About - Walking Mentorship

Walking Mentorship | The Story

The concept took almost twenty years to prepare. Supported by research along with hundreds of walks with family, friends and their friends, the Walking Mentorship was created.

At the end of 2015, the first groups hit the road with their backpacks. Since that day, hundreds of people worldwide have joined our different outdoors and online programs.

João Perre Viana founded the Walking Mentorship, and a few years later, was joined by Nuno Santos Fernandes as a partner. Based on an innovative service model, the WM has been partnering with different co-mentors from various geographies and organizations committed to unleashing their teams' full potential. Always walking, always in nature.

Our mentors

Cristina Barradas - Mentor at Walking Mentorship

João Perre Viana Founder and Pioneer of Walking Mentorship

João considers himself a citizen of the world. He was born in Portugal, finished high school in the U.S., and completed an MBA in Belgium. His corporate career took him to Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa.

He has acquired extensive experience as a business mentor in multinationals, accelerators, incubators, and corporate programs throughout his personal and professional life. João is the Founder of Walking Mentorship and author of the book Dont count the kilometres. He is also a guest lecturer at EADA in Spain, Lviv Business School in Ukraine, and Católica Porto Business School in Portugal. João is a member of the Transformational Travel Council, Connections the international private community for senior executives, the International Network of Mentoring Researchers, a European Mentoring & Coaching Council member, and an Associate of the International Mentor Network.

Nuno Santos Fernandes Partner of Walking Mentorship

Nuno loves to look for the path less travelled, challenging limits and developing with likeminded people. Nuno graduated a Public Relations and Publicity degree at INP and later on, completed the Advanced Management Program for Executives at Católica - Lisbon School of Business & Economics, focusing on leadership and people management and motivation.

Entrepreneurship is a constant driver, and from very early Nuno started and managed several businesses in such diverse areas as a marketing agency for night clubs, agriculture and forestry, a dog hotel, real estate management, a group of veterinary clinics to running an environmental NGO.

He has extensive experience in creating and developing businesses and mentoring teams in diverse working environments.
Nuno is an accredited Senior Practitioner by the EMCC and a Kaospilot Learning Arches Design practitioner.

Nuno is a member of the Transformational Travel Council, Connections - the international private community for senior executives, ATTA - the Adventure Travel Trade Association, the International Network of Mentoring Researchers.

Cristina Barradas Mentor at Walking Mentorship

Cristina is passionate about people and life and how all interconnects. She was born in Mozambique, lived in Belgium, France, UK and currently in Portugal. She completed a PhD in Life Sciences and built a successful career in R&D, Project and Change Management and Supply Chain in top Universities and industries of renown within food and chemical-pharmaceutical domains.
She has 25 years of experience leading global teams in Asia, USA and Europe.
Enthusiastic about the art and science of Project and Change Mangement and People's growth, she is now focused on Coaching and Mentoring. Integrity and trust being core values, she chose to be an ICF Coach and practice in alignment with its code of ethics and core competencies. She is a Mentor at Walking Mentorship and believes that mentoring elevated by walking in nature is the perfect mix to unlock people's potential.
She is a guest lecturer within Executive Master of Program and Project Management at ISCTE Executive Education.

Our methodology has four moments

1. Slow down

Clear your Mind

Slow down with mentoring support in a trustworthy space where you can focus, clear your mind and gain perspective. You can join our programs, online, individually or with your corporation.

2. Reconnect with yourself

Simplify Life

Reconnect with yourself, the people around you and the environment. This is an opportunity to simplify life and go back to basics, naturally, step by step, just like walking. Align your thoughts with your pace.

3. Gain perspective

Understand what is Essential

Either you have an important personal or professional decision to make, or you just need a moment to reconnect with yourself and a way to recharge your batteries. This is something only you can do.

4. Take action

Create a Vision and an Action Plan

By the end of each program, you will revisit your ultimate purpose and ignite your passion to achieve the fundamental vision of your life. You will gain a deep understanding of what truly motivates you and the ability to turn it into an action plan.

See our programs

Our clients’ experience

If you happen to be in the Walking Mentorship, there is no coincidence.

If you happen to be in the Walking Mentorship, there is no coincidence. You are, probably, at the point where you need to find a Truth, which once you knew, and that now you need to reconnect to. WM is a safe voyage, both ways: inside and outside, with peers, travellers, and seekers just like you. I recommend it to anyone who is willing to make some important insights, after which you will never be the same. And after which, you will surely, want to recommence. Because, once you start walking with João, you cannot stop walking.

Mladenka Perroton

Poet, Writer and Life coach

A joyful journey of self-discovery towards a more meaningful and fulfilling life.

Walking with Joao was a joyful journey of self-discovery towards a more meaningful and fulfilling life. We all have doubts about our choices, both personal and professional. The mentorship shows we also have the answers. Awareness and purpose help you focus your energy on what really makes a difference. The ideal future is at our reach and Joao helps build the compass.

André Veríssimo

Senior Reporter | Redator Principal

An intense experience of deep learnings, self-discoveries and reconnection with myself.

An intense experience of deep learnings, self-discoveries and reconnection with myself while enjoying gorgeous nature, outstanding places, meeting and making friends with unforgettable people. Joao is the bond of this program, the orchestra man who makes this journey fantastic music appreciating and appraising the role of each person in the group.

Natalia Morozova

General Manager – SIA Chocolette Confectionary

It looks like walking, but in the end, it's thinking and crystallising the best ideas.

It's difficult to find a program more physically and intellectually intense. It looks like walking, but in the end, it's thinking and crystallising the best ideas which you have in your head. The venues are fantastic, the route is beautiful and on top, you are supported by a fantastic Mentor, with whom spending a week is a real treasure.

Vladislav Burda

President at Family Business Network Ukraine

Peter Hawkins - Podcast keep walking with me

Keep walking with me Podcast

Hope emerges from the dialogue between people. Nuno and Joao bring the inside look in the life of the beautiful people they walk with, the living proof that we are a lot more alike than we think. Everything is wrapped with a guest and music.

Listen our last episode here

Scientific Papers

All

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We combine nature, walking and mentoring into a tool of self-development