Hernani Costa

AI Governance & Transformation | Fractional CAIO / CIO / CTO | Venture Builder

Hernani Costa: De-Risking AI Investment — From Governance-First Strategy to Shipped Outcomes

Hernani is a Netherlands-based AI and technology executive with 25+ years’ experience helping organisations make confident, high-impact decisions on where to invest (and where not to). He steps in as advisor or interim lead to drive AI-enabled transformation across functions, from strategy to operating model to delivery. He supports leadership teams to de-risk AI programmes through governance-first frameworks, clear roadmaps, and practical execution that delivers measurable outcomes. He focuses on metrics such as cycle-time reduction, cost-out, and revenue impact, driving an average 25% decrease in time-to-production for AI capabilities.

With a PhD in Computational Linguistics (AI) and deep technical credibility across LLMs/RAG for knowledge workflows, intelligent automation for RevOps, and cloud architecture for scalable deployment (AWS/Azure/GCP), he bridges board-level priorities with real delivery constraints. His style is human-centred and diagnostic: identify the real blocker, align decision-makers fast, and build the system that makes progress stick.

Alongside client work, he is Founder & CEO of Core Ventures (a governance-led AI venture studio for European SMEs), Founder & CEO of First AI Movers (AI thought leadership platform), and CAIO & Co-Founder of Tarucca (AI-driven predictive maintenance and digital twins for renewables). Client work is delivered under clear engagement scopes, with conflict-managed governance and no vendor lock-in. 

How I can help your business

• AI & Technology Investment Readiness
  Clarifies what’s worth funding, what isn’t, and why — turning uncertainty into decision-grade options, business cases, and a sequenced investment roadmap.
• AI Governance, Risk & EU AI Act Readiness
  Builds governance frameworks, risk classification, controls, and audit-ready documentation so AI can scale safely and credibly across the organisation.
• AI Strategy to Execution Roadmaps
  Translates ambition into a practical plan: outcomes, operating model, capability gaps, build/buy decisions, and delivery plan that can actually be executed.
• Intelligent Automation & AI Systems Enablement
  Designs pragmatic automation and AI system patterns (agents, RAG, workflows, tooling) that reduce friction and convert ideas into shipped capability.
• Executive Advisory & Venture Building
  Supports founders and leadership teams with strategic guidance, positioning, team building, and venture-style delivery to accelerate time-to-value.

Why Work with Hernani?
If you need AI to create business value — without taking on unnecessary risk — Hernani brings a rare mix of governance-first thinking, technical depth, and executive-level decision support. He is particularly effective when organisations are stuck between hype and hesitation: unclear use cases, scattered pilots, compliance anxiety, or competing stakeholder agendas.

Expect clear diagnosis, rapid alignment, and a focus on outcomes over theatre — with governance built in from day one.

Location
🇳🇱 Netherlands-based | Available for EU & international engagements

Positions held

• Senior Consultant – AI & Technology Investment Readiness – Grant & Graham Ltd.
• Founder & CEO – Core Ventures (AI Venture Studio)
• Founder & CEO – First AI Movers (AI strategy Media)
• CAIO & Co-Founder – Tarucca (EnergyTech AI / Digital Twins)
• AI CTO & Co-Founder – InGenius (EdTech)
• CIO – Bondify (LegalTech & FinTech)
• CTO & Co-Founder - Experdata (HealthTech)
• Director of AI & Engineering – Lalaland.ai (FashionTech)
• Tech Team Lead – Kaios.ai (AI-InfraSolutions)
• NLP Data Scientist – Elsevier (HealthTech)
• Advisor / Fractional AI Leader – Multiple engagements (Canada / EU)