Danusia Malina-Derben: Spunk, Noise, and a Whole Lot of Wisdom
Danusia Malina-Derben, speaker, organizational leadership consultant, researcher, podcaster, author - and mother of 10 - begins with her story of growing up in the rural southwest of England, longing for human connection and the energy of the city.
At 19 she moved to a small mining town two hours outside of Johannesburg, South Africa. There, informed by the obvious, everyday inequities of Apartheid, Danusia grew very worldly very quickly. We dig into power structures and disruptive behaviors within organizations and society at large, and explore what it means to be a conscious parent. We dig into the struggles fathers face in a world where men expressing their vulnerability are still the exception rather than the rule.
Danusia Malina-Derben is a lifelong entrepreneur and straight-talking consultant.
After earning her PhD scholarship, Danusia rose from ESRC Research Fellow to senior levels as an Organisational Behaviour (OB) and Development expert. Much of her academic research focused on cross-cultural research & impact in OB. She has authored more than 30 international articles and book chapters and remains one of a select few in the United Kingdom to secure publication in the prestigious US-based, Academy of Management Journal on cross-cultural methodology.
After leaving her tenured academic post she became an authority on C-level execs and Boards. Described by others as a ‘pocket dynamo’, Danusia’s straightforward interventions [combined with her humour and warmth] bring results. Her expert level knowledge and background in cross-cultural Organisational Behaviour and Development have enabled her to work impactfully with clients in Europe, North America, Asia, Australasia, Africa and Antartica.
In 2018 Danusia launched the School For Mothers (SFM) Podcast. Through this show and work with progressive organisations, School for Mothers upends old narratives and practices that limit the potential of individual mothers and those collectively within businesses. Her book “NOISE: A Manifesto Modernising Motherhood” (Triumph Press, 2021) set out new paradigms for ambitious mothers who want more than mere balance. The Telegraph broadsheet called it, “a complete debrief of motherhood”. Danusia also hosts a second business podcast, the School for Fathers (SFF) Podcast. Since 2019 she’s been interviewing men in business about success, family, and fatherhood identity. In May 2022, her latest book, “SPUNK: A Manifesto Modernising Fatherhood” (Triumph Press) landed in bookstores and was featured in a Metro interview as a “thought-provoking problem-solving roadmap causing a stir for modern fathers”.
Danusia is a dynamic media contributor on future C-level trends, cultivating women's leadership and debates about careers and family. She is also a mother of ten including her “last baby', triplets of nine years old. She lives in Somerset, UK with her family and mini sausage dog, Dickie.