Sheriff Aligbeh

Sheriff Aligbeh is a Cross-Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions and an expert on Sub-Saharan African (business) cultures and social protocol. In the past 10 years he has provided cross-cultural training and consulting to a wide variety of multinational companies doing or planning to do business in Sub-Saharan Africa.

He has extensive experience in working with high-level executives and expatriates on issues as intercultural management, managing international teams in Africa, conflict management, relocation/expatriate programs and African cultures awareness training. His expertise is on Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Kenya, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa. His training experience includes clients from a range of industries including Oil & Gas, Food & Beverages, Wholesale & Retail, Trading, Security and Manufacturing.

Sheriff is originally from Nigeria, but has lived and worked from The Netherlands for the past 21 years. He has participated in several platforms in The Netherlands to create understanding for African cultures. He has also been a cross-cultural linking pin in local politics, in the areas of diversity and inclusion. His understanding of both Western and African cultures, makes him a valuable asset to his clients.

Jessica L. Austin

Jessica Austin is a Cross-Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions. She is a certified coach and trainer with 18 years of US and Pan-European HR, recruitment, career education, training and coaching experience. She coaches and trains individuals, teams and groups, specializing in intercultural competency skills, leadership development, team management, geographic assimilation, and the international job search. Jessica is from the United States and has been living in the Netherlands since 1999.

She holds a degree in Psychology and Education (Cum Laude) and graduated from the reputable Coaching Certification Program at The Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara. Jessica was honored to receive a Trainer of the Year award for her work with individuals moving and living abroad on expatriate assignments. She is credentialed by the International Coach Federation (ICF) and is licensed to administer the Intercultural Readiness Check (IRC) and The Effectiveness Institute’s Behavior Style Profile assessment tools. Jessica held Senior Management and Director level positions at prestigious corporate and academic organizations for more than ten years.

Laurie A. Bach

Laurie A. Bach is a Cross-Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions She is also the creator, director, coordinator and trainer for a newcomers’ orientation program since 1991. Her program is geared to an international community and is designed to facilitate the settling-in process for those living and/or working in the multi-cultural Belgian environment. She has also taught the “Headstart” course, which is a beginner’s French language and cultural information course. Prior to that she was the Liaison Representative for the North American operations’ office (based in Washington, D.C.) for a group of 12 major French manufacturers of railroad and mass transit equipment. She coordinated their operations, conducted marketing campaigns, interpreted during their “on site” trips, translated promotional material and correspondence, and researched U.S. railway specifications.

Ms. Bach has completed all course work necessary for obtaining a Master’s Degree in Cultural Anthropology from Florida State University. She also holds University Degrees both in Sociology and in French. Ms. Bach is an American who has lived in four European countries (Belgium, France, Italy, and Germany) for 25 years. She spent five of her childhood years in Germany and has been living in Belgium for the past 18 years. Her native language is English, but also speaks French and has a basic knowledge of Italian.

Anna Balaguer

Anna Balaguer has been a Cross-Cultural Training Consultant with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions Since 2000, she had been working with international assignees, spouses, children and multicultural teams. She is also a translator and interpreter at business meetings and conferences for telecommunications industries, media companies etc.

Ms. Balaguer has studied for a post-graduate degree in International Conference Interpreting at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, and holds a BA Honours degree in Spanish from the University of Durham, UK. She also has an advanced Diploma in French from the University of Perpignan, France and a Diploma in Public Relations. She holds a Master’s Degree in Intercultural Communication in Europe from the Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, England and the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. Ms. Balaguer is half Spanish and half Swedish, brought up in the UK but have spent most of her working life in Spain. She has also spent 2 1/2 years travelling in Asia and the Americas and regularly visits her family in Sweden. She is fluent in English and Spanish and proficient in French, Swedish, Portuguese and Catalan.

Helen Burgess

Helen Burgess is a Cross Cultural Trainer with DFA Intercultural Global Solutions with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions She has worked with dfa for over five years since receiving her advanced training in cross-cultural methodology and practice. She specializes in integration training, business cross-cultural awareness and international team training. Helen has over 10 years of international business experience in various roles including global project leader of multi-functional multi-national teams to develop and launch new products for global markets. Her training experience includes clients from a range of industries: Financial services, Telecommunications, Publishing, Retail, Government, Fashion, Manufacturing, Education and the Service sector.

Ms. Burgess holds a PhD and BSc from University College Dublin, Ireland. She has published a number of articles in expat publications including Abroad and Morada magazines, The Informer, Expatria.com. She has been interviewed and quoted in cross-cultural articles in the LA Times and the International Herald tribune. Helen works professionally in English and Italian and has lived and worked in the UK, Ireland, The Netherlands and Italy, where she now lives.

Katherine Barton

Katherine Barton is an intercultural trainer, facilitator and coach with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions She has experience of training and development within the corporate, public and creative sectors alike. Her previous role as a Business Change Analyst with GF-X, a McKinsey founded B2B internet start-up company, has given her the opportunity to visit numerous global locations to deliver over 100 training sessions in places such as San Francisco, Geneva, Dubai and Hong Kong for companies such as British Airways, Emirates and American Airlines. She is able to now utilise these experiences in her work as an intercultural trainer for families moving to the UK or overseas.

