Maria Fedorova, Strategic Partnerships and Projects Manager at the INSEAD Hoffmann Institute, has built a career at the intersection of culture, academia, and sustainability. In this interview, she reflects on the nonlinear path that led her to where she is today, the importance of mentorship and collaboration, and how education and partnerships can drive long-term change in a complex world.

Interviewed by Anna Marin

You’ve built a career across culture, academia, and sustainability. How has your background led you to the work you’re doing today?

In all honesty, I never had a grand plan. I’ve always followed opportunities that allowed me to learn, grow, and stay financially stable. Much of it happened intuitively, and I still work that way. For me, that’s the most honest and sustainable approach to building a career.

I grew up during a time of political and social instability, just before the collapse of the Soviet Union. My parents always told me and my sisters that education was the one thing no one could take away from us. That idea has stayed with me — the belief that education is a human right and a force for change.

I’ve worked in arts and culture, developed public programmes, managed research projects, and now work in management education. For a long time, I struggled to explain my path because it didn’t look linear. It made me feel insecure, as though I was doing something wrong. Working with coaches helped me reframe my career, not as a ladder, but as a collection of experiences and skills that add value in different ways.

Many women I know feel the same pressure to have a “straight-line” career, and I think we need to normalise that careers are rarely linear. We pause, we change direction, and the world around us changes too. Those twists and turns can actually make us stronger and more flexible leaders.

You mentioned working with coaches and mentors. How did that support influence you?

It was transformative. I’ve been fortunate that almost all my managers were women, and they naturally became informal mentors. Their guidance shaped my confidence and helped me see my potential more clearly.

Later, I had the opportunity to work with a professional coach through my job, which was also life-changing. Coaching helped me “clean the lens” through which I saw myself; it gave me perspective and clarity.

Mentorship and coaching have such power, especially because access to formal education and networks isn’t equal for everyone. Having someone to guide you, challenge you, and help you see differently can make a huge difference.

You’ve organised panels and initiatives at major global gatherings. What, in your view, makes these kinds of events truly impactful rather than just symbolic?

I genuinely believe that global gatherings are important. I’ve attended and organised events linked to the World Economic Forum, COP26, and many others, and next week I’ll be at the IUCN World Conservation Congress.

These spaces matter because we share one planet and are all affected by overlapping crises, like climate change, conflict, inequality or health threats. None of these happen in isolation, so neither can the solutions. Multilateralism, at its core, is about bringing people together to find those shared solutions, leaving no one behind.

But for these events to be impactful rather than symbolic, two things are essential. First, there must be clear commitments and ownership, from governments, businesses, and individuals, about what happens after the event. Second, there must be measurable impact, with follow-up and accountability.

At INSEAD, for instance, we host an annual Impact Entrepreneurship Forum for our alumni. Many are social entrepreneurs, often working alone and facing huge challenges. Bringing them together to share experiences, collaborate, and build relationships helps them walk away with tools and partnerships that truly make a difference.

Partnerships are at the heart of your work. Bringing together businesses, universities, and non-profits around shared goals. What do you see as the most important ingredient in making partnerships successful and lasting?

I like to think of partnerships as connecting dots that didn’t exist before. They’re not just transactional, they’re meant to create links that can lead to new solutions.

To make a partnership truly successful, two things are critical: reflection and dialogue. First, you have to ask whether a partnership is really needed — can we achieve this goal on our own? Then, it’s about understanding your partner’s goals, being transparent about your own, and checking alignment regularly. Sometimes values continue to overlap; sometimes they don’t, and that’s okay. Being honest about that is what keeps partnerships strong and meaningful.

A good example is the Business Schools for Climate Leadership coalition, where schools that usually compete came together to tackle shared challenges. I also love our partnership with ChangeNOW, a summit founded by two INSEAD alumni. It brings together researchers, entrepreneurs, and educators to collaborate on solutions for global challenges. These initiatives work because they are grounded in shared purpose and mutual trust.

Sustainability requires both immediate action and long-term vision. How do you balance responding to urgent challenges with building solutions that last?

That’s such a complex question, and I don’t think anyone has a complete answer. But if I had to choose one key, I’d say education.

Education creates innovation, capacity, and inclusion. It helps build more just and resilient societies. But it’s also important to recognise that education must be inclusive and diverse, it’s not only about academic degrees from elite institutions. We need to value indigenous knowledge, lived experience, and practical expertise.

When we bring these forms of knowledge together through collaboration, mentorship, and continuous learning, we can act both urgently and sustainably. Education gives people the tools to make informed decisions now, while shaping systems that last.

You’ve also given time to volunteering, from orphanages to UNESCO, and chaired a cultural organisation. How have these experiences outside your formal career shaped your perspective and leadership style?

I volunteer because it brings me joy and helps me feel useful. It allows me to meet people outside my professional bubble and understand what drives them. Seeing how others lead and collaborate in different settings is always enlightening.

My views on leadership have evolved over time. A few years ago, I took a leadership course at INSEAD with Professor Declan Fitzsimons who defined leadership around three principles that really stayed with me: self-awareness, self-acceptance, and continuous learning.

Self-awareness means knowing your strengths and limits. Self-acceptance means being okay with the fact that we all make mistakes. And continuous learning is the willingness to keep growing and listening. I try to embody those values.

In practice, this means being authentic and humble, it’s okay to say “I don’t know” in a meeting. I also make a habit of asking for feedback, not just from managers but from my team. Their insights are invaluable, and it helps build trust. Leadership shouldn’t be about authority; it should be about openness and learning together.

Looking at today’s challenges, from climate change to social inequality, many people can feel overwhelmed or powerless. Based on your journey, what would you say to someone who wants to make a difference but doesn’t know where to start?

I feel that way too, quite often. Especially since becoming a mother, it’s made me think deeply about the kind of world my daughter will grow up in. It’s okay to feel scared, angry, or powerless. Those feelings are valid. But they don’t mean there’s nothing we can do.

My advice would be to start with something that gives you a sense of purpose, not external validation. We are not our titles or our LinkedIn profiles. There’s more than one version of success.

Second, start local. You might not solve global inequality on your own, but you can take action in your community — in your school, your neighbourhood, your sports club. Small, consistent actions add up.

Third, find mentors and peers. Surround yourself with people who listen, challenge, and inspire you. Networks like WIL exist exactly for that reason, to lift each other up.

And finally, just start. Don’t wait to feel ready or perfect. I believe imperfection is beautiful. What matters most is that we do something.