Tiago Leão

Tiago Leão

Technical Leader | AI/ML Engineer

Building the future with AI, one fine-tuned model at a time

Jupiter, Florida, USA

The Journey

From the Amazon to the Land of the Free

British/Brazilian Dual National Former Royal Navy Reserve University of Greenwich
1986

Born in the Amazon

Born in the Amazonian Region, northern Brazil

Brazil
2005

Moved to the United Kingdom

Embarked on a new chapter at age 18, pursuing education and opportunities

United Kingdom
2009–2013

University of Greenwich

Graduated with First Class Honours in Software Engineering, including an industrial placement year (2011–2012)

London, UK
2010+

Tech Leadership Journey

Rose from Developer to Technical Leader across E-commerce, Retail, Gaming, and Investment Banking

London, UK
2020–2021

British Royal Navy Reserve

Served with honor in the Royal Navy Reserve

United Kingdom
2022

HSBC Global Headquarters

Led high-profile technology projects at one of the world's largest banking institutions

London, UK
2024

Jupiter, Florida

Relocated to the USA after 20 years in the UK, pioneering AI innovation and LLM fine-tuning

USA

Professional Experience

Developer → Technical Leader

🏦

HSBC

Technical Leader

Global Headquarters, London

Led high-profile technology projects at one of the world's largest banks

E-commerce

UK Retail

Betting & Gaming

Investment Banking

Led multiple high-profile technology projects Technical leadership across diverse sectors Experience with enterprise-scale systems Proven track record from developer to leadership

Education

Academic qualifications from UK universities

🎓

BEng Software Engineering

First Class Honours

University of Greenwich

2009–2013

🎓

Advanced Diploma in Music/Guitar

Goldsmiths, University of London

2009/2010

🎓

MSc Psychology

(Unfinished)

University of East London

2018/2019

The AI Revolution

A Perspective from Experience

With years of expertise across E-commerce, UK Retail, Betting & Gaming, and Investment Banking — leading teams and delivering value through knowledge and hands-on experience — I've witnessed many technology shifts. But none as transformative as this.

The world as we know it has changed drastically. We need to adapt our ways of doing things, especially in tech. We simply cannot ignore the automation that AI has brought.

If you're in software engineering or the tech industry — whether hands-on or in a leadership role — and you haven't started working with or training large language models yet, that's a serious sign it's time to level up.

Either:

  1. Your role is at risk of being automated
  2. Your organization is stuck in the past and operating in a bubble

Today's engineers and IT leaders should be spending their time building, fine-tuning, and integrating AI systems — not doubling down on legacy software delivery models that are rapidly becoming obsolete. Leaders and engineers must use their time improving and training LLMs so they can work more effectively and deliver results more in line with the world we live in today.

I practice what I preach: running local fine-tuning keeps my projects private and secure, without risking sensitive details by sending code to third-party APIs.

"The industry has fundamentally changed. Adapt to the LLM-driven world — or be gradually replaced by it."

Languages

PythonTypeScriptJavaScriptJavaC++GroovyPHPSQL

AI/ML

PyTorchLoRALLMsCUDARTX GPUs

Frameworks

SvelteKitDjangoFastAPIReactSpring BootC++ Boost

Infrastructure

DockerK8sJenkinsAWSTerraformPrometheusGrafana

Portfolio

Products and Platforms

KeyVU

BETA

AI-powered operating system for locksmiths — verified job cards, smart pricing, legal-grade records

aillmsaassvelte
View Project →

ParrotAI

BETA

Consent-first voice cloning — teach a private, local AI to speak in your voice

aivoice-cloningttssvelte
View Project →

Quick Fit

BETA

Photo-first nutrition tracker — snap meals, get macros and coaching

aivision-llmsveltepwa
View Project →

Bible Avatars

BETA

Voice-chat with biblical characters via local LLM + STT + TTS

aifaithvoicerag
View Project →

Gospel AI

BETA

Christian AI companion with theological training

aifaithllmsvelte
View Project →

LLM Coding Assistant

ACTIVE

AI-powered coding helper with local fine-tuning

aillmpythonlora

Django AI

ACTIVE

Self-hosted AI platform with Telegram and Web interfaces

aitelegramsveltefastapi
View Project →

Mozaik Automation

ACTIVE

AI vision pipeline — turns floor plans into DXF files and cabinet automation for Mozaik

aivision-llmreactpython
View Project →

VIP Hub

ACTIVE

Private video content platform

reactsupabasepwaflutter
View Project →

Marketplace

ACTIVE

E-commerce platform with vendor management

djangoreactstripegraphql
View Project →

Nautilus Algo

ACTIVE

Multi-asset algorithmic trading platform — statistical arming gate, GPU validation and an honest paper-trading track record

pythonnautilusgputrading
View Project →

These are the projects I'm actively working on. More projects available on GitHub:

