Regional Director for Central London.
Marilena is a natural networker. Born and educated in Italy, she married and followed her husband in his international corporate career, reinventing herself as often as needed always with the new challenge of having to start afresh in a different environment and – as so many women – choosing to give priority to creating stability, comfort and a loving if ever changing environment to her family.
Her experience spans from corporate ”before children” life, to creating her own English as-a-second-and-third-language-for-toddlers school, to free lancing as interpreter and translator, to voluntary work as member of the Board of Governors and President of the PTA of her children International Schools, liaising with consulates and embassies, private companies and corporations.
Through personal experience, Marilena became increasingly drawn to new people and developed an instinct toward the needs of individuals and families who relocated, changed country and culture, who had to re-establish their businesses and in the case of trailing spouses start afresh. Having mastered the art of networking in her own personal life as a survival skill, Marilena started to network to help others make a smooth transition in their new environment.
A few years ago, after an unexpected and painful marriage break up, Marilena returned with her children to London to complete their education as planned and to build their new life. She was determined not to let the circumstances compromise her boys’ dreams and in order to achieve this it was essential for Marilena to once more – and this time in extremely challenging circumstances -reinvent herself.
Her journey with Athena started in 2008, with the launch of Athena Kensington. Passionate about helping women in business she worked tirelessly to establish a strong Athena presence in the vibrant heart of the capital. More groups followed, and Central London soon became the fastest growing and largest Athena area with now 12 strong groups and a huge number of committed, inspirational, vibrant ladies who share Marilena passion and vision and who have created with her a phenomenal team flying the flag of The Athena Network in the capital of England.
“ I feel passionate about women in business and privileged to be working everyday with my members who are a source of constant inspiration. I know that with Athena and through Athena I’ll have the opportunity of reaching out and making a difference in the lives and businesses of many women in their efforts to create a successful career of their own while juggling all the other roles they have to fulfill at the various stages of their lives.”
Marilena has the support and encouragement of her two wonderful boys who live at home with her. “They are the wind beneath my sails.”
“Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but she did it backwards and in high heels.” – Faith Whittlesey
Marilena Narbona
Regional Director – The Athena Network
Mobile:07880 616937
Email:Click Here To Email Marilena
I would just like to say that Marilena’s passion and dedication to Athena is amazing and that is why her Region is one of the best in the UK.
I have been a member of Athena for over two and a half years and it is thanks to Marilena that I have reaped the benefits of the power of Athena.
I recently took on the role of Chair of Chelsea Harbour group and am loving it . Marilena is key to the success of each group with how she matches the right people together and I don’t know how she manages to attend every meeting, offer amazing training sessions and has ‘me’ time.
There is little doubt in my mind that Marilena is what makes the Kensington area Athena groups so enjoyable and successful. If you ever have doubts about doing a network event – start here! Most people are worried they will feel left out, won’t have anyone to talk to or are just a little unsure about how to get on with networking. Marilena never lets people struggle and has a special way of making everyone feel welcome, included and important.
Marilena, you are an inspiration and a true driving force for all of us Athena members. Before I joined one of your groups, I was rather sceptical about networking but through your example and dedication I have not only learnt to appreciate it, I actually enjoy it and have been reaping the benefits since!
I met Marilena as a visitor to The Hyde Park group last week and was bowled over by the cohesiveness, support and dynamic energy of the group. A group is only as good as it’s leader and Marilena clearly directs and supports the talents of all her members. She took the time to answer my many questions and prepare me for my visit. Her follow up was impressive too.
I am so impressed with Marilena’s drive and dedication to each and all of the members of her Athena groups. I feel privileged to belong to the Chelsea Harbour group and am very grateful for her continuing support whilst taking my business through to the next stage. I cannot recommend her enough and would invite anyone curious about Athena in central London to contact Marilena and experience what difference networking – the Athena way! – can do for your business!
Despite having so many ladies within Athena Central London, Marilena still has the passion and enthusiasm to develop more networks and communities and connect more women to develop their business – and make it feel personal every time! I echo all the above comments, thank her for her commitment, enthusiasm and support; and applaud her drive and dedication. A real inspiration and definitely someone to have as part of your business growth strategy!
Marilena is both an inspiration, and a real force to be reckoned with. She has the ability to pin-point each of her members’ networking needs and connect them with exactly the right people, whilst also managing everything perfectly at the larger group and regional levels.
She is what makes our Athena region so incredibly successful, and we’re lucky to have her. You can’t go wrong by attending any one of her groups or events.
Marilena is full of enthusiasm and passion and this comes across in her work as a Regional Director. She is what drives us all to want to be successful and she keeps the group together heading in the same direction. I love networking and Athena is yet another opportunity to network and meet people…having Marilena is a great bonus to us all.
Marilena is Miss Incredible, very efficient and energetic. She seems to have the amazing gift of being everywhere at the same time, helping each and everyone of us! And best of all, she gives the impression to do it all, without effort! She animates many inspiring workshops, where you learn to network gracefully, present yourself efficiently, write memorable minutes… But the one course we are all waiting for, is the one where she will reveal how she manages everything so brilliantly !
