Lissa Appiah

Certified Career Transition & Job Promotion Coach | Career & Leadership Development Workshop Facilitator | Speaker & Trainer | Canada's Top 100 Black Women to Watch of 2022

Are you an introverted professional delivering strong results yet still not getting the recognition, promotions, or leadership opportunities you deserve? You are not alone!

Research shows introverts with a bachelor’s degree earn $290K less over their careers than their extroverted peers, and $760K less with advanced degrees. Many workplaces reward visibility over quiet impact.

It is no surprise that 65% of senior executives view introversion as a barrier to leadership, and only 6% believe introverts have the people skills to lead teams. Without intentional positioning and visibility, many introverted professionals are overlooked despite strong performance.

And I get it... as an introvert, I once believed I had to act extroverted to succeed. Everything changed when I learned how to build a professional brand aligned with my strengths. I landed 5 promotions in under 8 years and eventually became a LinkedIn Top Voice, using visibility strategically to expand my opportunities and influence.

Today, I help introverted professionals do the same through The Introvert Leadership Method. This system helps high-performing professionals build visibility, communicate their impact, and position themselves for leadership roles and higher compensation without acting out of character.

💡 Through this approach, you will learn how to:

✔ Position your résumé, LinkedIn, and professional brand so your value is clear

✔ Build visibility and credibility without draining your energy

✔ Communicate your impact in interviews, promotion discussions, and leadership conversations

✔ Position yourself for promotions, leadership roles, and higher-paying opportunities

📈 Client Results

“Shortly after working with Lissa, I received a job offer exactly aligned with the role I was seeking.” — Anna Savelyeva, Director of Programs

“Lissa’s program gave me the tools to land new roles, negotiate better salaries, and not sell myself short.” — Linda Adwoa Aidoo, Certified Finance Professional

“Her coaching gave me clarity, confidence, and opened doors to new opportunities I never thought possible.” — Grace Udodong

🏆 Featured in: The Globe and Mail • Fortune Magazine • LinkedIn News • CTV News

👉🏽 Ready to turn introversion into an advantage and position yourself for leadership roles?

📩 Message me on LinkedIn or book a discovery call at weapply.ca

Founder, Career & Leadership Development Workshop Facilitator

We help organizations develop and retain talent through career and leadership development workshops or programs. As a Workshop Facilitator & Keynote Speaker, my signature presentations are: 

"Building with LinkedIn: Mastering LinkedIn for Career Success"
"Brand You: Unlocking the Power of Personal Branding to Stand Out in Your Career"

All our workshops and coaching programs are customized based on your organizational needs.

Miltenyi Biotec

In my current role, I have the incredible opportunity to manage two distinct product lines, each with its own unique challenges and rewards. One of these products is a software that controls an instrument crucial for cell sorting in cell therapy. It's humbling and inspiring to be involved in a project that directly impacts lives. Our goal is to not only treat this vital instrument with the utmost respect but also to provide a software solution that meets the rigorous standards of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) while advancing modern cancer research and treatment.

The other product I manage is an analysis software designed specifically for spatial biology. It's a field that excites me because it holds the promise of transforming sequencing data into actionable biological insights, potentially revolutionizing how we understand and treat diseases.

Every day, I work closely with cross-functional teams, gathering requirements, understanding the market landscape, and identifying unmet needs. It's about translating our strategic vision and knowledge into tangible, actionable items for the developer teams.

In my role, I take pride in not only developing the vision, strategy, and roadmaps for these projects but also in facilitating stakeholder discussions, spearheading product releases, and introducing agile methodologies to enhance team efficiency and adaptability. It's more than just project management; it's about nurturing a passion for the products we're developing and ensuring they make a meaningful impact in the world.

Software Project Manager / Product Owner

Omixon

As a Product Owner, I was an integral part of an Agile software development team, serving as the voice of the customer internally. Working closely with the Head of Product Management, I contributed to the development of software that had a significant impact on society, directly contributing to improved transplant outcomes in histocompatibility labs.

As the liaison between the software development team and stakeholders, I played a key role in building a product vision and roadmap aimed at maximizing value for our customers. This involved capturing, negotiating, and defining functional and user value requirements, as well as maintaining a prioritized backlog of epics and user stories aligned with the product roadmap.

My responsibilities included gathering requirements, writing user stories, and managing sprint setups to ensure efficient product development. I actively participated in all scrum ceremonies, providing regular updates to the Head of Product Management on feature progress. Additionally, I facilitated trust and visibility by regularly demoing progress and promptly addressing any necessary adjustments based on R&D output and timelines.

I also played a crucial role in supporting product rollouts, writing and reviewing release notes, and handling other necessary documentation, including regulatory documents such as the Post Market Surveillance Evaluation Report.

