Natalia Leal Ph D

As a CED Co-Manager, I help to manage the ACCESS Training Network (ATN), including: - the recruitment of new Trainers (interviews and final decision), - engagement with existing Trainers, - planning/conducting ATN team meetings, - contributing to increase ATN visibility, and - attending the ACCESS monthly Management Team Meetings.

I joined the ACCESS team of trainers in early 2020. Apart from being available to offer my training packages (on well-being, resilience, career planning or adjusting to a new country/culture, for example) for global entrepreneurs and professionals, I have been giving back to ACCESS by facilitating free workshops for their volunteers and occasionally publishing articles and tips in their monthly newsletter. ACCESS has been helping internationals, people on an expatriate assignment or those who have moved to the Netherlands for over 30 years. The people who provide the answers to the questions you have, are themselves, internationals. The answers are carefully researched and checked (I know, because I am also one of their volunteers :) ). I love that ACCESS serves the people that I find amazing to work with. Professionals in global transition, people facing dual career or career transition challenges, partners and spouses who decide to take a different step in their career. Being an expat myself for several years now, I feel right at home working with ACCESS.

As a professional speaker or workshop leader, I get to share a variety of knowledge & tools, inspire and facilitate the development of other's competences. Often I also prepare the materials, organise logistics, registrations & communication w/ participants. While I've been taking such roles since the early 2000s, below are some of the more recent events: - May22: A Roadmap to a Career You Love, Women in Quantum Development (WIQD) Annual Symposium, Amsterdam. - Nov22: (Re)Defining Success, UL Solutions, Leiden. - Apr23: After PhD Life… A Roadmap to a Career You Love, Debye DO! Days 2023, Utrecht Univ.. - Jun23: Re-Defining Academic Success: Tips to improve your well-being, VU Amsterdam. - Aug23: Building your Mental Fitness, Wittenborg Univ., Apeldoorn. (Many others) - Oct24: Bridging Cultures, LEAN IN network, online. 2020-2023 (online): - Ongoing: InterNations' Coaches Corner, regular Guest Coach (topics: limiting beliefs; fears; goal-setting; failure; perfectionism; self-discipline) - 2021-2023: ACCESS Netherlands' Lunch & Learn Series for Patrons (EMA, ESA, etc): 2021: Resilience Tips for Everyday; 2022: Returning to the workforce after a career break or relocation, w/T. Moynihan; 2023: New Country, New Habits (...); 2024: Limiting Beliefs. - Career Design for Diplomatic Partners, Ass. Families of Portuguese Diplomats (AFPD). - How to identify and overcome a limiting belief, org. by the International Welcome Centre Utrecht Region (IWCUR). - How to draw your Wheel of Life, self-organised or w/ InterNations. - The Secrets to Reaching your Dreams, w/ ExpatRepublic and IWCUR. 2018-March 2020: - Vrijheid om the Verbinden ("Freedom to Connect", delivered in Dutch), DIVC, NL. - Know Your Strengths and How to Use Them, De Broekriem, NL; - (Re)Inventing Myself! Re-discovering my life & career abroad, AFPD, Portugal; - (Re)Inventing Myself! Re-discovering my life & career abroad, Brussels, Belgium; - Build a Career you Love, De Broekriem (now JobOn), NL.

I work with clients from different nationalities (expats and their partners) and career backgrounds, mostly 1:1 and in group coaching. My goal is to empower you to live an amazing life that feels both successful and happy, where you take purposeful action to get to the next level in your life and career in a balanced manner, whether this means increasing your overall performance or looking for a new career, improving your well-being or developing new leadership and soft skills (among many other possible goals). My services are tailor-made to each client (organisation, team or individual) to ensure they get the most out of it, considering their situation and desired results. My personal approach relies primarily on the coaching methodology, but it often also includes elements from Positive Psychology, Positive Intelligence, neurosciences, career design and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Services also include training and consultancy elements, as appropriate to your needs. Visit my website at www.natalia-leal.com to contact me and learn more.

Being the owner of a small business means you get to make all the important decisions and to execute most aspects of it, from contact with clients, partners and suppliers or the organisation of events to marketing, online visibility and accounting. This position has helped me to understand even better the different dimensions of an organisation, while truly challenging me to maintain a healthy balance with my life's other dimensions, and making choices about what to delegate/outsource.