Ms. Barton has cultivated an international outlook, with an M.A. in Modern & Medieval Languages (French & Spanish) from the University of Cambridge and time spent living in France and working in several countries. She is also a qualified coach, with clients from sectors including finance, pharmaceuticals, media and the legal industries. As a coach, she employs effective, intelligent questioning to enable people to find direction, clarify objectives and take action towards goals. She prides herself on connecting genuinely with individuals and adapts her coaching style to her clients. Approachable, creative and informed, she engages individuals and enables them to reflect, learn and adjust as part of the change process.

Ina Baum

Ina Baum is a Senior Associates and Cross Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions She was born in Germany 1965, has a long management marketing experience in several multinational Corporations before she became an independent consultant and intercultural Trainer in 1995. Her core competences are in personal coaching, consulting and training. Ina has collected training experience in management training over several years. Her current work focuses on providing consultancy and training services for Global Corporations and Institutions to develop Intercultural Competency in the areas of Intercultural Management, Team Building-Leadership and Intercultural Communication. She has worked and lived in the USA and France and traveled and worked in over 35 countries (USA, Mexico, Hong Kong, Russia, 22 European countries). Ina speaks fluent German, English.

Alexandra Brodin

Switzerland: Geneva

Alexandra Brodin a Cross-Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions. She has roughly 15 years of experience in the management, training and development of foreign assignees. Alexandra’s areas of expertise include: global HR strategic planning, global leadership development, post-M&A cultural integration, multicultural team effectiveness, International Human Resource Management, cross-cultural training, and expatriate spouse assistance.

>Alexandra graduated with a Bachelors of Political Sciences (spec. International Relations) and History from the Universities of Geneva and Paris. She completed additional specializations in Global Management at THUNDERBIRD and in Management and Organization at INSEAD. She is currently preparing for the Certification in International Human Resource Management (GPHR).

Born in Brussels from a German mother and a French father, Alexandra was raised bi-culturally in several European countries. She has written a City Guide about Geneva and is currently co-writing a book about Global Leadership. She is a member of SIETAR, SHRM, and ECBE and is fluent in French, German and English.

Sarah Dallaghan

Ireland: Dublin

Sarah Dallaghan is a Cross Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions Her expertise is working with cultures in the UK and Ireland and sales. She has been in sales for 18 years and has sold in the Information Technology, biotechnology and advertising industries. She cultivated her results oriented, motivating sales training style during assignments for the Institute of Purchasing, WinWin, MoneyMate, Claymon, Cimco, Nexala, Trintech, Fas and IDS call centre. She has held senior sales positions in Ireland and the UK with the Financial Times, Anachem, Gateway and the Sunday Tribune. In addition to her sales experience she has an in depth understanding of technology and was involved in major software development projects.

Ms. Dallaghan, MA MIMCA FSII, graduated in science from Trinity College Dublin, education and training from NUI Maynooth, and marketing from the Marketing Institute. Sarah is on the Mentor Panel for Enterprise Ireland. Sarah is a fellow of the Institute of Sales and a member of the Institute of Management Consultants and Advisors.

Sylvie Day

France: Paris

Sylvie Day is a Senior Associates with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions and has been an intercultural consultant for the past 12 years. She has prepared expatriates and their families from different countries for overseas assignments in other countries like the US, France, Russia, Middle East, Africa, Asia, etc. She has also facilitated trainings on multicultural teambuilding, and on managing differences between culturally diverse groups working together on a daily basis. Ms Day worked for 10 years in international corporations where she was involved in a wide range of responsibilities including sales, marketing, training, management, computer and finance.

Ms. Day studied in an international business school (Institut Supérieur de Gestion) in Paris, New York, Tokyo and Seoul and earned an advanced degree in management, marketing and finance. She completed post graduate studies at the Institute of intercultural Communication both in Oregon, USA and Winterthur, Switzerland. In 1995, she worked with multicultural teams and discovered the challenges and opportunities that arise when living overseas. She also developed a keen awareness of cultural differences and their effects on social and business relationships. In June, 2002, Ms Day has relocated to France with her American husband and her 2 children and is continuing her intercultural activities.

Christi Degen

Christi Degen is a Senior Associate and Cross-Cultural Consultant with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions With 15 years of management experience in the internationalization of business schools as well as corporate organization and strategy, she has acquired substantial knowledge in international projects, leading multicultural teams and conducting international negotiations. Designing project concepts and driving decision making processes in multilateral networks have made her highly aware of the significance of Intercultural Management.

Ms. Degen holds a Master`s degree in Economics and is fluent in German, English and Spanish while maintaining a conversational level in French and Polish. Between 1999 and 2004 she acted as Program Development Director in the Community of European Management Schools (CEMS), a pan-European position in this network of 17 leading Management Schools and 50 multinational companies. Today, as International Relations Director at the Faculty of Management and Economics at the University of Cologne, she defines strategic objectives for the internationalization of the Faculty, designs measures for their implementation and develops cooperations in many countries around the world. With this background first-hand experience living and working in Spain and in the US, it was a natural step to join dfa to engage in creating cultural competence for international managers.