View GitHub Profile

Other Ventures

Beyond Software Engineering

🏠

Property Investor

Building wealth through real estate

📈

Financial Advisor

Investment strategies and wealth management

₿

Crypto Advocate

XRP is the future

A world with no reliance on private or government banks scrutiny and fast transactions with no third party fees.

What People Say

LinkedIn Recommendations

Recommendations are shown in their original English, lightly edited for spelling

"Tiago was a great colleague. He was a team player who always went the extra mile to collaborate and create synergies in a complex project."

Geoff Gifford

Director Perfect Workflows

Tiago was senior to them but did not manage them directly · 2023

"Tiago is fun to work with and brings in a lot of enthusiasm along with varied set of skills. He is a key team player who would find answers to complex problems and work out best solutions. All the best Tiago."

Umang Pethapuria

Senior Software Engineer at First direct

Tiago was senior to them but did not manage them directly · 2023

"Tiago is an amazing Leader who is always willing to go the extra mile. I worked with Tiago on an intricate authentication update project for our banking app. He was always available to lend his technical expertise, make difficult decisions and lead the way for others. I would highly recommend Tiago and look forward to work with him again."

Sapana Panda

Android Engineer at first direct

Tiago was senior to them but did not manage them directly · 2023

"Having had the privilege of working alongside Tiago at first direct in his role as tech lead I have had first hand experience of his excellent technical knowledge, experience and problem solving skills. He has been instrumental in implementing several large and complex projects and has always remained a pleasure to work with, even under pressure and when challenges presented themselves. I have every confidence he will continue to generate tremendous benefits to any project team he works with."

Glenn Robinson

Senior Browser Engineer and Tech Lead at first direct & HSBC

Worked with Tiago on the same team · 2023

"Recently, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Tiago Leão on an intricate authentication update project. Tiago's expertise proved invaluable, resulting in substantial enhancement for the project. Beyond his solid technical proficiency, Tiago demonstrated significant leadership, driving the team towards our goals efficiently. His clear communication and willingness to mentor were instrumental in promoting our professional growth and addressing project challenges effectively."

Juan Silva

Senior Mobile Engineer

Tiago was senior to them but did not manage them directly · 2023

"Tiago is a fantastic technical lead with a really impressive track record. He leads from the front and delivers on what he promises. He is dynamic and open to change, new technologies and new ways of working. He thinks outside the box, looks at problems from various angles and comes up with the best solutions based on time, cost and future fit. I would highly recommend Tiago for any technical or engineering lead role."

Suhail Ahmed

Chief Software Engineer at first direct

Managed Tiago directly · 2023

"Tiago is a fantastic engineer and engineering team leader. He navigated a tricky project with cutting edge technologies and tight deadlines with ease and calm, all the while receiving good feedback from the team he was managing! I would happily recommend him for any Java/Serverless/AWS-based team leadership roles!"

Aaron Rice

Delivery, not "discovery" | CTO-as-a-Service

Managed Tiago directly · 2020

"Tiago is an exceptional manager and team leader. Pushing us to become better at what we do, keeping us to deadlines and constantly pushing us to be better. He is very fun, whilst also being professional. Whilst working with Tiago it never felt like work, but together we managed to deliver a lot of projects. I would very much like to work with Tiago again in the future, a great asset to any company or business."

Bradley Horner

Ocado Logistics CSTM

Reported to Tiago directly · 2020

"Tiago and I worked on multiple projects together. The impact Tiago made to a large project already in flight was significant. He quickly understood what had to be done and how to do it. As a Tech Lead, he provides great support to his peers when required and does very well to manage a team as well as Kanban Board! It's been a great pleasure to be working with Tiago and I'm pleased to recommend him."

Sukh Singh Ghatoura

Product Manager | Senior Business Analyst (Contract)

Worked with Tiago on the same team · 2019

"Tiago is a fun, approachable guy. When I worked with him, we had a good camaraderie and working relationship. Tiago is also an excellent Project Lead who stepped in to manage our team when the main team lead was not available or had left the company."

