Jacqueline Oliveira
Trainer, Advisor and Interculturalist
Jacqueline Oliveira, M.A. Jacqueline is the founder of Faeron Communication, an organization dedicated to building global citizenship through workplace training, education, and mentorship. She has 30 years of national (USA) and international experience as an intercultural consultant. She is a subject matter expert in intercultural communication and intercultural trust. Jacqueline works with multicultural and global groups and teams in companies from a variety of industries in North America, South America, Northern and Eastern Europe, Asia, and Southeast Asia. She has been a keynote speaker about intercultural trust, and a TEDx presenter (2016), speaking about building trust across cultures.
Jacqueline is a 20+-year instructor of graduate and undergraduate courses focusing on the confluence of culture and business processes around the world. Jacqueline earned her bachelor degree at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and her master degree from the School for International Training, Brattleboro, Vermont.
Maurizio Berti
Trainer, Advisor and Consultant
Maurizio brings his high-tech and organizational behavior expertise to Faeron. He has a strong technical background and brings his knowledge in the field of Information Communication Technology (ICT) to bridge organizational culture.
Maurizio's ten years in the field of change management has honed in him the ability to dissect intricate, high-tech challenges and solve seemingly unsolvable challenges. Maurizio leads high-tech teams to lay out and implement strategies (communication, training and tech support) allowing thousands of users to migrate from proprietary to open source software on their desktops. In these projects the approach is technical, human and organizational, often requiring an understanding of the user's fear of change, and an ability to "teach across very different mindsets", so cross-functional teams can embrace the new software tools and procedures with courage.
Maurizio is an active member of the TEDx community (since 2011), and he is the Licensee and Curator of the TEDxCesena event in Italy. Maurizio earned his Electronic Engineering degree with specialization in Microelectronics and Integrated Circuit Design at Bologna University. Maurizio is fluent in Italian (his native tongue) and English.
Bess de Boer
Trainer and Mentor
For more than two decades Bess has been using the art of diplomacy - early in her career, as a corporate litigation lawyer in Trial and Appeal courts in Toronto and later as a facilitator in boardrooms around the globe. Her skills in problem solving through tailored communication have been developed over a range of business environments, as well as within a variety of cultural contexts. Bess’ achievements throughout her career as an advocate and facilitator have demonstrated a common thread: a passion for forging a path through which a message can be successfully received – even in the face of great divides between people.
Bess has earned her law degree at the prestigious Osgoode Hall School in Toronto, Canada. She has served as a member of the Advocates Society of Canada, as well as an instructor in the Civil Litigation section of the Bar Admissions Licensing Course for the Law Society of Upper Canada. Bess is fluent in English and Greek
Lisa Fisher
Trainer, Advisor and Mediator
Lisa guides human beings from conflict to common ground. A former corporate transactional attorney at a top international law firm, Lisa is now a full-time peacemaker. She coaches individuals and trains small groups to navigate difficult conversations more skillfully, remain calmer and more focused in tense situations, and manage their emotional hot buttons better.
Lisa also works as a private diplomat to help improve ongoing family and business relationships, or to avoid or end litigation. She speaks at business gatherings, retreats and conferences on how to address conflicts with more respect, confidence and creativity. As a native Austrian living in a multicultural community in the U.S., and as a professional mediator working with diverse groups, Lisa is especially attuned to the challenges – and the potential – that are inherent in cultural differences. Lisa’s focus on respect for each individual, her ability to facilitate meaningful dialogue, and her skillful and gentle assistance in communication and negotiation has helped resolve numerous conflict situations.
Lisa has earned law degrees from the University of Linz, Austria and from Yale Law School, and trained at Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation and at Pepperdine Law School’s Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. She is a member of the Mediation Panel for the United States District Court, Central District of California. Lisa is fluent in German and English.
Sophie Foot
Advisor, Interculturalist and Trainer
Sophie is a seasoned leader in development, materials, manufacturing, strategy and supply chain management. She has worked in the footwear industry for 20+ years, successfully leading global teams throughout Asia and in North America.
Sophie uses her extensive skills in language and culture to build successful and long-lasting business relationships that complete projects and gain trust with her clients, customers, vendors and colleagues. Sophie has lived in China, Taiwan and Vietnam for 20 years before relocating to California in 2015.
From 2010 to 2014, Sophie worked with a global company as the Senior Director of R&D and Supply Chain in Dongguan, China. In this role, she was responsible for leading a team of 70+ (Directors, Developers, and Technicians) across three locations (Dongguan, Zhongshan, Putian), including Chinese, Taiwanese, Brazilian and US expats working with over 20+ shoe factories/agents.
Sophie graduated cum laude with a major in Chinese Language and Literature from Hunter College, City University of NY, in New York, USA. She has also studied intensive Chinese language, culture and history at Fu Jen University in Hsinchuang, Taiwan R.O.C.