Sylvia Derby

Sylvia Derby is a Cross Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions. She has been working in the intercultural field for over 20 years as cross cultural trainer, educator, and business executive for large multinationals. She is also a professional career adviser and combines her cross cultural and career expertise to deliver services to clients in the corporate and public sector. In recent years she conducted numerous relocation programs for corporate executives and their families in preparation to their moves for international assignments in the US, UK and Germany. Her particular passion is to assist expat spouses in the development of satisfying career and personal development perspectives.

Ms. Derby’s extensive experience in the cross cultural field largely stems from her previous business development roles as territory manager for countries including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Central & Eastern Europe and parts of the Middle East for international broadcasting companies such as NBC Europe, CNBC Europe and MTV. She has worked and negotiated business deals in over 15 countries and strongly believes that integrity and the ability to see the world from the client’s perspective are key factors in facilitating successful business relationships. In the past she has also significantly contributed to the success of rural African development projects on a voluntary basis and as a result, was awarded a chieftaincy title in West Africa in 1995. Ms. Derby holds a degree in Early Childhood Education from the Academy of Pedagogics in Germany, a BA (Hons) in Social Sciences from Middlesex University and a M.A. in Communication Policy Studies from City University, London. Totally bilingual, she is also certified as careers adviser, NLP Master Practitioner and Montessori teacher. She now lives in Oxford, UK and provides cross cultural trainings to executives and their families.

Jerome Dumetz

Jerome Dumetz is a Cross-Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions and has more than 15 years of experience with Russia. Born in France, Jerome has been working as the only foreigner in a state-owned organization with thousands of employees for many years. His deep knowledge of Russian culture and management stems from his MBA lectures with young Russian professionals and from his numerous cross-cultural projects in Russia.

He has organized major cross-cultural trainings for foreign and Russian corporations and runs cross-cultural managerial coaching for managers in numerous other countries.

Jerome combines his solid business experience in many countries with academic works in the field of cross-cultural management. He conducted exclusive research about modern Russian business management. Currently, he is teaching his specialty in various business schools such as the Plekhanov Academy and Aibec in Russia as well as ESSEC, ESCE or IAE Aix in France, FH Steyr in Austria, VŠE and Unicorn College in Czech Republic, Christ University in India or FH Wuerzburg in Germany. Languages of instruction are French, English and Russian.

Klara Falk-Bano

Dr. Klara Falk-Bano is a Cross-Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions. She has been an intercultural trainer for expats for over 13 years and is Professor of Intercultural Studies and Head of the Department of Applied Communication at Budapest Business School, Hungary. She has published four books, two of them on intercultural communication and management issues in Hungary.

She has an MA degree in English Linguistics and a PhD degree in Applied Linguistics, Intercultural Communication from ELTE University of Budapest. She speaks Hungarian as her mother tongue, fluent English and some Russian. She has spent time living and working in Russia and the UK and was an ACLS (American Council of Learned Societies) fellow during her time in the US.

Dr. Falk-Bano has delivered MA and MBA level intercultural management courses in the last seven years at Budapest Business School, and one-week programs at ISCTE University of Lisbon, Portugal, and Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.

Liliana Gagliardi

Dr. Gagliardi is a Cross-Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions. As a hands-on manager, she provides cross cultural support and an array of insightful services to clients who conduct business or travel throughout Italy and need to function in and experience the country at their best. She has a diversified background in languages and extensive experience in the cross-cultural field and tourism. As an intercultural specialist and consultant, she has assisted numerous executives in understanding the different countries approach to social and business relationships. In addition, she has over 20 years experience in corporate support and public relations.

Dr. Gagliardi was a professor for the Advanced School of Interpreters and Translators in Italy, and taught Italian at numerous universities in the United States, including Catholic University, Johns Hopkins-University-School of Advanced International Studies, and Georgetown. She has experienced many foreign cultures as she has studied, lived, taught, worked in and travelled to many countries all over the world. She lived and worked in Washington D.C. for six years. She received her university degree in Foreign Languages and Literatures from the Istituto Universitario di Lingue Moderne, IUL, in Milan and was elected twice to the Board of Directors of SIETAR EUROPA.

Ines Hijmans

Ines Hijmans is a Cross-Cultural Trainer and Consultant with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions. She provides training for high-level executives and expatriates on cross-cultural and intercultural communication, international business communication, and international negotiations. She has worked with people from over 40 countries, and her main regions of expertise are the European Union and North America. She has over 10 years experience as a European lawyer in international public administration and in the multicultural environment of international organizations.

Ms. Hijmans, a Dutch national, has lived and worked in France, the United Kingdom, Italy and Belgium, is currently living in the Netherlands. She delivers her services to companies globally. Ines has a Postgraduate diploma with merit in EC Competition Law from King’s College London, a Master of Laws in Dutch & EU comparative law from Maastricht University and a Bachelor of Arts majoring in legal translations French, English and Dutch from the University of Applied Sciences in Maastricht. She is the author of several publications on cross-cultural communication and international business communication. She has developed intercultural simulation exercises for negotiations between 27 European member states in the context of the European Union. Ms. Hijmans is fluent in English, French & Dutch and has a fair knowledge of German and Italian. She is a member of the Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research (SIETAR).