Wittenborg is an international and extremely multi-cultural university, with more than 100 nationalities among its staff and students, an environment which I truly treasure. - Supervised 10-15 student's Master dissertations (MBA), especially in the areas of employee performance/engagement, well-being and related topics. This is where I got to inspire students, guide them in their research journey following academic rules, but also learn new things and update my own knowledge. - Coordinated, (co)created and (co)delivered lessons for the Master in Business Management (MBM) and MBA modules on 'Micro & Macroeconomics' (until 2020/2021; MBM only) and 'Project Week' on Fair Trade companies (until 2023/24; MBA & MBM); designed assessment tools and evaluated students. As a lecturer (including online and hybrid teaching) and module coordinator, I got to explain complex topics in understandable and innovative manners to facilitate learning, helping to improve student's skills and knowledge.

I started collaborating regularly with JobHulp Culemborg in mid-2020, after a training period. A JobMaatje (a 'job buddy' or coach) is a specially trained volunteer who offers mental and practical support to a jobseeker and supports him/her in exploring the possibilities for finding a suitable job. As a buddy you can help the jobseeker to develop resilience and to become skilled in networking and applying for jobs, for example.

After deciding to change my previous career path, I took some time to reflect on my new work direction and deal with all the requirements (legal, administrative, etc) to register and launch my own services company.

I took a 'sabbatical period' in order to reflect on my career, develop my personal and leadership skills, and fine-tune my personal goals and mission statement.

• Advised, coordinated with & implemented WFTO membership’s decisions (from the AGM and in particular the Board of Directors); • Budgeted, fundraised & managed WFTO’s financial resources. In 2017 secured c.€900K income (2013: €500K), increased general reserves to €300K (2013: -€24K); also secured multi-year donor projects of over €500K (2014-2017); • Advised on & drafted a new, results-based, 4-year Strategic Plan, as well the WFTO’s Governance Structure Revision aiming to increase efficiency and overall consistency (all docs. approved by the membership in late 2017); • Advised and/or drafted other key documents on the definition & scope of the Fair Trade concept, and related criteria; • Supervised the implementation (internal structure & procedures) of the WFTO Guarantee System (GS), a verification (and membership) system based on compliance with the Fair Trade Standard; • Led & supervised a lean, dynamic team of 5-6 staff, in the areas of finance & administration, communications, GS (membership & monitoring), and projects & events; coordinated with key regional staff, as well as with WFTO committees and work groups; • Led (in coordination with the President) WFTO networking and advocacy activities – namely with donors, international institutions & other organisations –, including in different meetings &, conferences; • Supervised (or was otherwise directly involved in) the planning & implementation of other large projects including: - the organisation of 2 biennial WFTO conferences, - the presence of WFTO at major international trade fairs (Ambiente/Frankfurt & NYNow), - the renewal of WFTO’s brand image, - several campaigns [namely WFTDay, Int. Women’s Day, European Development Day, Anti-poverty Week, etc], - as well as the involvement in single & multi-stakeholder projects (incl. donors such as the EC, UNHCR, Misereor, Bread for the World and Cariplo). WFTO grew from 361 organisational members/associates in 2013 up to 404 in 2017, across 76 countries.

• Coordinated the WFTO-Europe Office and its team; • Recommended and implemented the strategy set-up by the Board in order to increase visibility of Fair Trade members and influence policies and trade practices in favour of fairer trade outcomes; • Organised communications with members, managed social media tools, and maintained website; • Liaised with the WFTO-Global office and other WFTO regions; • Reviewed membership applications against the Fair Trade Standard/criteria; • Monitored WFTO European members; • Fundraised and managed projects (including EC-funded projects); • Contributed to WFTO-Europe’s lobbying and advocacy (mainly via the FTAO) and represented it in key meetings; • Drafted key documents; • Organised meetings (inc. Board meetings and AGM), campaigns and other events to promote Fair Trade in Europe; and • was in charge of general administration and accounting.

Provided training on (basic and advanced) Negotiation Skills. University of Kent’s Conflict Analysis and Research Centre (CARC).

Created and delivered a 3-day workshop on Negotiation, within the framework of the Competitive Intelligence Post-Graduate programme, Portuguese Military Academy. Financed by NATO.

Deputy-Delegate for Portugal in the EU Council’s Committee for the Civilian Aspects of Crisis Management (CIVCOM), directly assisting the CIVCOM Chairperson, during the period of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council (June-Dec.). Reflected on and drafted policy papers and speaking notes; monitored CIVCOM-related policies and crisis management missions; attended to and reported on CIVCOM, PSC and COREPER meetings; liaised with other EU institutions and Member States; managed internal and external communications; organized events; managed the team’s agenda; others.