When Malta Changes You: Viviana’s Global Mindset Journey

When Italian researcher and consultant Viviana Premazzi first came to Malta in 2017, she expected a short professional stop, just a few months on a sunny island before moving on. But what she found here changed everything. The country’s energy, diversity, and sense of connection inspired her to stay, rebuild after personal challenges, and eventually launch Global Mindset Development (GMD), a company dedicated to helping people and organisations bridge cultural differences through awareness, empathy, and communication.

Eight years later, Viviana calls Malta home. In this interview, she shares her story with us, one of resilience, discovery, and purpose, and how her journey led her to create a space where global understanding becomes both a skill and a way of life.

A New Beginning in Malta

1. What brought you to Malta in 2017, and what made you feel that this island could become more than just a temporary stop?

At the time, I was living in Washington, D.C., when a job opportunity in Malta came up and I decided to take it. Before arriving, I actually told my boss, who was also a good friend, that I’d probably last three months… or less. But as soon as I landed that end of August, I completely fell in love with the island: its weather, its landscapes, its vibrancy. I was struck by how dynamic, international, and multicultural Malta felt. And here we are, eight years later, still here, still in love with it.

2. You mentioned that Malta played a meaningful role in your personal and professional journey. What was it about life here that first drew you in?

What first drew me in was Malta’s international dimension. Despite being such a small island, it’s a remarkable microcosm of cultures and languages.

That’s something I deeply value, both personally and professionally. My passion and my work revolve around intercultural understanding, and living in a place where I can meet people from all over the world every day feels incredibly fulfilling. Whether it’s through big international events or small daily interactions, Malta constantly reminds me that even a tiny island can feel like the center of the world.

3. What experiences shaped your understanding of cultural differences and global communication?

Before founding Global Mindset Development, I spent nearly ten years working in academia and research in Italy and abroad, as well as consulting for the United Nations and the World Bank. My work took me to over 60 countries, giving me firsthand experience with the beauty and the challenges of cultural diversity. Over time, I became convinced that if we can equip people with the tools and knowledge to approach differences with curiosity instead of fear, we can all thrive, as individuals, organisations, and societies.

Turning Challenges into Purpose

4. How did the idea for Global Mindset Development emerged?

I still remember sitting by the sea one day (after the emergency surgery I had, still in pain and trying to recover from it physically and mentally) with my journal, reflecting on my life and what truly mattered to me. Without realizing it, I started creating what in design thinking we’d call a vision board: identifying what I loved, what I was good at, what my mission and passion were.

Around that time, I was also mentoring young people through JAYE (Junior Achievement Young Enterprise), helping them develop their own ideas and businesses. That experience reignited my enthusiasm and made me realize I could start my own journey too.

I knew I loved connecting with people, training them, and helping them embrace diversity. I realized I was already helping the people around me to develop a global mindset. And I saw that Malta, as it was changing rapidly, needed exactly that: a way to manage change through understanding, empathy, perspective taking and collaboration.

I wanted to help people build meaningful relationships across differences and find common ground in the shared desire to belong, succeed, and live fulfilling lives.

5. What exactly is Global Mindset Development?

Global Mindset Development (GMD) is a training and consulting company that helps individuals and organisations strengthen their intercultural competence, adaptability, and communication skills. We offer mentoring, leadership development, and cultural intelligence programs – all designed to make relocation, collaboration, and global teamwork smoother and more human.
Our mission is to help people thrive across borders and differences by building understanding, empathy, and effective dialogue.

Lessons in Leadership and Life

6. What does having a global mindset mean to you, and how do you help others develop it?

For me, having a global mindset means being open to diversity, not fearing it, but recognizing it, being curious about it, and learning from it. It’s also about self-awareness: understanding who you are while being mindful of others and the broader social, historical, and economic contexts that shape our interactions.

Through my training, mentoring, and consulting, I help people make sense of complexity and navigate it successfully, turning what could feel overwhelming into an opportunity for growth and connection.

Connect with Viviana and learn more about her work and Global Mindset Development:
🌐 gmd-global.com
📧 hello@gmdmalta.com
🔗 LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

7. From your work with expats and organisations, what are the most common challenges people face when adapting to life and work in Malta?

Many people arrive in Malta thinking they already know what to expect, that it won’t be too different from home. But Malta is truly unique, and that can be both exciting and challenging. It’s vibrant and fast-paced, but also a bit chaotic at times. Some struggle with the lack of green spaces or the small size of the island, realizing that to go anywhere beyond Gozo, you need to fly.

Another big challenge, especially evident during COVID, is that expats often lack the local social support networks that Maltese people naturally have. Building meaningful relationships takes time, so I always encourage newcomers to be intentional about creating their networks early, before they find themselves in need of one.

8. Has living in Malta influenced your approach to work or the way you see life?

Absolutely. The sea, in particular, has become my therapy. When I’ve had a busy day or I’m losing enthusiasm, I just take a walk by the water, especially in winter, and it instantly gives me peace of mind and helps me recharge.

Living here has also made me reflect deeply on what truly matters: what quality of life means to me, and how important balance is between work, passion, and personal well-being.

9. Looking ahead, what’s next for you and Global Mindset Development?

My goal is to continue growing globally, as we already do, while expanding our work in the maritime industry. It’s a fascinating field, but also one where the human element is sometimes overshadowed by economic priorities. I recently joined the International Maritime Lecturers Association and attended their conference in Split, Croatia. I’m eager to collaborate more in this space to bring a human-centered perspective and support the well-being of people working at sea.

I’ve also just returned from a four-month program called Semester at Sea, where I taught Intercultural Communication and Global Studies on a ship with 500 students from around the world. We sailed from Germany to Thailand, stopping in Portugal, Morocco, Ghana, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Vietnam, and Hong Kong. It was a life-changing experience, and I hope it marks the beginning of a deeper collaboration — perhaps even bringing the program back to the Mediterranean, as it once was.

A true voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. Recruit the people who want to dream with you.

Viviana Premazzi’s journey is a reminder that sometimes the places we least expect become the ones that shape us most deeply. What began as a temporary move turned into a story of resilience, purpose, and connection.

Through Global Mindset Development, Viviana continues to turn cultural diversity into strength, guiding people and organisations to communicate with empathy and lead with understanding. Her experience in Malta shows that growth often begins when we stop resisting change — and start learning from it.

For Viviana, Malta is more than a home. It is where she found balance, rediscovered her purpose, and built a global mindset that now inspires others around the world.

Hvis du er expat og bor på Malta eller Gozo og har en historie, der er værd at fortælle, vil vi meget gerne høre fra dig - kontakt os via vores sociale medier eller udfylde en kontaktformular via vores hjemmeside.

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