Mariana Barros

Mariana is one of our Global Partners, providing deep regional insight and experience from her decades of intercultural training experience in Brazil.

She is an interculturalist with a Master’s degree in International Relations from the Program San Tiago Dantas (PUC/SP, UNESP, and UNICAMP) and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from PUC/SP. Mariana has lived, worked, and/or studied in France, the US, Equatorial Guinea, and Thailand.

Mariana is the founder of Differänce Intercultural, an intercultural training and consulting firm. She is a former president of the Society for Intercultural Education, Training & Research (SIETAR) Brazil and has more than 20 years of experience in intercultural communication and assistance to expatriates.

As the director of Differänce Intercultural, Mariana has extensive experience as a trainer and consultant in communication, negotiation, business management, and diversity & inclusion in Brazil and abroad. In addition, she organizes workshops and lectures on Brazilian’s cultural mindset, interculturality, and intercultural communication.

She works with large Brazilian companies – such as Banco do Brasil, Braskem, BRF, and Vale – that are in the process of internationalization. Mariana also assists foreign multinational corporations, such as BUNGE, Deloitte, Samsung, and Whirlpool, in their processes of integration into the Brazilian market.

Fluent in Portuguese, English, and French, Mariana was the first ambassador for InterNations, the virtual platform for expats. She is a lecturer at major universities and institutions.

Since 2013, she has delivered intercultural training for immigrants and refugees arriving in Brazil, a project that SIETAR Brazil hosted in partnership with MISSÃO PAZ. More than 20,000 people have benefited from the training.