Marilena is a true inspiration to us all! She works so hard and it always looking out for strategic connections within the groups and ways of helping Athena members. She is always very supportive and enthusiastic. We are so lucky to have her!
Marilena is full of energy, enthusiasm and inspiration; the perfect regional director. The success of the London groups is due to her dedication and her ability to ‘match make’ all of us business ladies. Thank you Marilena.
Marilena works so incredibly hard for all the central London groups! I was inspired to take the position as chair of the St James Group because I knew that I wanted to be a part of the growing network of London Athena groups. I love attending the monthly meeting and have made some great connections, and friendship, with other women business owners. I find it a great support, fun and inspiring – and that I am sure has a great deal to do with Marilena’s determination to make such a strong and interesting networking group.
Marilena has been so supportive and enthusiastic it has been a pleasure to work with her.
She strives to help us all be successful and always thinks of ways of helping us.
I have really enjoyed being a member of Athena St James and have encouraged many other women to join Athena.
If you don’t believe a woman can have the ability to be a totally efficient business professional while at the same time maintain a compassionate and intimate knowledge of everyone she knows, you haven’t met Marilena Narbona.
Marilena’s passion, positivity and energy is nothing short of inspirational. Her desire to guide each and every member to achieve success should be shouted through the Athena Megaphone!
I have personally watched some members who are new to networking, blossom into powerful business women through Marilena’s constant encouragement through her meeting and training sessions.
I’m delighted and proud to be the Chair of Regent Street.
Drive, enthusiasm, inspiration, passion – Marilena’s got bundles of it all! But what’s great is that it rubs off on the members of our Chelsea Harbour group making it the most dynamic networking group I have had the pleasure of being part of.
The Knightsbridge group is going from strength to strength and that is largely thanks to the fantastic leadership provided by Marilena – what a great role model for all of us. There is a really supportive and positive vibe from all the members which combined with a good structure for the meetings is a recipe for great networking.
Marilena is hard working, enthusiastic and very supportive. She is a great inspiration and teacher to anyone who is new to networking and has managed to take Athena to a different level. I am proud to be a member of her Mayfair group.
Having just launched my business, when I first joined Athena, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I found about the group through the Financial Times and decided to call Marilena. Always so motivated and full of energy, Marilena created fantastic group of like-minded business women. She is passionate about what she does, enthusiastic and always there to help. Marilena takes networking to new levels where you don’t feel intimidated but have an opportunity to really connect with the ladies on the professional level. Thanks to Marilena’s encouragement to network, the positive vibe and the huge motivation you come out with after meetings, my business goes from strength to strength and Marilena is part of this success.
Just wanted to add that the reason our group is so dynamic and successful is because of Marilena’s unfailing energy and leadership.
Thank you Marilena – its made a huge difference
Debbie – Chair – Hyde Park.
There is no better role model than Marilena. She is enthusiastic, passionate about her work and is always making sure that things go smoothly for all her members.
I feel so lucky to be part of the South Kensington group.
Marilena takes her involvement in Athena very seriously, she is professional, passionate about what she does for her groups and manages them very well. I love being a member of the Knightsbridge group as we have a really great bunch of ladies who are willing to try out each other’s services and recommend them on to others.
Marilena is an endless inspiration. She makes everything feel so easy. She has shown me the incredible potential of networking and what it can do for my bussines. Thanks to her I am able to take my business to the next level.
Thank you, Marilena.
Marilena is an inspiration to us all. The passion and energy she puts into all her Athena groups is amazing. She’s so supportive and encouraging and is relentless in striving to improve the group and makes networking fun and productive.
Marilena is one of the most dedicated, professional and conscientious woman I know. She is very supportive, unassuming, passionate and loyal. The list of how and what Marilena is, is endless actually. Marilena is truely a leader. I have asked Marilena where she gets her energy from and still waiting for her response!! Marilena brings out the best in people.
I am glad I met Marilena and a part of a vibrant Kensington Athena member.
I have been a member of Athena South Kensington now for over a year and it has been completely amazing! I feel supported, savvy and self-confident! Marilena is so dedicated to helping women in business and makes it so much more fun than other networking meetings I have been to. I used to dread networking but with Athena I always come away feeling on top of my business and ontop of the world- Many thanks!!!
I have to say how hugely enjoyable it has been being part of the Athena Network. Everyone is so alive and vibrant and we are constantly being fed new innovative ideas from the different members and visitors. As an elderly Granny (!!) I have been really well woken up into the 21st century, taking on board social media skills, linkedin, eventbrite, paypal, and most shocking of all how to present myself as if I am FANTASTIC! What a life changing, life enhancing experience and all with the support and help of such a wonderful team. We are all set on trying to help each other, led by our remarkable dynamic and caring mentor Marilena.
The Athena network provides woman business owners an opportunity to create powerful relationships and strategic partnerships in order to grow and develop their busienss.
Marilena creates a meeting environment which provides the focus needed in order to achieve group objectives and foster client referrals. She helps to support each Athena member and provides them advice on how to best use the network for their business.
