Daniela Draugelis is an accomplished cross-cultural professional with over 20 years of experience working with non-profits, international education, tech startups and Fortune 500 companies, throughout the US, Africa, Middle East, Asia and Latin America. Throughout her career and personal life, Daniela has learned how to successfully navigate different cultures to build positive, long-lasting relationships and develop impactful programs that deliver results. She has a deep knowledge of the issues and challenges affecting global businesses and is passionate about supporting families and individuals through cross-cultural transitions.

Ms. Draugelis was born in Argentina in a family of Lithuanian immigrants. Growing up in a multicultural, multilingual environment she developed intercultural dexterity, constantly shifting frames and adapting behaviors to different cultural contexts. She moved to the United States in 1994 to join the Latin America operations of a large multinational corporation. In addition to her extensive experience traveling and working internationally, she lived with her family as an expatriate in China for seven years, and in Indonesia for two years. Since her return to the USA in 2017, she has been supporting relocating families as an Intercultural Trainer and Destination Services Consultant, as well as developing and delivering in-person and virtual workshops and social events as the co-chair of the DC affiliate of Families in Global Transition (FIGT-DC).

Ms. Draugelis holds an MBA from the Catholic University of Argentina (UCA). She is a Certified Intercultural Trainer from the Interchange Institute (Crossing Cultures with Competence) and has completed Purdue’s University Cultural Intelligence (CQ) course. She is a member of Families in Global Transition (FIGT), Society for Intercultural Education and Research (SIETAR-DC), World Bank Family Network (WBFN), DC Lithuanian-American Community (DCLAC) and Lithuanian Foundation (LF). She is fluent in English, Spanish and Lithuanian and conversational in Mandarin, and currently resides with her family in Arlington, Virginia (USA).

Contact Daniela at nominations@figt.org.