Clique aqui para ler essa página em português

Quick intro

My name is Luciana Biscaia and I was born in Curitiba, a lovely city in the southern part of Brazil. Even though my ‘heart & soul’ are very Brazilian, I am passionate about other cultures, perspectives and ways of living. I am full of energy and  believe that keep moving & getting things done is fundamental. I also like stillness and observing things around me. I am really keen on a good balance between reflection and action. It was through my own transitions (personal and professional) that I discovered the importance of these moments of change for our (personal and professional) growth. I am a Career Coach qualified by the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) and the focus of my work are the professional transitions. In the past 10 years I have been living and working in various countries and am now based in Norwich, UK.

My curiosity for other cultures and the consequent interest for ‘multicultural interactions in working environments’ is also linked to my passion for justice and equal opportunities for all. The thing that motivates me the most is to be able (with my work) to support people to identify their values, purpose and unleash their talents. It is very rewarding to help people believe in themselves, motivate them to observe and reflect (about themselves and their environment) so that they can make better decisions. It feels great to see  people discovering their own ‘powers’ and taking full responsibility for driving the changes that will bring harmony and achievements in their lives and work. What I love the most is to see people ‘getting things done‘.

My professional story 

I graduated as a Graphic Designer and the first 10 years of my career were spent working as a TV Producer and Director. Yes, I was the one who shouted: Light, Camera, Action! It was when writing and directing Training Videos that I realised that my ‘talents’ could be used  to develop professionals. At that stage, democratising knowledge and providing learning opportunities for all was already a core value to me. I then decided to take a post graduation course on Distance Education (at the UK Open University) and in 1999 transitioned to my new career as a Learning & Development professional at HSBC Bank Brasil. My passion for making learning fun and accessible, plus my curiosity and focus in finding new ways of doing things, brought me new opportunities.

Whilst in Brazil I ran the areas of Talent & Leadership Development. I had fantastic mentors that trusted me, so in 2007 I was transferred to the Head Office of HSBC in London. Over there, I was made responsible for running leadership courses for executives of the 80+ countries where the bank operated. My interest for multicultural issues in the workplace started in this environment. In 2009 another opportunity took me to Mexico. My mission there was to lead the implementation of initiatives in the areas of Learning, Talent, Resourcing and Organisation Development in 12 countries of Latin America. In 2010 another transition sent me to Dubai, where I took over as the Head of Learning for HSBC in the Middle East and North Africa.

At that stage, my experiences and observations on the topic of  multicultural relationships in corporate environments reached an ‘advanced’ level. In 2011, I  made a new transition. I was invited to join a very dynamic and full of opportunities bank in Abu Dhabi: The First Gulf Bank. The two and a half years as  SVP for Learning and Organisation Development over there were intense and full of achievements. And yet another fascinating multicultural experience. In 2014, I decided it was time to start again. Since then, I have been studying and practicing in the field of coaching that is, another way of supporting people development. I attained my qualification as an EMCC Coach Practitioner in 2015 and decided to focus my work in supporting individuals going through professional transitions.

I consider myself very privileged for leading such a varied and interesting life & career. Perhaps because I am positive and flexible (most of the time) and curious (always!), I have been enjoying and learning so much in my own professional & life transitions. That is why it is so gratifying to be able to motivate others to make the most of their transitions too.

To know more about the work I do, my values and working style, please go to Ways of Working  and My Services pages.