“Creating Young Leaders”

When Giovanna Mingarelli started M&C Consulting in 2010, she wanted the company to reflect the values she was raised on: trust, dignity, kindness, respect, and positivity. Now more than a decade later, these values remain the foundation of her work with clients worldwide, and as she leads her unique team of seasoned professionals across many industries.

“I have always been passionate about executing my clients’ goals, in terms of values and revenue generation and meeting their bottom line and increasing returns on investments. We accomplish our clients’ goals via several specialized services, including: executive branding, go-to-market strategies, crowdsourced awareness campaigns, and innovative digital communication and marketing strategies,” says Giovanna. “In our corporate social responsibility work, we focus on supporting the economic and political empowerment key audiences that include: Millennials (people between the ages of 18-35), Indigenous Peoples, and Women and girls. As a globally-minded leader, I seek ways for my clients to make their workplaces, communities, countries – and even the world – a better place, for all communities.”

To be a successful leader, she also believes it is essential to foster a positive culture in the workplace. “First and foremost, I have learned the power of listening over the years. Listening to your team can help you incorporate amazing and creative ideas into projects – and it can also help you find the right solutions to a problem. I believe in treating everyone on my team with respect and dignity,” she explains. “I have taken this approach to my management style, and it is a value that I champion as Canadian chair and the Chair of the Board of Directors for Global Dignity – a non-profit organization founded by HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway dedicated to uniting everyone with the belief that we all deserve to live a life of dignity.” Giovanna also believes in the power of diversity within an organization. “Often, I work across international borders and cultures and tirelessly network to gain fresh perspectives - which ultimately benefits my work, as well as my clients. Finally, I am always true to my word. I was always taught to never give up and always persevere. When I start a project, I always see it through to the end and remain dedicated to every project that crosses my desk.” All rooted in goodness and humility, these qualities have built M&C’s reputation as a trustworthy company that delivers excellent results.

The years when Giovanna was 18 to 25 years old were her most formative. During this period of her life, she established success in politics. “By the age of 20, I had worked my way up into the Prime Minister’s Press Office – a top job in the Canadian political world. In my mid-20s, I made the major decision to leave politics and start M&C Consulting. With a political background under my belt, this move could have been considered risky to some. But I always believed in myself, and had the confidence to know that I could also achieve success in the business world if I put my mind to it.”

Through her experience, Giovanna is very passionate about inspiring young women aged 18 to 25. That was the age where she made decisions that affected her at the time and still affect her deeply today.

According to the steadfast leader, these years are a very impressionable age, and it’s the time in a woman’s life where she makes choices about who she is and what she believes about herself. To this effect, Giovanna makes it her mission to mentor other women within her team and through volunteer opportunities and speaking engagements to help them grow, build confidence, and achieve success.

“Over the years, I have served as a mentor and role model at my alma mater, Carleton University, as well as on Women in Cloud’s board of directors, Cloud Exec Connect, and #EmpowHerAccess - an annual digital campaign by Women in Cloud to generate greater economic access for women in technology,” she says. “M&C also supports young women through QFLIP, the Queen’s Female Leadership in Politics Conference, as an event sponsor. We will be doing so again for their flagship event in 2022.” IEWL