About Alena
Meet Alena Ipanova
Leadership and Team Development Partner for Global Organisations
Understanding what sits behind behaviour.
I work with leaders and teams who want to collaborate more effectively, understand the people they work with and lead with greater confidence in complex environments.
My perspective comes from a combination of psychology, leadership development and international business experience. I was born in the Ural Mountains and have lived and worked across different countries and cultures. My first international project management role involved changing countries almost every month.
I learned that having a clear plan and good intentions does not automatically mean people will understand one another or work well together. Different expectations, communication styles and assumptions can create friction even when everyone is working towards the same goal.
That experience became a central part of my work: helping people understand what sits behind behaviour and giving leaders practical ways to turn that understanding into better collaboration.
For more than 15 years, I have worked with organisations, leaders and professionals globally. My work combines behavioural science, cultural intelligence, coaching and team development to address the challenges people face in real working environments.
Experience and credentials
- 15+ years in psychology, leadership and international business
- Experience working with 200+ organisations across 10+ industries
- 5,000+ professionals trained in intercultural competence
- Experience supporting engineers and professionals in international working environments
- Executive coaching and leadership development experience
- Three master's degrees
- PCC-level coach training through Erickson, 2018
- Global DISC Licensed Practitioner, ICQ Global
- CQ Certified Facilitator, Cultural Intelligence Center
- Growth Zone 2.0 Accredited Practitioner
- Decision-Making Intelligence Licensed Practitioner, ICQ Global
- High-Performance Team Training, LIM Singapore
- University guest lecturer and Executive Contributor, Brainz Magazine
I believe that better collaboration starts when we become curious about what we do not yet understand. My role is to help leaders and teams turn that curiosity into insight, practical action and lasting development.
What people say
Her ability to connect with a diverse audience and translate complex concepts into practical, actionable guidance made her contribution truly impactful.
Lia Ehnberg
Interim Director of Employee Experience at Web Manuals International AB
Alena brought a highly engaging and insightful session, filled with practical information, thoughtful reflection points, and clear development areas. What stood out the most was her strong focus on cultural awareness.
Marco Castaldo
Senior Director – Digital Factories
Alena has a wonderful ability to connect with people and make them feel at ease, which creates an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions.
Anna Engqvist
Global People & Culture Manager
Alena's knowledge, patience, experience and passion make for lively sessions that need concentration and deep reflection. I could not recommend Alena enough. I can't believe what we achieved in only six hours.
Annie Gray
Global Customer Success Leader
Alena is my go-to person for all things leadership, intercultural communication and team dynamics. She always offers a new perspective on team and individual leadership and how we can use our authentic voices to create a more meaningful impact in the organisations we are part of.
Andreea Iosub
Data and AI Strategy and Transformation
Working together with Alena was an eye-opening experience. The tools given by Alena through our one-on-one sessions have helped me create tangible results within team development.
Martin Thunholm
Business coach & Open innovation lead
She is a true professional on stage, where she conveys concrete value to the participants with deep knowledge and a sympathetic approach. She received the highest marks from the participants every time and I can't help but agree.
Marcus Ödlund
Culture & Community Manager at Spintr
Alena does not just talk the talk, she also walks the walk. She brings a calm manner and flexible approach to explain what can be some difficult concepts to understand, breaking these down and making them easy for people to consume and understand.
Sebastian Graça Da Silva
Senior program manager in international development
Your next step
Ready to see how your team really works?
You do not need to have all the answers before starting. You need a clear understanding of the challenge and a useful next step.
In a free 30-minute discovery call, we can discuss your goals, explore what may be getting in the way and decide whether Team Map, a workshop or a longer development partnership is the right fit.