My role necessitated extensive cross-functional collaboration with departments outside of R&D, such as Marketing, Sales, Field Application Scientists, Technical Support, and Regulatory and Quality Management, ensuring successful product design and launch.

Software Product Manager / Product Owner

Citi

I was part of the Data & Executive Reporting Team within the Citi Program Management Council, Global Program Management Office.
I was responsible for monthly executive status reports and ad hoc requests for senior executive management and regulators.
I was leading the creation and publication of the monthly Key Initiative Status Report.
I have created PM Training Materials and Team Process Documentations.
I was part of the complete rebranding of the report, enhanced the report with data visualization dashboards.
I was helping with testing tasks during data migration between different Project Tracking Systems to ensure accuracy of historical data.

During my work I dealt with problems independently while applying systematic and analytical thinking, knowledge of data analysis tools and methodologies.
I was breaking down information in a systematic and communicable manner with great attention to detail.
I was working in tight coordination and collaboration with other virtual teams, focusing on quality and timeliness of service provided as it strongly affects the effectiveness of own team and other closely related teams.

Program Management Senior Analyst

Xerox

I have been delivering complex end-to-end localization projects of marketing, medical and online learning materials in 25 languages from planning, through execution, controlling and monitoring to closing by leading cross-functional, virtual project teams.

Responsibilities: 
 - Motivate the project team to fulfil project objectives and optimum business results throughout the whole product development life cycle with strict task dependencies and deadlines. 
 - Maintain customer first attitude within the team. 
 - To interface with Customers, Suppliers and team members: Project Coordinators, Programme Managers, Marketing Product Managers, Product Managers, Translators, Translation Resource Analysts, Desktop Publishing Experts and Technical Process Engineers.
 - Resource management tasks performed using SAP and CAT tool, SDL Trados Studio.
 - Monitor project budget, analyse, and report on Key Performance Indicators to management monthly.
 - Identify and resolve project issues, highlight opportunities or risks.

I have lead the project on translation memory clean up for 25 languages to reach data consistency, prevent incorrect translation texts reappearing and save time and decrease costs in the future.

Project Manager (Localization)

Bálint Márton Általános és Közepiskola

I was working as a Certified Teacher of Biology, English Language and Literature and Animator of Drama and Theatre.

I was a Head teacher and  was responsible for the talent management of 30 students. 
I have supervised my pupils’ study paths, helped them to find their strength and advised on further steps to reach their goals.
I was elected to be the Team Leader of Science Teachers. 
I have been coaching, mentoring 7 teacher colleagues of STEM to reach targeted professional growth.
I have written and managed 2 school-wide teacher training projects for 23 participants, within the budget of 50.000 Euros, lasting for 2 years each.
I was also managing Event Organisations - coordinated international project meetings, welcomed guests, organised educational, team building and cultural events for students and teachers.
I was the Project Manager of European Programmes (Erasmus+)
I was responsible for end-to-end management of 5 different international projects for students and teachers.
I have created and maintained international partnerships with 15 schools, in 9 countries for more than 10 years.
These projects gave me, my colleagues and my pupils the opportunity to gain intercultural experiences, study and work in international teams. 
With the managed projects 160+ participants travelled and studied abroad from the grant of approximately 350.000 Euros.

Teacher, Team Leader and Project Manager of European Programmes

I help medtech companies to solve complex problems and deliver software products to support medical decisions with data visualization | Agile | Project Manager | Software Product Owner | Stakeholder Relationships

I help teams to solve problems and get things done through facilitated meetings and workshops.

I live by the code of my craft, and develop elegant solutions for complex problems. Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. I approach challenges with creativity, responsibility, and a commitment to excellence.

My career spans roles as a Project Manager, Product Owner, and Program Analyst across medicine, technology, finance, and education sectors. I am deeply committed to investing in impactful projects that yield innovative and creative results, inspiring others along the way.

Leveraging my expertise in agile project management, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning, I help teams achieve their goals, break down complex issues into manageable items and deliver products.

Here are some of my accomplishments:

🚀 Developed and executed product strategies resulting in 5 successful global medical device launches.
⚙️ Orchestrated the development plan for software critical to life-saving cell sorting instruments, ensuring compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices.
💰 Led agile training initiatives, reducing product release cycle time by 40% and cutting recruitment costs.
📈 Collaborated globally with cross-functional teams (circa 45 people) to deliver prompt executive reports and drive project success.
🎤 Hosted educational webinars and facilitated interactive workshops for continuous professional development.
👩🏽‍🏫 Created international study opportunities, securing grants totaling 350,000 Euros for 160+ students and teachers.

I have a genuine interest in drama and theater, data visualization, and youth education.
Interested in discussing meeting facilitation, visualization, or theater? Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or send a direct message. Let's work together to achieve extraordinary outcomes!

taplio

The Battle

Lissa Appiah

Katalin Szégner, PMI-ACP

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?