Joanna Catalano
Joanna Catalano is an Executive Coach with The Fast Forward Group. She has significant leadership experience in growing and scaling businesses, building customer relationships, and leading multidisciplinary teams. She acquired a depth of expertise in commercial and digital transformation, M&A, bespoke digital product development, and services delivery, while working cross-culturally in America, EMEA, and APAC.
Joanna commenced her career in economic development partnering with the Ukrainian government on market reform education and micro-lending for female start-ups, as Ukraine transitioned to a capitalist economy. Witnessing disruption at such a significant scale piqued a curiosity both in human and systemic behavior and change that has since guided her professional journey. Over the last 20 years, she’s gathered a holistic view of B2C and B2B businesses, having spent time working brand-side (American Express, Starwood Hotels), for technology platforms (Google) and software businesses (Travelport, Piano.io), as well as leading services businesses (PwC, iProspect).
Joanna’s coaching work has centered around three areas: leadership (specifically change and adaptive) and management, high performance (focus on teams), and diversity and inclusion. Her previous clients describe her as warm, empathetic, insightful, creative, and working with care. She has coached in both the corporate and public sectors, including Google, Rakuten, Intel, The British Army, and UNESCO.
Since a young age, she has been motivated by a commitment to a lifelong understanding and unfolding of self to live a fulfilling life. For the last 30+ years, she has been a people leader (as a student, mom, professionally, and in her communities); for Joanna, the most important aspect of this responsibility is helping those with whom she works to be their most fulfilled selves, as they define it. She is drawn towards the power of coaching in organizational transformation and towards millennials, as the generation stepping into power and leadership roles, given the unique characteristics of this generation – the significant differences from what’s come before for them, what’s happening in our world now, and what’s to follow.
Based in Amsterdam, Joanna holds an MBA in Finance and International Business from NYU Stern. Her coaching certification is the New Ventures West (ICF accredited) and she’s deepened her capabilities working with Aletheia and Neuropower Group. In addition to coaching, she contributes through board advisory and mentorship of both start-up and social impact businesses.