Viviana Silva

Hi, I'm Viviana — engineer, PhD, digital transformation leader, mother, former judo & rowing competition athlete, and a grateful yoga and mindfulness practitioner. Originally from Portugal, 12 years in Germany, almost 3 in the Netherlands.

I believe careers don't grow in isolation from the rest of life. The way we lead and show up at work is shaped by what we're carrying through transitions, what's happening in our bodies, and whether we have anyone to talk to about the harder parts. Professional growth has too often been kept separate from wellbeing, mindfulness, and nutrition. I'm working to bridge them, because leadership becomes much stronger when those parts are integrated.

I help you think clearly about your career and your life as one piece. Whether you're navigating a senior step, planning a transition, or trying to stay yourself through a demanding period, I aim to help you see your options, make decisions you can stand behind, and act with steadiness.

I also offer something often missing in mentoring: space for the difficult conversations. Burnout. Perimenopause. Personal losses. The transitions that don't fit a career-planning template but shape what you can do at work. I don't replace medical or therapeutic support. I offer a circle of trust, a place to bring these things out loud, think them through with someone who has lived through similar territory, and feel less alone with them.

My style is agile, lean, and warm. I take your context seriously and focus on the first concrete steps that unblock the road ahead.

My background spans 25 years across BASF, Cargill, and now dsm-firmenich, where I lead in predominantly male environments. As a former competition athlete, I learned discipline, recovery, how to lose with strength, and how to win with humility. Yoga, mindfulness, and somatic practices came later, and continue to shape how I lead and coach.

Through the Portuguese Diaspora Council (CDP), I'm focused on women in STEM and intergenerational leadership. Alongside my corporate role, I'm preparing to launch my practice in Coaching & Mentoring, and my first book, Yoga for Professional Growth and Leadership.

I typically work with mentees over a six-month arc, with monthly conversations online or in person in The Hague — though I'm open to other settings that fit your goals and pace. I coach in Portuguese and English.

My Mentoring Topics

• Building a senior or strategic career in STEM, engineering, manufacturing, sustainability, or digital transformation

• Navigating complex organizational dynamics: visibility, governance, difficult managers, internal politics

• Integrating professional growth with wellbeing, mindfulness, nutrition, and physical practice

• Holding space for life transitions as a circle of trust, not in place of medical or therapeutic support.