Tom Hoogewerf

Tom Hoogewerf is a global leadership and cultural consultant, with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions He has worked in over thirty-five countries and done business with clients from some eighty nations world-wide. In the past, Tom has worked as a business consultant for global 500 companies world-wide. He has trained at every level from top team to front line, and has experience of consulting with most organizational areas and business sectors.

Mr. Hoogewerf has a degree in English and American Studies from the University of Sussex and is an RSA qualified teacher of English. In 1997, he graduated as a member of the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD). An associate member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), he is an internationally accredited global leadership trainer. He is also a certified psychotherapist and business coach. Starting as a journalist in the UK, Tom moved to the USA in 1980, lecturing on culture and communication at California State University, LA. Subsequently, he worked for five years for two international telecom organisations, Inmarsat and Eutelsat, in London and Paris, where he lived for six years. As Conference and Communications Manager, he supervised intergovernmental meetings for delegates from Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia, N. and S. America.

Ginger Irvine

Ginger Irvine is a Senior Associate and Intercultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions She has been working with large multinationals and relocating families for over fifteen years in Europe. She was a founder and the first president of FOCUS Information Services, a non-profit resource organisation set up to enable expatriates to settle in the UK more quickly and efficiently. She has experience in setting marketing strategy for management training courses in a British seminar and conference group as well as producing for a small multicultural theatre company.

Ms. Irvine comes originally from Boston, Massachusetts with a B.A. in History from Wheaton Collage. She trained with the New York Telephone Company and developed her communications skills throughout her relocation and work in Europe and the US. Her family’s relocations have taken her from NYC to Seoul, Brussels and London.

Hilary Kaiser

Hilary Kaiser is a Cross Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions She has been employed over the past ten years as a trainer in expatriation and impatriation for executives, their spouses and their children. For many years, Hilary held a tenured position within the French Ministry of Education teaching American civilization and business English. She has been involved in the intercultural field for eleven years, both as an educator and a trainer, ever since she attended the Summer Institute in Intercultural Communication as a trainee for two consecutive summers. She has developed a general course on Intercultural Communication, which she has taught at the university level in France, Spain, Ireland, Finland and Germany, as well as in two prestigious French « grandes ecoles ». She has also been invited to lecture on French and American history and culture at universities in France and abroad, as well as on the corporate level.

Ms. Kaiser holds a Bachelor’s degree in French from an American university and a Ph.D. in American Studies from the Sorbonne. The daughter of a member of the U.S. Diplomatic Corps, Hilary moved to Paris for the first time at the age of 15. Her university studies took her to the U.S., Ireland and back to France. Hilary is also a history buff and oral historian and has published two books, one on US veterans of WWII and the other on French war brides of WWI and WWII who immigrated to the U.S. in the 1920s and 1940s. She has visited numerous countries on five continents, some of which are Japan, China, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, South Africa, Kenya, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Uruguay.

Åsa Lindvall

Åsa Lindvall is a Cross-Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions. pecializing in Swedish and Chinese cultures. She has been working in an international environment for many years, which has given her the knowledge of how to manage cultural diversity in the workplace. Her years residing overseas have given her a unique insight into the challenges facing expatriates. With experience of living and working in China, Australia and Thailand, she has first hand experience of many of the language and cultural adjustments facing foreign nationals. She also has practical experience of what is involved in moving back home after spending several years abroad – and the difficulties that can arise both on a professional and family level.

Åsa has a Masters in teaching (Kristianstads University, Sweden) and has studied Intercultural Communication at Malmö University and participated in cross cultural workshops in England. Currently based in Sweden, she has been delivering newcomers’ orientation programs for many years. In addition, she works with international assignees, spouses and multicultural teams delivering cross-cultural trainings. She is also a Swedish language teacher for expatriates in Sweden. Åsa’s native language is Swedish, but she also speaks English and has a basic understanding of Chinese (Mandarin).

Cynthia Milani

Cynthia Milani is a Senior Associate and Cross-Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions He has joined the dfa and Director, New Business Development, Europe. She has been working with DFA for over fifteen years since receiving her advanced training in negotiations, international presentation skills and intercultural management. Cynthia is a corporate anthropologist specializing in global leadership and development of the global organization. Her expertise is concentrated in over 25 years’ international experience in four global industries: the telecommunications, computer and information industries; the chemicals, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology sector; financial and insurance services; as well as the gas/oil industry. Her geographical areas of concentration are the European Union, North America, Central and East Asia, and the Middle East.

Cynthia Milani, graduated from Columbia University (NYC) holds a Masters degree in anthropology, has done post graduate work in Semiotics (Columbia University/Paris), and is certified in negotiations by Harvard University Law School. She has taught intercultural management at the Institute for Italian Directors, Sun University, and IBM Palisades. She has been on several boards, including The American School, Paris; the Institute of Directors U.K. (French chapter), and the Dena Foundation. She is the author of Brand Italy: A Guide to the Italians (2008), as well as numerous articles on cross-cultural communication and international business. She is currently writing Brand Kazakhstan, due for publication in 2009. She delivers her programs in French, Italian and English with a working knowledge of Spanish. Cynthia is a dual citizen of Italy and the United States, and is a permanent resident of France. She lives between the south of France and Milan, Italy, and delivers her services to companies globally.

