History
Rio Exclusive was founded by Juliana Guzman and Arnaud Bughon in 2007, with a goal to provide luxury property accommodations for visitors to Rio de Janeiro, as an alternative to the traditional 5 star hotels. Arnaud and Juliana knew at that time - before "luxury" had really entered the Brazilian rental market like it has today - that Rio was on the verge of a ground-breaking change. That there was a demand for this hidden luxury market in Rio. They started Rio Exclusive with the renovation of a single rental property, and from there, Rio Exclusive not only burst onto the scene, but pioneered the way for Rio's luxury rental market. Since well before 2007 Arnaud and Juliana called Rio home, and through this advantage of being locals themselves, they were able to find the best luxury properties not available to anyone else. They were able to find the hidden jewels sprinkled throughout the beach neighborhoods, behind the facades of historic buildings.
By combining their local knowledge and connections, partnering with reliable local contractors and professionals, and packaging it all under Rio Exclusive, they were able to set the market and open up a new side of Rio, not previously known to those not living here.
Where We Went From There
Building on our success in Rio de Janeiro, in 2009 we began to offer our services in hot destinations like Buzios, Paraty and Angra. Our company expanded to include Colombia Exclusive in 2011, offering the superb quality of luxury vacation rentals we are renowned for in the growing new Colombian market.
In 2012 we set out to expand our offerings for the corporate market and develop comprehensive concierge services. We partnered with the most exclusive concierge service providers to be able to deliver the unmatched level of service our clients expect. We now manage luxury yacht rentals and helicopter service (for tours of Rio, or days trips to the beachside towns outside of Rio, such as Buzios and Angra), in addition to having full time executive drivers and chefs.
In 2013 we expanded further, and developed Latin Exclusive, in order to bring our service to those clients seeking the same level of luxury properties and services, but throughout other areas of Latin American, outside of Brazil.
Today, we work with the everyday traveler, families, executives, diplomats, politicians and international celebrities - for whom confidentiality and unparalleled quality of service is essential. We expect to expand our services even further, to new countries in Latin America, and continue to focus on our local knowledge, top level service and our goal of every client - whether a holiday rental, corporate relocation, or real estate investment - being a happy client, longing to return to Rio the minute they leave.
Our Team
Our staff is multi-national and multi-lingual, made up of the best talent from around the world. We have members fluent in English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Russian, Italian, German.
With such a wide range of team members we are able to support all of our customers’ needs and deliver an exceptionally international experience at the same time that we are well grounded in the local market.
Our office
The Team
Arnaud Bughon - Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
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Arnaud Bughon is the co-founder and CEO of Rio Exclusive. He was born in France where he studied economics at Sorbonne University. He went on to have a distinguished career in investment banking, working as part of the World Trade Organization in Geneva. Brazil was his favorite vacation destination while working in finance, however while there he noticed that there was distinct lack of luxury accommodations and services for the upper end of the market. With his extensive experience and connections throughout the world of finance as a base, he decided to found Rio Exclusive in 2007 to take advantage of the opportunity to build a truly luxurious, high-end vacation rental and service provider. |
Juliana Guzman - Co-Founder & Chief Commercial Officer
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Juliana Guzman is one of the founders of Rio Exclusive. She was born in Colombia to a family involved in the real estate industry. Using the experience of working with her family as a foundation, she went on to improve her business skills by studying Financial Administration and International relations in London. Juliana has since lived in the United States, France, Spain and Brazil. She is fluent in Spanish, English, Portuguese and French. Her extensive international experience and the wide range of contacts she has accumulated gave her the basis on which to create Rio Exclusive in 2007 and build it into the number one luxury accommodation service in Rio de Janeiro. |
Howard Gillick - Executive Director, International Relation
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Howard, originally from Canada, has an extensive background in operating and ensuring the success of various international projects and events. Howard was the Director of the Brazilian Ball Toronto for 20 years and has managed international PR teams throughout Brazil, Canada, America, France, Japan and South Korea. Working with a global network of clients in logistics, operations, production, brand strategy and negotiation, he has cultivated a fine understanding of the service required when working with the world's elite and ensures the operations of Rio Exclusive maintain this high standard. |
Charlie Jonas - Sales Department Director
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Charlie was born in France and studied Marketing in Paris and London. He began his career in one of the biggest advertising companies in the world. His education and negotiating skills enabled him to gain an incredible international experience. After being an Account Director in Dubai, Charlie came to work for Rio Exclusive as a sales manager and brings with him invaluable experience, charisma and a large professional network. |
Carlos Enrique - Rentals Department Director
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Carlos is from Colombia and has studied Travel and Tourism as well as various courses directed at Latin American markets and luxury services. He has worked for Rio Exclusive since its inception in 2007 and has helped build it into the premier luxury real estate company it is today. Carlos also brings years of experience in the hospitality industry to Rio Exclusive. He is in charge of attending to our Latin American clients, from answering inquiries over the phone or email, to personally welcoming clients at check-in. With many years of experience, Carlos always provides the highest quality service and ensures all our clients are well looked after. |
Renata Silva - Director Legal Department
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Renata is Brazilian and graduated in Law. She specialises in Business Law with an emphasis on Contracts and Corporate sectors. Renata developed her career as a corporate lawyer working in legal departments of large firms in the areas of construction and real estate law. She joined Rio Exclusive as a Legal Manager and also provides relationship, developmental and advisory services to all company departments, involving: trade issues, foreign investment and risk analysis in international contractual operations. |