Alessia Soffientini is an Executive Support Services Team Manager at BCG’s Lisbon Capability Center (LCC). Launched in 2024, the LCC is a growing operations and support hub delivering multilingual, high-quality services to global teams and plays a critical role in enabling worldwide business growth and hiring top talent across support functions. Alessia joined BCG as an Executive Assistant in the Milan office in 2014, supporting the System Leader. Over the years, she took on increasing responsibilities and eventually became a Senior Executive Assistant and Team Manager, co-managing the Italian team of Executive and Team Assistants. We connected with Alessia to learn more about her move to Lisbon, how she’s helped to shape the LCC, and how she’s supporting the growth of her team.

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Starting a new chapter in Lisbon

In April 2024, I had the exciting opportunity to temporarily relocate to Lisbon to support the launch of the Lisbon Capability Center, or as we call it, the LCC. It was initially a 6-month transfer, but I quickly fell in love with the project, the team, and of course, the city, so I decided to stay permanently. As of January 2025, I am officially an employee of the LCC team.

I have contributed to the building and scaling of operations from the ground up and serve as one of the two team managers we have for the LCC’s Executive and Administrative Assistants Team. Our team is growing very rapidly, with new hires joining every month. As a team manager, my role is to oversee recruiting, onboarding, and staffing. But I wear many more hats – I’m involved in coaching, development and performance conversations, and internal communications, as well as being deeply involved in shaping our ways of working, defining operational standards, and ensuring that each assistant feels like a welcomed member of the broader LCC community.

Being involved in many facets at the LCC, I’ve had many new learning opportunities and I’m learning new things from my colleagues every day. The environment has provided an incredible sense of ownership, collaboration, and growth.

Building a high-impact team

One of the primary reasons for launching the LCC was for language capabilities. For example, the Executive and Administrative Assistants are all fluent in the languages of the stakeholders they support (e.g., German, Italian, Spanish, and French). The feedback we’ve received from stakeholders so far has been extremely positive – we’re delivering support that is efficient, tailored, and high-quality while building stronger relationships across all geographies we work with.

It has been incredibly rewarding to be involved in shaping a team, culture, and support model at this new office. It’s brought many new challenges and an even greater sense of achievement. I’ve valued my responsibility in recruiting for the Executive and Administrative Assistant Team because it’s allowed me to shape the future of the office, not just in terms of skills and competencies, but also in terms of mindset and culture.

Lisbon is a vibrant and multicultural city that offers a fantastic quality of life with it being rich in culture, community-centered, and a tech and business hub for global professionals – this same spirit is reflected in our office and our working culture. The LCC is a fast-paced environment that is full of energy – the multicultural spirit and collaboration has been one of the things I love most about working in the LCC. Our team is made up of people from all around the world with diverse backgrounds and experiences, which has made every day a learning opportunity. We’re growing together through sharing experiences, challenges, and best practices.

Empowering the next generation of leaders

BCG has always been a true partner in my professional development. The company encourages growth and because of that support, I’ve had the opportunity to step into leadership roles, propose new ways of working, lead initiatives, and mentor others.

At BCG, you are trusted to take ownership, but you are never left alone. There are always mentors available to offer feedback and support. Throughout the years that I’ve spent at BCG, I’ve received dedicated mentorship, participated in training programs, and have had the space to voice new ideas and take on new challenges.

My transfer to Lisbon is a clear example of the support and flexibility offered at BCG. Not only did they logistically support the office transfer, but they also helped me transform it into a long-term career opportunity. Now as a leader, I take what I’ve learned through my own journey along the executive assistant career path to support the growth of my team members and celebrate their successes. Leadership for me is about listening, trust, and empathy. I strongly believe in creating a safe space where team members feel empowered to speak up, ask questions, and take initiative. Every team member has different strengths, goals, and learning styles, so I focus on personalized coaching to tailor training and development based on their unique paths.

One of my favorite things about being a leader is welcoming and onboarding new hires because I remember what it was like when I first joined BCG. I want new team members to feel that same support and confidence from day one.

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