Intercultural consulting and business coaching for international assignments and projects
Are you preparing for an international role abroad or leading a complex project?
Based in Vienna, Austria, I support companies, international professionals and project leaders in making global mobility successful, culturally confident and operationally effective.
Ensuring successful international assignments
Ensuring performance. Stabilising projects. Reducing risks.
Walla Consult supports companies and international professionals throughout every phase of international mobility – with intercultural expertise and structured business mentoring.
The aim is to enable faster integration, effective collaboration and stable performance in new work environments.
Your business benefits
- Faster time to productivity for international employees
- Fewer cultural misunderstandings and project delays
- Lower risk of failed international placements and employee turnover
- More stable cooperation in multicultural teams
- Measurable ROI
My vision: building bridges between cultures
International cooperation works best when people understand not only tasks and roles, but also expectations, communication styles and different ways of working.
My approach
I combine:
- international project experience
- intercultural understanding
- business coaching
to support leaders and teams in working together effectively across cultures.
My focus is practical: helping people recognise strengths, navigate challenges and turn diversity into a real advantage in everyday work.
Project Business Coaching
Supporting project leaders in demanding situations
Learn more ›
Cross-cultural Onboarding | Expat Mentoring
Supporting global mobility
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Mindset Training
Strengthening resilience and confidence
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Typical questions and challenges my clients face
For companies
Supporting global mobility. Strengthening employees. Improving long-term performance.
Global mobility is a key success factor for many organisations.
Without targeted support, cultural misunderstandings, stress and uncertainty often reduce productivity and increase project risks.
Onboarding and mentoring: business value and return on investment
The challenge
International studies show that up to 40% of expat assignments fail within the first 18 months.
- A failed international placement can cost two to three annual salaries per employee
- Without structured onboarding, full productivity is often reached only after 9 to 12 months
- Main reasons include cultural misunderstandings, isolation, stress and lack of support
- The result can be lower productivity, project delays and a higher risk of employee turnover
Sources: KPMG, Relocate Magazine and international mobility studies (2024)
Your benefits
Economic impact
- Potential for significantly reducing failed international placements
- Lower recruiting and project-related costs
- Faster productivity in weeks instead of months
Performance and team stability
- Higher success rates in international assignments
- Reduced friction and more stable projects
Leadership and company culture
- Stronger trust within teams
- Faster integration into the host country, the company and the new team
Employer brand and retention
- Stronger international employer image
- Better employee retention and lower turnover
- Personal support also for accompanying family members
Your result
Lower risk, faster ROI and more successful international assignments.
Services Expat
Cross-cultural Onboarding | Expat Mentoring
Onboarding · Integration · Repatriation
International assignments often become difficult because people face unfamiliar situations, unclear expectations and cultural differences.
The Expat Success Programme offers practical and flexible support to international talent at every stage: before, during and after relocation.
Programme overview
The programme includes practical expat support in Austria for international professionals and families adjusting to a new cultural and professional environment.
It combines practical knowledge transfer, cultural orientation and individual support. The modules can be combined individually or booked separately.
Cross-cultural onboarding
A clear start in the new environment
- Preparing for the destination country
- Understanding the new work environment and expectations
- Clarifying personal goals and practical needs
Outcome: confidence, clarity and a realistic start
Expat Mentoring
Integration and strong performance
- Intercultural support in daily work
- Business etiquette, communication and role clarity
- Working effectively in multicultural teams
- Building routines and social connections
- Stress management and resilience
- Career development and building on strengths
- Feedback culture and team cooperation
- Optional: support for partners and families
Outcome: integration, confidence and professional stability
Return home and further development
Using international experience in a meaningful way
- Structured return and reintegration
- Managing reverse culture shock
- Planning next career steps
- Bringing international experience back into the organisation
Outcome: retention, development and long-term value
Who is the Expat Success Programme for?
The programme is designed for companies that want to support, develop and retain international talent.
It creates value for:
Multicultural teams
that want stronger cooperation and fewer communication barriers
international professionals and leaders
ho want to work successfully in a new environment
HR and global mobility professionals
who want to strengthen onboarding and employee retention
Working together
- Individual 1:1 mentoring in person or online
- Weekly or every two weeks
- Duration: 2 to 6 months, depending on your needs
- Support between mentoring sessions
- Optional walk and talk or intercultural exchange formats
Available in English and German; French available on request
Sessions are available in Vienna and Lower Austria, online and worldwide by phone. This makes mentoring easy to fit into everyday work.
Packages
Cross-cultural onboarding
A safe start for international assignments
2 modules over a period of 2 months
- Personal 1:1 mentoring
- Individual action plan
- Clarifying roles, expectations and work culture
- Support in daily professional and cultural situations
Expat mentoring
Long-term support for sustainable success
6 modules over a period of 6 months
- Ongoing individual support
- Mid programme review
- Final review and development plan
Would you like to explore how we could work together?
Feel free to get in touch.
Services
Project Business Coaching
Are you leading a complex project under high pressure and expected to deliver results?
Many project managers face multiple stakeholders, conflicting expectations, cultural differences and difficult decisions that cannot be postponed.
Drawing on my own international project experience, I support project leaders in handling complexity, making clear decisions and leading effectively even in challenging situations.
The aim is to reduce project risks, speed up decision-making and prevent escalation.
My Approach
Project business coaching is designed for project leaders. In individual coaching sessions we focus on practical project situations: current issues, decision-making, team communication and leadership topics.