Alexandra Montgomery

Alexandra Montgomery is a Cross-Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions. specializing in cross-cultural executive coaching and communications training for high-performance, high-diversity teams.

Always dedicated to providing leading-edge knowledge, her academic qualifications include an MSc in International Business and Languages (English, French, Spanish) from the University of Linz, Austria, a Bachelor of Business Studies & French from Trinity College Dublin and a Diploma in Strategic Human Resource Management from the Irish Management Institute. Alexandra is also a Certified Emotional Intelligence (EQi) Practitioner and a Certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Business Practitioner. She has trained with the Coaching Institute Newfield (Amsterdam) and completed Coaching Across Cultures (cultural orientations framework) in Brussels.

Alexandra’s approach to work (and life) bridges a myriad of disciplines and traditions and is based on exploration, transformational learning and generative change. This is mirrored in her personal journey: she spent her formative years in Austria, and has family in France, Italy, Canada and the UK. After France and Spain she found her way to Ireland in the 1990s. A passionate linguist, Alexandra coaches & trains in English, German and French, speaks working-knowledge Spanish, and basic Italian.

Ursula Muenzel, Ph.D.

Ursula Muenzel is a cross-cultural trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions. who currently splits her life between the United States and Europe. Her expertise in international protocol, business etiquette, and negotiating stems from more than 20 years in both the diplomatic and corporate worlds. She focuses on Europe, the USA, the Middle East, and Africa. Having brokered and facilitated business contacts between companies in various countries, she acquired the competence to train executives and managers to successfully negotiate with their foreign counterparts and to motivate personnel from diverse cultural backgrounds. Her intercultural sensitivity enables her to counsel families in transition how to adjust to their new environment and to appreciate cultural diversity.

Ursula holds a Ph.D. in Modern History from the University of Würzburg, Germany, and participated in seminars on Cross-Cultural Training for International Corporations at the Summer Institute for Intercultural Communication in Portland, Oregon. She has lived in various countries on three continents for most of her adult life, has worked for the German Foreign Ministry as well as for the German Cultural Institute (Goethe Institut), where she provided intercultural training for lecturers in Africa. Currently, she is an adjunct professor at the Center for International Studies at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. Dr. Muenzel is bilingual in German and English, speaks conversational French, and has a basic knowledge of Spanish, Greek, and modern Hebrew.

Herbert R. Nestler

Herbert R. Nestler is a Senior Cross Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions. For the past 18 years he has conducted seminars for many multinational companies. He brings to his executive training and coaching programs a unique background and varied experiences which make him ideally suited as a facilitator for helping decision-makers navigate the challenging waters of today’s fast-moving business. He has designed and conducted programs for the City Colleges of Chicago, the International Association for Exposition Management (IAEM), and Meeting Professionals International (MPI). As a university teacher he served on the faculties of the University of Illinois at Chicago, North Central College and the European Division of the University of Maryland where he specialized in business and interpersonal communication as well as journalism, mass media and performing arts. As a trainer, he has presented seminars and workshops for private corporations in the United States, Canada, and Europe on effective leadership and business communication.

Educated in the United States where he lived for most of his life, Mr. Nestler received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education and a Master of Arts in Communication from Northwestern University. He currently resides in Germany.

Tina Nicholls

Tina Nicholls is a Cross-Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions with more than 10 years of experience in the training field. Ms Nicholls works with multinationals and relocation companies to provide international assignment related trainings to executives and their families and also to provide cultural awareness programs for executives involved in cross border business projects or Mergers and Acquisitions.

With an academic background in Languages, Ms. Nicholls holds a Double Honours Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Manchester, UK. She obtained a First Degree in French in 1998 and was awarded the Brian Blakey Memorial prize for distinguished performance in the final examinations. In 2000 she obtained a 2.1 Degree in Hispanic Studies with distinction in spoken Spanish. Ms. Nicholls is a British national and has lived and worked in the UK, France and Spain, but delivers trainings throughout the EMEA region. She speaks English, Spanish, French and basic German. In addition to her intercultural training experience she is a Grade A CELTA qualified English language teacher and a guest lecturer on Multiculturalism Management for the Masters of Leadership programme at the University of Castilla La-Mancha. Ms Nicholls has also worked within Multinationals in the fields of Sales and Advertising.

ILDIKO POLYAK

Ildiko Polyak is is a Cross-Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions and one of the first Hungarians who started teaching intercultural communication in business schools in the country in 1995. Currently, she is Head of Management Skills Department at the International Business School in Budapest. In addition, she regularly coaches expatriate managers and their spouses in Hungary on behalf of large international organisations. She has published books to accompany teaching, as well as several articles about her research. Ms Polyak is an active member of SIETAR Europa, and attended most of its congresses as a speaker. She holds a master’s degree in English language and literature. She is fluent in English, and conversant in German.

