Joana Proença de Carvalho

With more than 25 years of professional experience in the Human Capital Area, Joana has successfully developed projects across sectors including Engineering and Construction, Telecommunications, Industry, Media, Health, and Utilities. Her expertise spans both Executive Search and Consulting, encompassing corporate governance, organizational development and human capital.

Joana began her career at Andersen Consulting, where she served as a consultant in the Human Capital area. She later joined Heidrick & Struggles, playing an integral role in the development and launch of the Leadership Services practice in Portugal and the SELA region (South Europe and Latin America). Her next challenge was at Brandia Central, a group of branding and communication companies, where she held executive positions and was responsible for human resources and support operations in Portugal, Angola, and Brazil. A move to Brazil brought her the opportunity to become a Partner at FESA Company, the largest executive search firm in Brazil. During her tenure, she successfully launched consultancy services and led projects in major cities such as São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Brasília, and Belem.

Joana joined Signium in 2017 as Partner and led the global Leadership Consulting practice group from 2020-2023.

Joana holds a Management Degree from ISCTE and has obtained a certification in Life & Executive Coaching from the Integrated Coaching Institute (ICI). She also completed the Advanced Program for Non-Executive Directors from IPCG (Instituto Português de Corporate Governance). She is fluent in English and Portuguese.