While attending to these vast duties and responsibilities, Sophie contributes her skills as an interculturalist, facilitator, advisor, mentor, change-agent, and visionary to Faeron. Sophie believes whole-heartedly in the importance of cultural understanding and global citizenship and shares this verve with her colleagues and clients at Faeron.
Sophie is proficient in English and Mandarin Chinese.
Now she lives in Santa Barbara, California, with her husband and twin children.
Laura Hillstrom
Trainer, Advisor and Interculturalist
Laura brings her breadth and depth of intercultural communication to all of her clients. She is an educator and trainer in a variety of international venues. Laura has taught business communication in China, “teach the teacher” in Brazil, English as a Second Language (ESL) in Japan, business concepts in the United States, and intercultural communication to expatriates and repatriates.
Laura earned her M.A. degree in International/ Intercultural Management with concentrations in Training and Sustainable Development from the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont, and graduated Cum Laude from Ohio State University with a B.A. degree in English and minors in French and Japanese. She is conversant in Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and French.
Lynn K. Jones
Trainer, Advisor and Coach
Lynn applies her numerous skills in education and virtual coaching to develop more happiness and positivity in the business and personal lives of her clients. She works with leaders at all levels of an organization, teaching leadership, positivity, transformative change, and Appreciative Inquiry.
Lynn is an expert in online education. She teaches Leadership at the Virtual Academic Center at University of Southern California’s prestigious School for Social Work; she also teaches Appreciative Inquiry and the use of assessments to coaches-in-training at the College of Executive Coaching. Lynn has worked with Agriculture Commissioner of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Public Health, Sealaska, Patagonia, Montecito Bank and Trust, Community West Bank, University of California Santa Barbara, City of Santa Barbara, Haas Automation, Ventura County Community Foundation, PROTOTYPES, Caboodle House, Transition House, Hillside House, Community Action Commission, Court House Legacy Foundation and others. Lynn attained a Masters in Social Work and a Doctorate in Social Welfare from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University, New York.
Mario Victor Monteiro
Advisor
Mario Victor Monteiro is a valued advisor for Faeron. He graduated from the prestigious Federal University in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with a degree in Architecture & Urbanism. Upon graduation, Mario worked with both Engevix and Figueiredo Ferraz as a critical team member. The projects on which he worked involved the improvement of favelas (slums) in Rio and urban planning of Pará (a northern state in Brazil.) At present, Mario is a founder of Shirleiz Zonis & Mario Victor Architects, an architecture firm specializing in home design. Mario chose this avenue of the profession of architecture to put form and structure to the dreams of his clients. Mario is a global citizen, enjoying the feeling of belongingness and a kindred relationship with the people of the world. He has traveled extensively and is conversant in Portuguese, Spanish, and English.
Dawn Alexandra Murray
Advisor and Trainer
Dawn Alexandra Murray, M.S, Ph.D., has dedicated her professional life to preserving both global ecosystems and Indigenous cultures throughout the globe. She shares her passion and expertise with Faeron team members and clients through her wise advice and counsel regarding sustainable business practices and working with Indigenous cultures in marine to mountain habitats.
Dawn has led many ecocultural trips, including to Bhutan and the Galapagos, focusing on preserving Indigenous cultures and habitats. She has taught environmental studies, conservation biology, and oceanography globally in high schools, community colleges, universities, and aquariums. She is an Environmental Studies Professor teaching and advising undergraduate and graduate students at Antioch University. Dawn taught at the Royal Thimphu College in Bhutan and at the Cloud Forest School in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Dawn received her masters and doctorate in Ocean Sciences from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She lives in Santa Barbara, California, USA with her two children.
Madurai Padmanabhan ("Paddy")
India Business Expert, Advisor, Trainer and Interculturalist
Madurai Padmanabhan (“Paddy”) is the India Business Expert, and an Advisor, Trainer and Interculturalist with Faeron.
Paddy has several decades of international management experience with multinational companies, including Robert Bosch, Suzuki Motor Co, and General Electric Co. In his various leadership roles, Paddy led the process to build global vendor relationships. He has helped enhance supplier’s performance in India and Asia Pacific. The nuanced roles of governance, process and relationships, augmented by technology, is his domain of expertise.
Most recently, Paddy was the APAC Director for supplier relationship and Contracts Management at GE International. He was the go-to person during the establishment of the Jack Welch Technology Center in Bangalore. He has worked as a New Products Introduction Leader supporting Technology and Process transfer programs.
Paddy is a graduate of the India Institute of Technology, Mumbai. He lives in Singapore with his wife.
Nina Plattner
Advisor, Interculturalist and Trainer
Nina was born, and spent her childhood years in Zurich, Switzerland. From the very beginning, she has been a global citizen at heart.
In Switzerland, Nina held various executive administrative positions in international corporations. In this capacity, she experienced firsthand the challenges of restructuring, mergers and client acquisition, most particularly in the financial and hospitality industries.
