our TEAM

At Brave Counsel, I dare to say what's required to challenge the status quo. I operate with integrity, clarity, and kindness—creating brave spaces where trust and challenge coexist, because that's where real breakthrough and sustainable growth happen

For nearly three decades, I've worked in high-pressure, high-stakes situations where I evolved as a strategic change expert and leader in the financial industry. As a Global COO responsible for people, P&L and billion EUR balance sheets, I built and led high-performing, inclusive organisations across London, Germany, and New York.

I now help ambitious founders navigate the messy realities of scaling—turning the tension between growth targets and team dynamics into sustainable, profitable businesses that don't burn out their people or founders.

The transition from large corporate to certified Leadership & Business Coach was driven by a passion for people development and an empathy that leadership can be a lonely place, especially under pressure and uncertainty. My coaching is based on real-world experience and empathy for what it takes to make tough decisions, manage team dynamics, and execute strategic vision.

As a Growth Expert Coach working with the Said Business School at Oxford University I help SMEs develop business plans for accelerated growth as part of the team on the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK programme. I also provide coaching support to the Black Business Residency Programme and its cohorts at Somerset House

Whether you're balancing short-term priorities with long-term vision or building the right teams for scale, I provide the strategic guidance and partnership that comes from having walked this path and created my own version of success – corporate achievement while lifting others and staying true to my values.

 linkedin.com/in/cdacunha 

At The Brave Counsel, we exist to solve for investors by supporting the people who determine their success: the founders. I bring strategic clarity, operational rigour, and real-world empathy to that mission.

I started my career from humble beginnings — as a temp in Financial Services — despite solid academic qualifications. Over time, I rose to executive leadership, including Chief Operating Officer roles in large, complex organisations. I led multi-country transformation programmes, built high-performing teams, and delivered under pressure — all while staying rooted in a strong ethical compass. I know what it takes to build something from the ground

up, and what’s required to lead through complexity. Today, I’m also a founder and co-founder myself. I’ve built two businesses: Aelan Consulting, which supports operational and regulatory transformation, and Empower ESG,

helping financial institutions embed sustainability as strategy. This lived experience informs how I support others — with clarity, challenge, and care.

I’ve mentored early-stage founders accepted into Google and Bank of America accelerators. I’ve sat on the board of a fintech. And I’ve seen first-hand the gap that often exists between founder potential and investor outcomes. Many investors are stretched — high on conviction, short on operational bandwidth. That’s where The Brave Counsel comes in. My core strengths lie in governance, organisational design, operational execution, culture

development, and crisis management. I bring a global perspective, a sharp strategic lens, and a bias for integrity. I challenge founders when it counts and stay committed through the messier middle.

Because when founders are truly supported, investors see better outcomes — and Brave, enduring businesses are built.

At Brave Counsel, we believe in telling it like it is: honestly, safely, and without judgement. That’s a philosophy I live by. I co-founded a business from the kitchen table and 10 years later, we were turning over £1M/month. That journey gave me deep, first-hand experience of what it really takes to launch, scale, and exit a company. Not just the metrics, but the emotional, relational, and operational realities that most business books don’t prepare you for.

I sit at the intersection of sales, operations, leadership and therapy. These are the four pillars that shape how I work with founders and the investors who back them.

Sales was my entry point. I know how relentless it is to win new business while managing the expectations of existing clients.

As COO of CitNOW, I built and led the operational backbone of a fast-scaling company, ensuring every new account was delivered with care and consistency.

As a leader, I navigated the shift from founder doing it all to executive managing teams, tensions, and transitions, often under the scrutiny that comes with external investment.

And after exiting, I trained in psychotherapy because no one tells you how much of this

journey is about you - your patterns, your triggers, your values. But when you understand yourself better, you lead better, and you build stronger relationships, both inside and outside your business.

Brave Counsel exists for those moments when founders hit the messy middle: when scaling creates friction, when investors bring pressure, or when you start questioning your own capacity to lead. I’ve

been there. I know how lonely it can be.

I work with founders and investors who want to move forward with clarity. Whether that’s improving team dynamics, resetting with investors, hitting growth targets, or making brave decisions about your role or future. This means honest conversations and the space to think, feel, and lead

with courage. There’s no single roadmap, but there is a way forward that honours who you are.

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/donnabarradale

MBACP - Member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy