Julia Baptista Leite Araujo

Independent

Trainer

2006, I entered a new stage in my life when I joined the world of work for the first time in Timor-Leste. The first place where I worked was the Institute of Business Development Support (IADE). My first position was Assistant Business Consultant, where I provided support in identifying the difficulties and problems faced by micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Timor-Leste.
In 2007, I was entrusted with the role of Assistant Trainer. My responsibilities included supporting the main trainer by preparing documents and training materials needed for the implementation of training programs. I also had the opportunity to participate in a Training of Trainers (TOT) program, which changed my career path and allowed me to become a Lead Trainer, working with the support of senior trainers. In this role, I delivered training on business skills, financial literacy, and other related subjects. Being a trainer was not only about teaching the subjects but also about monitoring participants, listening to their progress, and collecting data to improve the quality of the curriculum and adapt it to the changing situation in the country.

As my career progressed, I continued to be entrusted with greater responsibilities. From 2009 to 2015, I led the Information and Business Promotion Department. This was my first leadership position, where I was responsible for managing staff and overseeing the development of IADE information and promotional materials. My main responsibility was to improve public awareness of IADE's role in supporting private sector development in Timor-Leste.

From 2015 to 2020, I served as Head of the Business Consulting Department. In this position, I was responsible for leading IADE's team of senior consultants and providing support and assistance to local entrepreneurs throughout Timor-Leste.

From 2020 to 2024, I was appointed Director of Human Resources and Curriculum Development. This was a significant milestone in my career and a position that made a major difference in my professional growth. In this role, I led the modernization of training curricula by guiding a team to review, update, and adapt training materials to better meet the needs of MSMEs. This work helped ensure that the training programs remained relevant and responsive to the changing business environment and the needs of entrepreneurs.
From 2024 until now, I have held the position of director of planing , monitoring and evaluation (PME). I'am responsible for for ensuring that all programs and IADE are running according to strategic vision, their effectiveness is monitored, and they have an impact that is line with the institution's objectives.