Maureen Rabotin

Maureen Rabotin is a global executive coach, a cross-cultural training consultant with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions She specializes in coaching and training high-level executives in navigating globalization and multicultural business environments. Since 1996, Ms. Rabotin has designed and facilitated training programs for corporate clients involved in cross-cultural management, negotiations and global team building. A certified Global Executive Coach, Ms. Rabotin has trained more than 450 executives from over 125 Fortune 500 companies.

Ms. Rabotin graduated from Northeastern University (USA), received her coaching certifications from Advantara Institute in the United Kingdom, MOZAIK International in France (ICF accredited), and The Institute of Intercultural Communication both in Oregon (USA) and Winterthur, Switzerland. Prior to founding Effective Global Leadership, she spent five years as European Product Leader for a U.S.-based multinational, and four years as Export Director for a French electronics company. She has travelled and worked extensively throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia; currently, she operates out of France and the U.S. A mentor with the European Professional Women’s Network, Ms. Rabotin is often invited to be a guest speaker at events organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in France, the Franco-British Chamber of Commerce, Le Conseil Générale du Val d’Oise, UFE and ENSEA. She is an active member of the International Consortium of Coaching Organizations (ICCO); the Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research (SIETAR); the International Coaching Federation (ICF); and the American Society of Training Development (ASTD).

Michael H. Rosak

Michael H. Rosak is a Cross-Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions He has joined the dfa after having worked for one of the leading intercultural educational organizations that specializes in long-term cultural home stay programs across the globe. He is also a professional trainer, specializing in capacity building and civil society development in the Middle East. Michael is a certified trainer of the European Federation for Intercultural Learning and a past member of its European Pool of Trainers. Additionally, he is a consultant in public affairs and high-profile events management and a Middle East training coordinator for one of the largest Czech humanitarian organizations.

Mr. Rosak holds degrees in Political Science and International Relations from the Charles University and Security Studies’ Certificate from the Prague Security Studies Institute. Michael’s expertise is concentrated in 10 years of experience in intercultural education, communications, public affairs and training. His geographical areas of concentration are the European Union and Central/Eastern Europe, China and the Middle East. He is currently a National Chairman of the Board of the Czech branch of AFS Intercultural programs, Inc. He speaks Czech, English, Cantonese and Danish. Michael, who has in the past lived in Hong Kong, Denmark and New York, now lives in Prague, training for a number of global clients.

Corinne Rosenberg

Corinne Rosenberg is an intercultural and global diversity training consultant with dfa Intercultural Global Solutionswith twenty years international experience in the design, development and delivery of training workshops and seminars for major corporations, non-profit agencies and educational institutions, in the United States, Britain and across Europe. She has consulted on intercultural issues within mergers and acquisitions, has designed workshops for international HR, for corporate management groups as well as coaching senior managers. This work has included global diversity workshops, expatriate training, multicultural teambuilding, and an 18 month diversity project for the top 1000 leaders in the Petroleum industry. She also runs individual and small group coaching sessions on the management of intercultural careers.

Ms. Rosenberg's holds a BA honors degree in American Studies and an MSc in Strategic Training and Development, in which she has a distinction. She was trained as a counselor, and holds a diploma in Adult Education. She is currently working with ECIS on the International Teaching Certificate. With a strong focus on effective US/European interactions, she ran a longitudinal study over six months to evaluate behavioral change in an EMEA team through group coaching on effective virtual communication, and has published on this topic. While working in the US for twelve years, Corinne developed and instituted a diversity training programme for twenty-eight offices across the United States for the Anti-Defamation League. Prior to this, she was the Senior Trainer and Training Manager for a cross-cultural training consultancy in Chicago. Corinne is a member of CIPD, SIETAR and IFAL. She grew up in the UK, has lived in Israel and the US, and currently resides in London.

Anne Rupp

Anne Rupp is a Cross-Cultural trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions. Originally from Germany, she has been living and working in Spain for nine years and is now based in Barcelona. She provides individual programs for assignees, spouses and children as well as group trainings. Her experience as a trainer comprises the design and delivery of workshops and courses for companies, institutions of public administration, business schools and universities. She has coordinated the creation of an online course on intercultural competence for 20,000 doctors. After her studies in Sociology and Spanish Philology, she was able to gain experience in international collaboration as project manager of a public private partnership project involving Indonesian, German and Spanish companies, as well as in her work as an interpreter in international negotiations. With her practical experience of the opportunities and problems of international collaboration she studied the blended learning training program “Intercultural trainer/coach” at the University of Jena, Germany. Anne is a board member of SIETAR Spain (Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research). She trains in Spanish, German and English and is communicative in French and Catalan.

Karin Schreiner

Karin Schreiner is a Cross Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions. She specializes in cross cultural training, ranging from one-on-one facilitation and coaching to large group training programs. Her programs include expatriate preparation and re-entry, culture specific trainings, cross cultural management, and cultural awareness trainings. She has been teaching at various universities on the subjects of cross cultural communication, intercultural conflict management, and international public relations. She has also designed and delivered a range of executive training programs including culture specific trainings on European countries, India, China, South Korea, and the USA. She is lecturer on cross cultural communication at the University of Vienna and at the Universities of Applied Sciences in Steyr, Linz, Eisenstadt, and Salzburg.