Nina is passionate about cultural awareness, insatiably curious about the influence of neuroscience on workplace behavior, and proud to call herself a lifelong learner. Her curiosity about different perspectives has led her to travel to over 20 countries. In her work and travel adventures, Nina has experienced the challenges of culture shock, cultural misunderstanding and ambiguity first hand. As a result, she is dedicated to helping people explore and embrace the diversity of the workplace and coach them on how to bridge cultural differences.
Nina earned a degree in Tourism and Management in Switzerland and is a 2018 candidate for a Master of Science in Organizational Development at the renowned Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business and Management.
Nina is fluent in German and English, and lives in Santa Barbara, California, USA.
Neil Robertson
Advisor and Trainer
Neil is a seasoned Sourcing executive with a passion for creating winning teams that embrace and integrate different locales and cultures to maximize delivery. He believes in the critical importance of clarity of roles, effective organizational design, resource management and local empowerment underpinned by trusted two-way communication. An advocate of ethical trade between vendor and buyer, he enjoys recognizing and managing the evolution of standards, technologies, and manufacturing bases. With his vast professional experiences and well-honed leadership skills, Neil assists all parties in a project to build trusting cross-cultural relationships.
His professional work began in 1992 in Asia. When he was based in Hong Kong, Neil managed four Buying Offices covering a wide array of hard goods and soft lines for diverse global markets. In this capacity, he oversaw the interface with buying colleagues headquartered in the UK, USA and Europe. His teams have encompassed all aspects of Product Development, Sourcing, QA/QC, Supply Chain, Finance and HR and have included satellite offices in Mainland China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Bangladesh.
Neil is originally from Scotland and a graduate of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. He now lives in Malaysia with his wife, Stephanie.
Erika Rodriguez
Trainer, Advisor and Mediator
Erika is dedicated to encouraging cultural awareness in her clients and colleagues. She is an attorney specializing in privacy and information technology. Erika has counseled and advised clients from a variety of industries and represented them in the courtroom as well as the mediation setting.
Erika has managed legal projects in Europe for more than seven years and advised in cases involving many countries for the Americas, including Mexico and the United States. As an international legal advisor with expertise in negotiating issues from a global perspective, Erika has both a personal and professional understanding of the challenges and bridges presented by culture. She has also collaborated with the University of Leon in Mexico as professor of international business and trade law.
Erika earned her Bachelor degree in Law from Iberoamerican University in Leon, Mexico, a Masters degree in International Commerce and Trade Law from Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, México, and a Masters degree in International Law from Instituto Superior de Derecho y Economía, Barcelona, Spain. Erika is fluent in Spanish and English.
Federico Segura
Trainer, Advisor and Interculturalist
Federico Segura is an MBA student and works in the transportation and logistics industry as management analyst. Mr. Segura was born in Colombia where he studied political science and economics. He later obtained a Masters degree in political science and in economics. Mr. Segura has worked with the Colombian government in different areas, such as defense and human rights. Since 2013, he moved to the United States where he is finishing his studies at Tulane University and working for a local company.
Mr. Segura loves to solve problems and is constantly seeking for innovative ways to provide solutions to diverse challenges that organizations have. Mr. Segura loves to travel around the world. Since he was four years old, he has traveled to different parts of the world including America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Mr. Segura enjoys teaching and has been doing it since he was attending college. His native language is Spanish; he speaks English fluently and has basic knowledge of French.
Martina Steege
Trainer and Advisor
Martina has lived and breathed the challenges of culture shock. When Martina lived in Germany she held executive administrative positions in German and U.S. companies. She facilitated workplace negotiations and managed large human resource projects for individual employees and the company’s transitions to new regions. When she came to the U.S., like so many expatriates, she had no cross-cultural training. That experience solidified in Martina a determination to never let anyone experience the struggles and fears of culture shock. Since moving from her native Germany to the U.S., she has taught many executives and their family members to embrace their international experience.
Martina earned her Europa-Sekretärin, ESA (BA of Arts, Office Management) from the Private college Dr. Buhmann, Hanover, Germany. Martina is fluent in German and English.
Fulvia Venturi
Trainer and Advisor
Fulvia brings a host of cross-cultural talents to her training and advising role. She has held senior leadership positions in two prestigious Italian companies in the luxury item industry (Ferretti Group – yachts and Campomaggi & Caterina Lucchi Group – fashion.) These remarkable experiences have allowed Fulvia to utilize her extensive language capabilities and global business skills.
Fulvia earned her interpreting degree at Bologna University (“Scuola Superiore di Lingue Moderne per Interpreti e Traduttori” [SSLMIT], Forlì branch), Master of Corporate Communication (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice) and Master of Business Administration at Bologna University (Alma Graduate School.) Fulvia is fluent in English, Italian and German and proficient in French.
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