Technology Integration: Guided leadership in aligning product, technology, and customer experience, driving the development of a truly all-in-one reading platform. ● Product and Innovation Culture: Fostered a culture centered on impact, continuous learning, and long-term vision, reinforcing Skeelo’s position as a leader in the digital transformation of the publishing market.

Jeitto is a digital credit app created to transform financial access with transparency, empathy, and mutual trust. By combining technology, artificial intelligence, and data analysis, the company delivers immediate and responsible credit, helping thousands of people gain greater financial security without the risk of over-indebtedness. Founded with the purpose of simplifying credit and making it more human, Jeitto stands as one of the most innovative fintechs in the country, bringing together social impact and technological efficiency. As an Advisory Board Member, I provided strategic guidance during the company’s transition from a credit-oriented operation to a product-led organization, strengthening its culture of innovation and positive impact. ● Product Strategy and Vision: Advised the leadership team in defining and communicating a clear product vision aligned with business priorities and real customer value. ● Portfolio Management and Prioritization: Supported the evolution of portfolio practices, guiding squads in prioritizing strategic initiatives focused on outcomes and added value. ● Organizational Structure and Results-Driven Culture: Contributed to enhancing organizational design and collaborative practices, promoting an outcomes-driven approach rather than one based solely on outputs. ● Business–Product–Customer Integration: Encouraged alignment across product, technology, and customer experience teams, consolidating a more agile, data-driven, and impact-oriented operating model.