About
People Development Strategist · Consultant · Workshop Facilitator · ICF ACC Coach (Credential Pending)
I grew up wanting to be a diplomat.
I loved the possibility of learning languages and other cultures. I wanted to help people understand each other across difference. I moved from Rio de Janeiro to Montreal at thirteen, then landed in Kansas for university. Connecting across difference was something I learned young. As I entered the workforce, I quickly realized this would be a key enabler to success in my career.
The career nobody would have called "people development"
For over 20 years, I led global supply chain operations. Demand planning. Financial forecasting. Inventory. The kind of work that gets measured in spreadsheets and quarterly reviews.
And yet, I became the person people came to when they wanted to grow.
I built training programs nobody asked me to build. While at HAVI (McDonald's account), tms , (Starbucks account), Krispy Kreme, Sears and Payless. I did that because I could see what was missing and knew how to fill it. I mentored people across levels, functions, and time zones. I had development conversations that were not in my job description. My direct reports went on to build remarkable careers. My mentees got promoted, more than once, and still call me years later.
I did all this because I couldn't help it. People development isn't a skill I picked up in a certification program. It's who I am. It just took me twenty years to make it official.
What I Bring to this work
I come from the operational trenches, not a training department. That means I think analytically, understand business context, and speak the language of the leaders I work with. When a CEO tells me her managers are underperforming, I can directly see how this problem impacts the business.
It also means I've earned my credibility the hard way. I've managed and collaborated with teams across Inidia, Poland, Germany, China and the Philippines. I've navigated the miscommunications, the broken trust, the cultural friction that quietly kills team performance. I've learned (in real time, in real organizations) what it actually takes to build a team that trusts each other and moves together.
I grew up in Brazil and built my life as an immigrant in North America. I've become fluent in 5 languages (and learning more!). I raised two children as a single mother. I built a corporate career and, later, an entrepreneurial one. Those experiences shaped my character. They also sharpened my ability to see people, to listen, and to understand real resilience.
Beyond the consultancy
I'm also the founder of Filled Cups, a connections community in Charlotte built around the belief that real belonging doesn't happen by accident. It has to be designed. I'm currently completing my ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential, and I'm on a path toward graduate school and a future licensed clinical practice.
All of it (the consultancy, the community, the clinical path) is really one body of work. Helping people connect: with each other, within their teams, and with themselves.
If you're looking for someone who will tell you what you want to hear, I'm probably not your person. If you're looking for someone who will tell you the truth, roll up her sleeves, and actually help you build something, let's talk.
Degrees & Certifications:
ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC) — in progress, International Coaching Federation
Leadership and Influence — University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business
Empathy & Emotional Intelligence — UC Berkeley
Leadership Fundamentals — HarvardX
Emerging Leaders Cohorts — HAVI (2022) and Sears Hometown & Outlet (2016)
Toastmasters — advanced speaking and facilitation
MBA Coursework (Finance, Statistics, Operations) · Washburn University
Bachelor of Science, General Studies · University of Kansas (Full-tuition IIE Scholarship) - Film Studies & Women's Studies Double-Major
At the end of every engagement, my goal is the same: the people I worked with should be more capable, more connected, and more confident than when we started.
* I've worked with global teams in India, Poland, China, Hong Kong, Germany, Netherlands, UK, Philippines, Ukraine, Belarus, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Brazil, and of course, the USA, where I am based. I've also lived in Brazil, Canada, the USA, and Poland
Global Highlights
I had the extraordinary privilege of working with global teams across Poland, India, China, Germany and the UK.
Poland Planning Office Implementation
Led and orchestrated a major implementation in southern Poland. Planned, hired, and trained a team of 43 (managers and planners)
India SPEED program
Designed and carried onboarding supply chain planning training program for college graduate hires.
China Manufacturing
Improved communication process for capacity planning between Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Seattle offices.
Experience
Location
Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, I work with organizations across the Southeast and travel nationally for on-site workshops and leadership programs.
Location
Charlotte, North Carolina
Availability
Flexible hours
Fernanda Brasileiro
People Development Consultant & Strategist
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