A seasoned professional, Rima Awada Zgheib currently leads as the Partner and Accredited Trainer at International Consulting and Transformation Network (ICTN) LLP, UK. By empowering leaders to unlock their true potential, ICTN is contributing its part to creating the effective leaders the world deserves. From developing and delivering People Skills and Business EQ workshops to managing the company’s digital media platforms, Rima Awada Zgheib has been leveraging her expertise to expand the impact of ICTN.
Career Trajectory of Rima Awada Zgheib
For Rima Awada Zgheib, success is never measured by titles – it’s about the challenges she managed to overcome. Born in Kuwait and later shifting to Lebanon, a place where resilience wasn’t just admired but practised, that became a way of life for her. With an early realization that she needed to stop waiting for things to get easier, Rima learned to rise no matter how many times she got knocked down.
As the first woman in her family to earn a university degree, Rima graduated with a degree in Business Administration, with a focus on systems thinking. While genetics and biotechnology had been her dream, life had other plans, teaching her a way to reinvent a balance between passion and practicality. Shifting across industries and accepting different roles taught her to unlearn, relearn, and adapt. Eventually, Rima stepped into ICTN in 2010. That proved to be a turning point in her professional path.
She reflects, “International Consulting and Transformation Network (ICTN) became the place where my appetite for learning met its match. What began as a workplace quickly became the soil for growth, a place where learning wasn’t a workshop but it became a lifestyle. ICTN sharpened my skills, and it engraved itself into my identity, turning my hunger for knowledge into a lifelong engine for impact.”
Evolution of ICTN over the Years
ICTN’s journey was not typical; with Fay Niewiadomski, a former Dean of the Humanities and Communication Media, founding the company in 1993, the mission was to make a positive and measurable difference in the lives of every individual and business. From the company’s early days, it operated in Beirut, Amman, Dubai, and New York, serving clients across the GCC and the broader MENA region.
In the 2000s, ICTN’s was a 50-person multicultural team spread across several countries, and gradually, we launched the concept of Enterprise Optimization, helping organizations maximize profitability and streamline their operations. The internal culture transformation became the foundation for everything that followed. In 2018, ICTN reinvented itself as a Limited Liability Partnership in the UK, where Fay Niewiadomski chose to work alongside three other senior partners.
Rima mentions, “I had earned the privilege of becoming a Partner, and that move changed everything. It opened a wide door to the world from Mexico to Japan and New Zealand, proving that great consulting isn’t bound by geography; it’s carried by people who believe in continuous reinvention.”
Through all these changes, ICTN has remained grounded in its core purpose: transforming business cultures by transforming the people who lead them.
Unlocking the True Potential
Reflecting on the ways ICTN contributes to the ecosystem in the region, Rima mentions, “Let me start with our tagline: Developers of Leadership Potential. From the beginning, we were committed to helping people unlock the capabilities they didn’t even know they had. We guide individuals in exploring their hidden potential, elevating their self-awareness, and shifting their mindset toward continuous growth.”
With a strong belief in starting meaningful change by becoming better leaders – personally and professionally, Rima shares that this belief fuels their mission at ICTN: to support every leader in becoming the leader they aspire to be. By transforming leaders, ICTN empowers them to transform their organizations, with the ripple effect from this process, the company contributes to strengthening the entire regional ecosystem – one mindset at a time.
What Defines Success in the Consulting Landscape
Rima reflects, “Competence, adaptability, and resilience are inevitably the essential qualities for success in the field.” At ICTN, clients are taught that knowledge does not equal competence, rather, it comes from continuous learning and doing, as it translates insight into action and converts theory into practice.
Adaptability is another critical success factor as believed by Rima. With the lightning speed of technology and the rise of AI, the people who stand out are those who can integrate new tools without compromising their own judgment. The real challenge is growing with technology while maintaining the strategic thinking and empathy that make great leaders who they are. And finally, resilience is the quiet force that decides whether organizations in our industry thrive or disappear.
At ICTN, clients often seek help during uncertainty and change. “If we can’t show steadiness, handle ups and downs, and bounce back from setbacks ourselves, we can’t truly guide others through theirs. Resilience proves that the principles we espouse aren’t just ideas, they’re how we actually live and work,” Rima adds.
Embracing Innovative Practices
ICTN has always been a few steps ahead. With the vision of its CEO, Fay Niewiadomski, and the innovative approach of the CTO and Partner, Zygmunt Niewiadomski, innovation naturally became part of the company. ICTN implemented its first CRM back in 1996, back when many companies were still figuring out how to manage their data at the most basic level. This step was not about being trendy, it ensured they always had the tools to serve the clients in a better way.
In 2014, ICTN introduced science-driven, technology-backed simulations that enable clients to engage with leadership challenges in a dynamic, immersive format, improving the customer experience to this day. “One of the innovative moves that really defined us was going fully remote in 2017, three years before the pandemic made virtual work the norm. It wasn’t something we had to do; we chose it because we believed technology could actually enhance collaboration and performance efficiency,” Rima states.
Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Professionals
Addressing the beginners in her field, Rima shares, “In this industry, you can’t afford to learn something once and sit back. For anyone trying to establish themselves in the leadership development consulting field, continuous learning isn’t optional; it’s the foundation of long-term credibility.
My first piece of guidance is to identify a niche and commit to mastering it, not just slightly better than your peers, but exponentially better. Aim to understand your specialty 40 times more deeply than the trainees or clients you serve. This level of expertise is what separates true practitioners from the many ‘me-too’ providers who crowd the market.
Second, never underestimate the power of exceptional customer experience and relationship management. Clients return and refer others not simply because of the content you deliver, but because of the quality of the interaction, the trust and credibility you build, and the sense that you are a partner who is committed to their growth.
At the end of the day, leadership development consulting really works when expertise keeps growing and client relationships remain authentic. When you’re good at both, the challenges transform into new realities, and this becomes your competitive advantage.”
Connect with Rima Awada Zgheib on LinkedIn to gain industry insights and visit ICTN at https://www.ictn.com to learn more.
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