Prior to 2003, Ms. Schreiner lived and worked in different parts of Europe and Asia for 16 years. She was a German language teacher, translator and cultural consultant at International Schools. She holds a Ph.D. in philosophy and social anthropology from the University of Vienna and has a post graduate MA qualification in Intercultural Competences. She is a certified Business Coach and Cultural Consultant. She is fluent in English and French; her mother tongue is German. Since 2003 she has been based in Vienna, Austria.

Nil Sengel-Corbaz

Nil Sengel-Corbaz is a Cross-Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions. She holds Swiss and Turkish passports and is fluent in Turkish, English, French, and Spanish. As the daughter of a military officer Nil lived in 4 major cities and changed 5 schools by the time she was 18.

She holds a BSc in Environmental Engineering and has lived in Malta, Switzerland, Chile, and India. While in India she conducted many cross-cultural training programs and had the opportunity to coach many expats and their families. Nil was also part of the Overseas Women’s Club where she shared her valuable experiences with expats from around the world. She is also an independent writer working with several magazines and newspapers writing on business, economy, society, and lifestyles cultures, both in English and Turkish.

Rita Booker Solymosi

Rita Booker Solymosi is a Cross-Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions. She brings 20 years of work experience as an employee, trainer and employer. Her portfolio reflects her competence and effectiveness in numerous industries including the automotive industry, the Austrian court system and energy sector, production, the EU Commission, and continuing adult education institutions.

A Romanian with Hungarian roots, Rita immigrated with her family to Austria where she continued to develop her multilingual skills and multicultural awareness. She has since acquired international leadership experience in Customer Relations, Marketing and Human Resources which she has demonstrated as a soft skills expert since 1998 in Coaching, Training and Organisational Consulting.

Rita is fluent in Romanian, Hungarian, German, English, Italian and French and is currently studying Russian, Turkish and Hindi. She holds a degree in Psychology, Law and Education from Universität Salzburg and is certified as a trainer and coach. Rita’s continuing passion is the development of intercultural relationships. She has worked with nearly 2000 people in the past 10 years of her career and is a frequent speaker and interview partner at international conferences.

Margret Steixner

Margret Steixner is an intercultural trainer and coach with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions. Lecturing at different universities, Margret specializes in intercultural team-building and leadership. Her programs range from small to big groups and cover a variety of topics from the challenges of expatriation to reentry as well as virtual teamwork and leadership. Building on her training and coaching expertise, she enables knowledge transfer linked to existing experiences and personality aspects of her clients. Margret's strength is the combination of theoretical knowledge with firsthand work and life experience. Her full engagement and familiarity with the methodology of adult education make her trainings an authentic and lively experience.

Margret lived in different African countries and intensively researched the nature of intercultural challenges in her PhD thesis. After completing Comparative Educational Science and Personality Studies at the Leopold Franzens University of Innsbruck, Austria, Margret earned her PhD researching the progression of intercultural competence, based on extensive data collection among development workers. Margret refined her professional knowledge through various intensive trainings and has been accredited as "Associate Certified Coach" by the International Coach Federation.

Adrijana Strnad

Adrijana Strnad is a Cross Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions. She is also an executive coach, leadership trainer, facilitator, and lecturer. She has roughly 15 years experience in the corporate arena, managing high performing teams in the field of Marketing Operations, Communications, and Organizational Development. Holding an endless curiosity in discovering how team dynamics, personal growth and business performance are connected, she helps executives to facilitate organizational change by becoming transformational leaders. She also specializes in Leadership, Organizational Development, and Strategic HR Management.

Ms. Strnad holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering, with a postgraduate degree in Management, as well as years of training and corporate practice in strategic marketing and organizational learning. She is an Associate Certified Coach, member of International Coaching Federation, Coach U ACCP graduate, licensed Coaching Clinic facilitator and Art of Hosting Practitioner. She speaks Croatian, English and Hungarian, lives in Zagreb and works globally.

Sabine Tobback

Sabine Tobback is a Cross Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions Early in 2000, she devoted to teaching Intercultural Management, Communication, Personal Effectiveness, and Leadership for Belgian, European and American Training companies. She conducts individual customized coachings as well as 1-2-3day workshops. She was previously employed by ExxonMobil in the international human resources function for 12½ years, enabling her to gain extensive experience in employee development, handling executive internal coaching, resource planning, job evaluation, job rotation, promotional reviews, and compensation & benefits. She had regular short assignments in the United States, France, and The Netherlands. For several years she also managed the Early European Graduate Interchange Program, which offered international experiences to young graduates.

Ms. Tobback holds a masters degree in economics, with a specialization in corporate management; her undergraduate thesis concerned the impact of shared services within multinational companies. As a young graduate, she supported her father's entrepreneurial business, which was building aluminum structure factories throughout Africa and the Middle East, enabling her to gain living and working experience in that region. She is certified in: MBTI, DISC, OPQ, Core qualities, Covey, Transactional analysis, NLP, Professional Coaching, Social styles, Self Coaching and Practical psychology. Sabine is trilingual (Dutch, French, English).