What you gain:
- Confidence in applying project management methods
- Development of leadership and communication skills
- The ability to act confidently even without formal authority
- Easier decision-making in difficult situations
- A constructive approach to mistakes and a lessons-learned culture
- Better understanding of cultural differences
- Confidence in dealing with conflict and tension
- A leadership style that fits your project environment
My offer
Monthly 1:1 project business coaching with personal support throughout an ongoing project (coaching only, no operational project involvement)
Monthly scope
- 4 structured 1:1 sessions per month
- Work on specific project challenges
- Joint analysis of the current project context
- Practical measures and next steps for daily project work
- Support in critical decisions
- Preparation for important meetings and conversations
Your results
- Greater confidence and stronger decision-making in daily project work
- More resilience under pressure
- Effective communication in intercultural or conflict-sensitive settings
- Confident leadership in matrix organisations
Optional: Individual workshops e.g. team building
Are you looking to move a project forward?
Schedule an initial consultation. Together we will clarify your objectives and define a strategic path ahead.
Services
Global Mindset – A Key Success Factor for Employees
As a certified mindset coach, I work with employees and executives to develop a strong and adaptable mindset within a professional context.
In today’s dynamic environment, a flexible mindset has become a core competency. Particularly in international assignments, complex projects and periods of transformation, sustainable success depends on the ability to remain adaptable.
The Business Mindset Training supports organizations in strengthening the performance, self-leadership, and decision-making capabilities of their employees in a targeted way.
Key Focus Areas
- Managing professional transitions, reorientation and personal development
- Professional conflict management and team communication
- Developing a strong and focused mindset
- Stress management in the workplace
- Enhancing motivation
- Decision-making in complex situations
- Developing creative, solution-oriented thinking and opportunity awareness
Would you like to explore how we could work together?
Feel free to get in touch.
Client Testimonials
Arash E.
Having Doris as a mentor during my PhD studies in the UK has been an invaluable experience. Although our meetings were held online – with me based in the UK and Doris in Austria – her guidance had a very real and positive impact on both my academic progress and personal well-being. As an international doctoral student, I faced professional challenges, and our regular conversations helped me create more structure, improve my time management and set priorities.
Sandeep M.
During my coaching sessions with Doris, I always felt heard and understood. Through her broad knowledge and business experience, she supported me very well during my adjustment into a new environment and opened new perspectives for me. As an expat, this support was particularly valuable.
Lukas M.
Our online sessions were very valuable and practical for my further development as a project manager. We worked through the relevant topics step by step through focused talks and practical exercises which had a very positive impact on me. Doris has a very approachable way of working and explains complex topics in a simple and clear way. I can fully recommend working with her.
About Me
Doris Walla
Founder of Walla Consult e.U.
Based in Vienna, Austria, I combine international business experience with intercultural expertise and practical expat support for professionals and families.
I was born and raised in the Waldviertel region of Lower Austria, a region shaped by grounded values and a strong sense of community spirit. At the same time, I have always been fascinated by the wider world. This combination of rootedness and openness shapes my work today: building bridges between people, cultures and different ways of living and working.
International experience and professional background
For more than 25 years, I have worked in international business. Living and working in different countries has given me valuable insight into cultural differences, working methods and communication styles. This experience forms the foundation of my work today.
- International commercial project work in corporate environments
- Export and international trade experience
- Experience in international organisations
- Several international assignments and work in multicultural teams
My Path into intercultural consulting
My professional background and my passion for intercultural cooperation have shaped me over many years. During my career, I became increasingly aware of how strongly different values, perspectives and relationship patterns influence project success.
This is why I expanded my focus from traditional project management to project coaching and intercultural mentoring with the aim of strengthening the human side of collaboration.
Qualifications and Training
- Certified Business Coach (TÜV, ISO 17024)
- Certified Mindset Trainer
- Digital Transformation & Change Management Diploma
- Certified Project Manager (IPMA)
- Degree in Export-Oriented Management, International Management Center (IMC Krems)
Further Information
FAQ
Is your approach scientifically based?
Yes. My work is based on recognised methods from coaching, intercultural training, and project management. I work with established intercultural models such as Hofstede, Trompenaars, and the Zurich Resource Model as well as international standards such as PMI and IPMA. Mindset training is used specifically to support performance.
When is project business coaching useful?
It is useful when project leaders experience personal tension, decision pressure, or conflicts within the company or team that cannot be openly addressed. The combination of project management, coaching and mindset training helps maintain performance, reduce risks, and stabilise project results.
Who is the expat programme designed for?
The Expat Success Programme is for international professionals, self-employed individuals, and their partners and families adjusting to a new environment.
When is the best time to start mentoring?
Ideally during the preparation phase, so that practical and personal questions can be clarified early. However, support is also valuable during the stay abroad and after returning home.
What is the difference between coaching and mentoring?
Coaching focuses on your own solution process, for example in dealing with stress, conflict, or decisions. Expat mentoring offers support over a longer period and combines practical guidance with experience-based exchange.
What challenges can arise when returning home?
Reintegration is often underestimated. Many expats experience reverse culture shock after returning because many things have also changed at home. Coaching helps to reflect on these experiences and manage a successful new start.
What is the difference between cross-cultural onboarding and expat mentoring?
Cross-cultural onboarding is a structured preparation for international assignments and helps ensure a secure and effective start. Duration: approx. 2–3 months
Mentoring provides long-term support throughout the assignment and helps ensure long-term success. Duration: up to 6 months for sustainable impact
Contact
In a free initial consultation, we clarify your current situation, your goals, and the next suitable step.
Send me a short message. I will get back to you personally.
Walla Consult e.U.
Mag. (FH) Doris Walla
Expat Career Coach & Mentor / Business & Project Coach
Based in Vienna, Austria