ABOUT ME

Hello, I'm Giulia Donato.

Anyone who knows me knows that, despite my height of 155 cm, I bring quite a lot of energy into the room, together with curiosity, courage and a sharp eye for recognising patterns and connecting things.

I was born and raised in Sicily, studied literature and communication sciences in Milan, and moved to Germany after my studies with a clear ambition: to work in advertising and understand how brands create meaning, trust and desire. When I arrived in Berlin, I barely knew anyone and German was still a real challenge. But complexity has never stopped me. More often, it is what makes things interesting.

Over the past 18 years, I have worked in leading advertising agencies and strategy consultancies, advising brands and organisations on positioning, brand strategy, communication and storytelling. My clients have included BMW, Lufthansa, DATEV, WWF, Ehrmann, Barmenia, Ravensburger, Vorwerk, LMU Munich and others.

Today, I work as an independent brand and communication strategy consultant, with a growing focus on expert-led businesses: IP professionals and IP-related organisations, consultancies and B2B companies operating in complex markets.

This focus draws together many parts of my experience: strategic thinking, brand positioning, storytelling, audience understanding, facilitation, coaching and the ability to make complex value tangible without making it simplistic.

Through my work with the IP Business Academy, my consulting projects with IP-related organisations and my teaching in Brand Storytelling, Thought Leadership and Personal Branding at Munich Business School, I keep returning to one question:

How can strong expertise become more visible, more relevant and more trusted in the market?

In expert-led businesses, value lives inside people: in their knowledge, judgement, experience and perspective. But that value does not automatically become clear to clients, stakeholders or the wider market. It needs structure, language and a strategic narrative that makes it recognisable and easy to choose.

That is where I come in.

I bring clarity to scattered strengths, arguments and messages. I help experts and organisations understand what they should be known for, how their value creates relevance and how their communication can build trust, support differentiation and drive business development.

I live near Munich with my husband and three children. Working as a mother and solo entrepreneur has sharpened many of the qualities I also bring to client work: structure, resilience, pragmatism, empathy and the ability to keep perspective when things get complex.

My belief: strong expertise deserves strong strategic clarity. With the right positioning, a clear narrative and the courage to show what truly creates value, expert-led businesses become easier to understand, easier to trust, and easier to choose.

• Born and raised in Catania, Sicily; based in Germany since 2008 — first in Berlin, then Munich (from 2009); mother of three.

• 2001–2007 Studied Literature and Communication Studies at the Università degli Studi di Milano (BA and MA)

• 18+ years of experience in advertising, communications and brand consultancy across agencies and companies in diverse sectors — B2B and B2C, from DAX-listed corporations to start-ups

• 2020–2021 Training as a systemic coach, ECA-certified

• Since 2022 Adjunct Professor of Brand Storytelling, Thought Leadership and Personal Branding at Munich Business School

• Since November 2023 Freelance strategist and coach

• Since May 2025 Content contributor and visibility advisor at the IP Business Academy

• SELECTED CLIENTS

  BMW, MINI, GWM Motors, Lufthansa, DHL, DATEV, Barmenia, LMU Munich, Venturini IP, IP Business Academy, MediaMarkt Saturn, Henkel Cosmetics, Vorwerk, Ehrmann, Burger King, Schweppes, WWF, Fressnapf