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ABOUT JOANA
Joana leads Strategy for EMEA AWS Global Sales, where she supports the Leadership Team in tracing the growth path for the business and defining strategic priorities. Prior to her time at AWS, Joana led Sales Strategy and Operations for South America at LinkedIn’s digital advertising business, and worked in strategy consulting at EY-Parthenon in various international roles. Her previous experience includes working at the UK Parliament, for an American Investment Bank, for an African start-up, and a human rights organization. Joana is an Innovation Fellow at London & Partners, the Mayor of London's Innovation arm. She holds a BSc in Economics and Government, and an MSc in Public Policy and Administration, both from the London School of Economics.
SUCCESS IS ABOUT WORKING ON SOLVING BIG SOCIETAL PROBLEMS WHILE LIVING A HAPPY, BALANCED, AND HEALTHY LIFE.
Joana Santos
JOANA IN A NUTSHELL
Head of Strategy - EMEA
Amazon Web Services
area of expertise
Information Technology Portugal 🇵🇹
companies Joana has worked for
JOANA AS A LEADER
Success is about achieving goals, keeping your purpose, and engaging people. For Joana, success also means being a role model: for her team, for future leaders, and most importantly, for her son. She feels truly successful, attributing it to the many amazing people and projects she has worked with.
Leadership is not autocracy.
Great leaders lead by example.
Nadine Richani
When I think of a leader, I think of a lighthouse - someone setting direction, who you can rely on and trust.
THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT YOU FIND YOUR OWN PATH, BE CONSCIOUS OF YOUR VISION OF SUCCESS, AND TAKE SMALL STEPS EVERY DAY TO REALIZE IT.
Joana Santos
JOANA ON BALANCING WORK-LIFE AND MENTAL HEALTH
Joana emphasizes the importance of identifying internal versus external pressures and being kinder to oneself. By contextualizing work in the grand scheme of things, she regulates negative feelings and communicates this perspective to her team. This approach helps in maintaining a healthy work-life balance, recognizing that not every task is a life-or-death situation, and allowing space for tasks to be completed thoroughly without undue stress.
JOANA ON OVERCOMING CAREER CHALLENGES
Joana faced gender biases early in her career, often being relegated to communication roles due to her being the only woman on many teams. She proactively took on data-driven projects to demonstrate her broader capabilities. Additionally, she navigated the complexities of leading through others by developing her influencing skills and adapting to resource constraints. These experiences taught her the importance of clear expectations management and the need for inclusive leadership.
MY JOURNEY HAS BEEN ENRICHED BY DIVERSE EXPERIENCES AND ROLES, EQUIPPING ME WITH VALUABLE INSIGHTS AND SKILLS, ULTIMATELY MAKING ME A MORE EFFECTIVE LEADER.
Joana on becoming a better leader
INTERVIEW
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