Sam Levene

Senior QA Engineer | SDET | Test Automation at Calastone

Reported to Tiago directly · 2019

"Tiago is a rare combination of a very talented developer who is equally skilled in team management, being able to take complicated tasks and break them down, communicating in a way everyone can understand, and lead by example, setting a high standard with his hands-on development style. Given the opportunity, I would hire Tiago again, anywhere, in a heartbeat."

Daniel Krupnik

Interim Programme and Strategic Change Leader

Managed Tiago directly · 2018

"Tiago is a very good programmer and out of the box thinker, he is great at solving technical challenges and also great technical communicator. Working alongside with him was great, he has a very approachable and friendly character."

Djordje Popovic

Software & Systems Engineer (Java/Kotlin)

Worked with Tiago on the same team · 2017

Beyond the Code

The Person Behind the Engineer

🛻 American Trucks

American truck

🎸 Electric Guitar

Guitar in studio
Playing guitar at church

⚽ Soccer

Soccer action shots

🏍️ Motorcycles

Motorcycle in Florida
Motorcycle in UK
Off-road enduro riding

💻 Homelab

Running 60+ self-hosted services across 5 servers at home. From AI/ML workloads and algorithmic trading to media servers and smart home automation—all managed through Docker, Prometheus, and a custom CI/CD pipeline.

Multi-monitor homelab setup

⚓ Royal Naval Reserve

Proud to have served in the Royal Naval Reserve, bringing military discipline, leadership, and teamwork to my professional career. This experience shaped my approach to high-pressure situations and mission-critical systems.

Royal Naval Reserve meeting

Life Moments

Southwark College 2009
London Big Ben
New life in Florida
Disney Expedition Everest
Bahamas
NASA Kennedy Space Center
Miami Brickell
Hollywood Hike
Yoyo the cat
✝

Christian

🏋️

Gym

⚽

Soccer

🏊

Swimming

💻

Computers

🐱

Cat Dad

Phrases

Thoughts and Reflections

"We're all subject to surprises in life. Some of the undesired surprises happen to prevent tragic things from breaking loose—things we'd never thought of or anticipated."

— by Tiago Leão, January 2026

"Motivation is essential. Whatever you do and intend to do, you MUST find the ingredient that motivates you to do it. Motivation, discipline, and maturity lead to inspiration, and inspiration can be the difference between success and failure."

— by Tiago Leão, January 2016

"Most people live their whole lives in their own little bubble, forgetting how massive the world actually is."

— by Tiago Leão, January 2016

"Everything in its time. The Creator, in His omniscience and omnipotence, keeps all things in balance and in their proper places according to what was already ordained before the creation of the world. Nothing happens by chance; there is a reason and meaning in everything, even though we perceive events as random in our daily lives. What we see and understand does not compare to what exists and happens in secret, far beyond human comprehension."

— by Tiago Leão, March 2015

"Science is no better than religion. Both are man-made concepts, both are subject to man's limitations and man's own myths. Now, what is beyond man is not and never will be subject to man's understanding or man's acceptance for existence."

— by Tiago Leão, August 2017

"Knowledge, discipline, and motivation—the world belongs to the wise. Use your intelligence; life is but a breath."

— by Tiago Leão, December 2016

"I simply don't follow the masses... and never will."

— by Tiago Leão, June 2020

"Society will try to stop you from the moment you no longer fit the usual pattern."

— by Tiago Leão, June 2020

"Prosperity is not directly linked to hard work but mostly to intelligence, motivation, creativeness, courage, and taking risks."

— by Tiago Leão, October 2020

"Is your knowledge transferable? Make sure the core values of whatever you are doing for a living can be transferred elsewhere, otherwise you're likely to struggle to escape the little bubble you're part of today. The world is much bigger than the little bubble that we often find ourselves in."

— by Tiago Leão, January 2023

"There are times when the technicalities, the granular details, no longer matter. It is when your time is better spent seeing the bigger picture. This is what a Leader should focus on—targeting the bigger picture, how everything plugs together."

— by Tiago Leão, January 2023

"We live in an extraordinary era—GPUs with thousands of cores, AI transforming our ideas into prototypes in real-time. Technical know-how is no longer the barrier it once was, freeing us to focus on pure creativity without boundaries. The potential is staggering, the world exhilarating. Your future is now limited only by your willingness and courage to pursue it. Spend your time with discipline and maturity; distractions will always be your enemy, but you can conquer them with discipline, clear goals, and unwavering courage."

— by Tiago Leão, January 2026

Let's Connect

Jupiter, Florida, USA

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