Roswitha van den Berg

Roswitha van den Berg is a Senior Associate and Cross Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions Her experience in working in multicultural classrooms as well as with teams from different nations, with bicultural and bilingual individuals and families in international settings provided her with a deep understanding of the principal dimensions of intercultural communication, cross-cultural human relations and cultural diversity.

Mrs. Van den Berg was born and educated in Germany. Following her graduation from teachers College in Freiburg (German/English/ Psychology) with a degree in Primary and Secondary Education and after obtaining a ( MA equivalent) degree in Special Education from the University of Heidelberg she has spent most of her professional life as educational specialist abroad, teaching at national and international schools or as a counsellor in private practice. Prior to moving to Switzerland Mrs. van den Berg was already actively involved in various countries in organizations and programs offering training and assistance to newcomers, as well as in developing and implementing the LINK program e.g. in Seoul/Korea. Together with her Dutch husband and two sons she shares the experience, opportunities, and challenges arising from her multiple international moves, from being exposed to and living in different cultures as well as from working in international and multicultural settings.

Bernadette van Houten

Bernadette van Houten is a Senior Associate and Cross Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions She has been working with dfa for over ten years. Her expertise is concentrated in over 25 years’ international experience. Her geographical areas of concentration are the European Union and North America; Latin America, Mexico and the Caribbean; and South East Asia, specifically Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore.

Ms. van Houten holds an MA in Communicative disorders and Education from California State University in San Francisco, and continued studies credits in cross-cultural theory and methodology from the University of Oregon and a certificate in medical anthropology from the University of Amsterdam. She works professionally in English, Dutch, French and Spanish. Bernadette van Houten is Dutch and educated in Belgium and the USA. She lives in Amsterdam and delivers services to companies globally.

Radoslaw Walentynowicz

Radoslaw is a Cross Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions Radoslaw provides consulting and training for western companies and individuals intending to do business or live in Poland. He has provided intercultural training in Poland and the Netherlands and has supported expatriate managers to Poland from Western Europe and the US, as well as expatriate Polish managers in Western Europe, the US, and Russia.

Mr. Walentynowicz studied Dutch Language and Culture at universities in Poland (Wroclaw) and the Netherlands (Utrecht and Tilburg) and received a MA degree. The subject of his master's thesis was "Cultural differences between Polish and Dutch based on interviews with Poles living in the Netherlands and Dutch living in Poland." He provides his services in Polish, English, German, and Dutch. He is also communicative in French and Russian. Radoslaw is co-author of ‘Cultural Detective Poland’. Radoslaw is co-founder of Sietar Polska.

Heather Wokusch

Heather Wokusch is a Cross-Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions. Her international career in education and cross-cultural training has spanned 25 years, eight countries and multiple fields.

After completing an advanced degree in Clinical Psychology, Ms. Wokusch carried out development work in the Philippines. She then spent 12 years in Japan, conducting cross-cultural and language training for academic institutions and international business groups. Currently based in Austria, she has counted global financial institutions and numerous governmental ministries among her coaching and training clients.

Ms. Wokusch specializes in Organizational Development topics ranging from Human Resources and Change Management to Team Building. Leading multicultural teams and leveraging diversity are among her expertise areas.

Alastair Wyllie

Alastair Wyllie is a Cross-Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions. He has 20 years of international consultancy experience with blue-chip companies and a range of public-sector organizations. Industry sectors include oil and gas, drinks, fast moving consumer goods, finance and IT. Public sectors include foreign affairs, spatial planning and sustainable development, economic development, employment and incapacity, social services, health and higher education. International experience includes the Middle East, the Far East, Latin America, the US and extensively throughout Europe. For 12 years, Mr. Wyllie was Head of Secretariat for METREX, the European network of metropolitan city planners, organizing meetings, conferences and EU-funded projects for the exchange of knowledge and know-how in spatial and urban planning throughout Europe, and in European exchanges with the US, Russia, China, Chile and the UEA. He also spent over a year in Yemen, working with expat and Yemeni managers on a multicultural management education and behavioral change program for Yemen LNG. He has an MBA majoring in public-sector management, and a Pg. Diploma in Leadership Mentoring & Executive Coaching.

Sylvie Zikos

Sylvie Zikos is a Cross Cultural Trainer with dfa Intercultural Global Solutions. Her experience as a social worker in France was concentrated in training and guidance for individuals, children, or families confronted with social problems involving two or more countries, as a consequence of international migration or displacement. Based in Greece since 1995, she has provided consulting and training for citizens intending to work and live in the country. She also has experience in HR Management, especially in crisis environment and change management. Counselling, Training, and Coaching bring together her efficiency to help people or organizations to achieve great results through creative solutions.

She has a Professional Master as Social Worker from France (IRTS Lille) and has studied for a post-graduate degree in Politics and Cultural Management at the University of Paris Dauphine. She is a Certified Coach & Team Building (Paris), and NLP Practitioner (Paris). Ms. Zikos is French with Slovenian roots and grew-up in a multicultural environment. She is fluent in French, Greek and English.