About us

Unveiling hidden dynamics to unlock the potential for a profound and sustainable change

Insightful strategies, tailored solutions

How the work is held

Innerworks Consulting is a psychodynamic and systemic practice supporting organizations, leaders, and teams in navigating complexity, pressure, and change.

The work goes beyond surface-level interventions, focusing on the emotional, relational, and often unspoken dynamics that shape organizational life. Attention is given to how anxiety, history, power, and unconscious patterns influence decision-making, relationships, and performance—especially in moments of uncertainty or transition.Rather than offering standardized solutions, Innerworks creates tailored reflective spaces where complexity can be held and meaningful change can emerge.

Rooted in local practice and informed by international experience, the work engages organizations across cultural and geographic contexts, both in person and remotely.At its core, Innerworks is committed to healthier ways of working together—where thinking, relationship, and task are held in balance.

What we do

Contemporary organizations navigate a complex and ever-evolving landscape, facing challenges such as:

Technological disruption and its rapid advancements, AI capabilities, automation, attracting and retaining new top talent, generational shifts, remote and hybrid work models, geopolitical risks, sustainability, and climate change and mental health.

These realities demand adaptability and resilience, this is why the organizations need a more sophisticated and psychologically aware approach to develop better performance and transform organizations.

While a traditional business consultant can provide valuable advice in strategic and other business areas, a systemic-psychodynamic organizational consultant specializes in understanding human behavior and motivation within an organizational context. We explore the unconscious motivations, interpersonal dynamics, and systemic forces that influence individual and collective behavior; our approach empowers leaders to elevate their effectiveness, foster cohesive teams aligned around a shared vision, and ultimately drive exceptional performance.

We address issues that fall outside the scope of the traditional business consulting lens, like assisting leaders in mastering psychological techniques for managing, leading, and negotiating. We also motivate self-awareness and a sense of effort to collaborate efficiently to improve teamwork and organizational culture.

This approach has proven especially effective in the workplace, where strong emotions and internal and external pressure are frequently encountered. Together, the consultants, client, or organization develop acoherent understanding of the problems and together develop effective solutions.

Meet consultant

Mariana Vargas – Organizational Consultant – Entrepreneur advisor

Having worked across different sectors, levels, and business stages, she has empathy and an understanding of the complexity of achieving the business goal in a human balance and under constant internal and external change. She recognizes the emotional weight in the intersection dynamic of race, gender, and ethnicity in the workplace and in leadership performance.

Her interest is in assisting organizations and startups in exploring and discovering how individuals' internal worlds intersect and impact one another, shaping behaviors, decisions, and results. She is also interested in how leaders promote and enhance meaningful effort, well-being, team dynamics, and productivity among staff. Mariana supports the concept of collaborative leadership, which is networked and technologically influenced.

Mariana holds a Master’s degree in Consulting and Leading in Organisations: Psychodynamics and Systemic Approach from The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust (validated by the University of Essex), and a Master of International Studies from Tecnológico de Monterrey

She is an active member of ISPSO (International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organizations) and a Senior Member of APPCIOS (Association for Promoting Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic Understanding of Organizations and Society).

Florinela Shmakova – HR

Florinela is a HR strategic business partner with over 15 years of in various business fields such as HR, Rewards, Project Management, Business Operations. With strong business acumen and a keen eye for details, she has been dedicated to collaborating with leaders and the business to achieve corporate objectives and fostering inclusive cultures and enhancing employee satisfaction and engagement.

During her journey, Florinela had had the privilege to work in diverse and dynamic industries such as FMCG, Gaming, IT, which has enriched her understanding of various cultural nuances and labor markets. Her expertise lies in designing and implementing robust compensation and benefits frameworks, talent management strategies, and HR policies that not only meet organizational needs but also resonate with employees.

Living and working in several countries while managing cross-border teams has enabled Florinela to develop a deep cultural sensitivity and a versatile approach to HR management. Her international experience has sharpened her ability to navigate diverse regulatory landscapes, lead teams across different time zones, and implement tailored HR strategies that resonate across various markets. This global perspective has been instrumental in her ability to design and execute effective compensation and benefits programs, drive organizational change, and foster inclusive workplace cultures that thrive on collaboration and mutual respect.

Her approach is always strategic, yet people-centric, ensuring that the human aspect of HR is never overlooked. Florinela strongly believes in the power of data-driven decision-making, and consistently leveraging analytics to optimize HR processes and measure the impact of rewards programs.

Florinela aims to create an environment of excellence and trust by implementing HR best practices and people strategies that align with the client's values and objectives

Florinela has a master’s degree in Human Resources & Managerial Communication from the National School of Political & Administrative Studies from Romania and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the British-Romanian University.