Collaborating with the best minds: “We don’t work in isolation”

Collaboration isn't just a buzzword — it’s how we build, innovate, and grow. And in Risk & Compliance, working across teams isn’t optional — it’s the foundation for success. In this interview, Rodrigo Felício, a Senior Risk Manager in Wholesale Credit Risk, shares how effective collaboration fuels Revolut’s ability to stay ahead, solve complex challenges, and drive real impact. 

How does collaboration shape the way Risk & Compliance works?

Risk & Compliance is inherently cross-functional — that’s just the nature of our business. We never look at anything in isolation. I work in Wholesale Credit Risk, but no product we launch exists as a standalone risk issue. Everything has a ripple effect across other teams, both within and beyond Risk & Compliance. So, collaboration isn’t optional — it’s how we operate from the start.

We work alongside some of the brightest minds in the fintech industry, leveraging their expertise to ensure we don’t just assess risk, but anticipate it. Take, for example, new product launches. Every time we assess something new, we bring together specialists across Risk & Compliance and other departments. That collaborative mindset, combined with their insights, helps us stay ahead, ensuring that we remain proactive rather than becoming a blocker later on. 

What does our culture of knowledge sharing enable?

Our culture of knowledge sharing enables 2 fundamental things — quicker decisions and fewer mistakes. One thing I love about Revolut is the flat structure of our communication. Juniors have access to seniors, executives engage directly with early-career talent, and that openness speeds up collaboration and decision-making.

When we meet as a full Risk & Compliance team, we discuss a single topic from multiple perspectives at once. You might come into a meeting thinking Solution A is the best option, but after hearing insights from other teams — who bring different risk viewpoints — you realise Solution B or C actually works better. That’s the power of a collaborative approach — faster, more accurate decisions.

What's one of the biggest challenges you work to solve as a team?

The everyday challenge is balancing innovation with regulatory compliance while maintaining an acceptable risk profile across a product’s entire lifecycle. This is essential to maintaining customer trust and ensuring the long-term stability of our platform, in the fast-paced finance industry where regulations evolve quickly.

For example, we all love instant withdrawals when redeeming Flexible Cash Funds or savings accounts. From a customer’s perspective, it’s seamless — 1 click, and the money is there. That’s the innovation we aim for. The challenge? Ensuring it fits within regulatory boundaries and our internal risk appetite.

The real difficulty isn’t enabling instant payments, it’s making them sustainable and secure across all the scenarios Revolut might face. This involves rigorous stress testing, robust fraud detection, and adaptable compliance frameworks. We're continually investing in technology and expertise to stay ahead of the curve and make sure we can deliver innovative solutions responsibly.

How does working with top talent push you to grow?

It keeps you on your toes, doesn’t it? You can never just sit back and settle in — because when you work with top talent, you want to be top talent, too. 

There’s a healthy competition at Revolut. You see incredible colleagues excelling, and it pushes you to bring your best every day. For instance, observing how other colleagues in the team approach a complex problem has significantly improved my own problem-solving skills. And beyond competition, it’s a huge opportunity to learn from brilliant people. Every decision gets challenged, and that forces you to sharpen your thinking, refine your reasoning, and ultimately grow faster.

What’s one thing you’ve learned from a teammate that changed how you work?

One of the biggest and most important things I’ve learned is how to simplify my communication. Risk & Compliance is highly technical — full of numbers, equations, and micro-level factors. It’s easy to get lost in the details. But when speaking to colleagues or senior management, clarity is key.

I’ve learned to structure my thoughts better — start with the problem statement, break it down into bullet points, and focus on storytelling rather than just raw data. This ability to distil complexity into something clear and actionable is something I’ve absorbed from great managers at Revolut.

How does cross-team collaboration happen in practice?

We don’t work in isolation here. For example, during a new product launch, the Risk & Compliance teams work directly with Product and Engineering teams to ensure all regulatory requirements are met early in the development cycle. This collaborative approach enables us to move quickly and efficiently, while maintaining a high level of quality.

You’re also constantly challenged by bright minds and you’re expected to fully justify your reasoning when proposing a solution at Revolut. Cross-team collaboration pushes you to improve so you’re always learning, whether it’s a new way to assess risk or a fresh approach to structuring a solution. The learning curve is steep, but that’s what makes it exciting.

What’s a common misconception about working in Risk & Compliance?

The biggest misconception about working in Risk & Compliance is that we’re here to say no — that we have a green and red button, we approve or reject. That’s not how we work. Our role isn’t to block business development, it’s to optimise risk. We provide independent analysis, monitoring, and controls. Instead of shutting something down because it’s risky, we find a way to structure and optimise it so it’s commercially viable and well-managed.

So, the myth that we’re here to reject ideas is completely wrong. We’re here to make them work in the smartest, safest way possible.

Trust is important in a high-stakes environment. How do you maintain it?

Trust isn’t something you get — it’s something you earn. Inside and outside Revolut, trust is built through integrity, consistency, transparency, and approachability. People trust you when they know what to expect from you. In Risk & Compliance, trust comes from communicating early — not catching anyone by surprise with last-minute fire drills. It’s about being proactive, clear, and predictable in how we work.

What's been the most surprising part of how collaboration works at Revolut?

When I joined, the biggest surprise was the sheer access to leadership. I started as a Junior, yet I was immediately working directly with leadership, brainstorming ideas — not just reporting my work. Even in my first few months, I experienced our non-hierarchical structure first hand. I worked with the Chief Investment Officer, actively collaborating and developing solutions with him.

That level of exposure and involvement at an early stage in my career is rare. And it’s one of the best things about working here.

What’s the most rewarding part of effective collaboration?

After months of collaboration — navigating challenges, finding solutions — it’s incredibly rewarding to see the final result go live. At Revolut, we launch innovative new products all the time across multiple locations, so that sense of achievement is constant. It’s one of the best parts of the job.

Nothing makes me prouder than seeing a LinkedIn post announcing a product launch that the team and I worked hard on. And being able to tell my family I helped make it happen is a great feeling.

Collaboration at Revolut

It's not just about working together — it’s about pushing boundaries and delivering results. Stay tuned for more stories on how our teams make it happen, and tap below to find out more about our culture.