I am so glad that I found Athena and chose Marilena’s region! I have been a member for a short time, and already feel part of a strong group of women. This is all down to Marilena. She provides a great environment to network effectively. I would highly recommend any of Marilena’s groups. Thanks for your passion, enthusiasm and motivation Marilena. You really encourage all of us to make use of all that Athena has to offer…and as you say “to our success!”.
Marilena has been so supportive and encouraging especially with the launch of my new business, Beyond Weddings. I really appreciate her enthusiasm and the energy she brings to the Athena meetings.
I often find it hard to justify taking time out of the office, but the Athena Network offers huge value to me in both a business and personal sense. The meetings are friendly and relaxed but at the same time incredibly well structured and informative. I would highly recommend Marilena and the Athena Network to any woman looking to get ahead in business.
Marilena is a true inspiration to me. I am one of the founder members of Athena Chelsea Harbour and was new to formal networking groups when I joined Athena. It is purely through Marilena’s personal drive and commitment that she has created a region of fantastic networking groups full of professional, supportive ladies who are the best at what they do. I feel honoured and privileged to be a member of one of Marilena’s Athena groups.
Marilena has focus, and as the Head of the Central Athena Group, is the inspiration for many women to aspire to in business.
I have met some lovely ladies since joining the group, and getting together with such diverse background once a month is a treat.
A bonus is the versatility to visit other groups in the region.
Many thanks for your vision.
Annick.
The positive help and boundless energy that endlessly flows from Marilena is central to the great success of our St. James group of lovely ladies who blossom and grow with her very capable and caring leadership.
In the 6 months or so that I have been a member of Athena St James’s I have made some great contacts, have received many clients and referrals, and have really enjoyed getting to know all of the inspirational Athena women! It’s so empowering to stand up and talk about what you are passionate about, and listen to others passionate about what they do. From the very beginning, Marilena made me feel completely welcome, she has a huge heart and deeply thinks about how to make Athena and networking really work for you.
” A 2 hour meeting at Athena, and I leave believing we could and SHOULD all be running the country!!
Marilena is tirelessly supportive, diligent and an inspiring woman to be in business with.
Marilena is an inspiration. Her skill in bringing the South Kensington Athena together has created a group that has great synergy and it is a pleasure to be a member.
The training sessions she organises are invaluable, also. Her support has enabled me to focus much more clearly on who I want as clients, how I can target them and how I can support the other group members.
Marilena is quite remarkable, an inspiration. I have been a member of Athena Kensington since she first launched the group two and a half years’ ago and I have not looked back since! She has the ability to generate such positive energy, it’s infectious! She is dedicated and works tirelessly to help her members and run her groups in an effective and professional manner. Being a member of Athena has helped me grow my business, make new contacts and form joint alliances. With the great support from Marilena, the training she has provided, together with a fabulous group of fellow Athena members, I can say that becoming a member was one of the best decisions I have ever made!
I am impressed by how versatile Marilena is – from organising so many vibrant and thriving groups to being able to train effectively and memorably. Well done!
Marilena’s enthusiasm is effervescent, spilling other. She really is the dynamic driving force behind Athena in Central London, ensuring that every members is kept fully informed of all the many opportunities for members and always there to help answer any queries or help advise on possible substitutes if a member can’t attend one month. And what a fantastic Christmas party she organised. Not content with all her work in London, when I recently visited Sydney she put me in touch with the local Athena group and I was able to visit members on the other side of the world. Athena will become a truly global network in time.
I am a member of Athena Kensington and Marilena is one of my customers and has a feature on my website Thebestof Kensington and Chelsea. We recently ran a 14 day Valentine’s promotion on all the 360 bestof sites throughout country and asked our viewers to ‘share the love’ by posting testimonials on the site for their most loved businesses.
The response Marilena had was amazing and as a result The Athena Network won two ‘Most Loved’ categories in the promotion: The ‘Most Loved’ business in Kensington and Chelsea and the ‘Most Loved’ business across the UK for Training and Development. This clearly demonstrates just how well respected, hardworking, popular and professional Marilena is and what a great job she does with her Athena Network groups!
Marilena’s passion and enthusiasm is so inspiring. I really look forward to our monthly St James’s meeting as Marilena helps to make everyone feel very welcome and very special. We have become a truly dynamic and amazing group with Marilena’s guidance and support.
Having been introduced to the amazing Marilena and subsequently joining the Mayfair group. I have stepped up a gear in moving my business forward with the help of inspiring like minded individuals who collectively provide a wealth of information, advice, leads and customers!
I can’t believe that a year has passed so quickly since the St James’ group was formed! I came to Athena and networking really knowing very little about it at all, and was immediately caught up with Marilena’s warmth, enthusiasm and encouragement. She is an inspiration to us all and I am enjoying being part of such a lovely, supportive group of women.
Trust Marilena to pick a glamorous venue for our networking training
sessions. An additional incentive to attend, as if that were needed …
surely, even the most seasoned networkers and elevator pitchers among
us can use a helping hand to improve the impact of their monthly
minute and to become better listeners, too.
I can only recommend to everyone to find the time to attend the
network training sessions of Athena. There are always new people to meet in a
friendly and supportive atmosphere, new ideas to take on board and to
digest – and I am already looking forward to the next session. I like
to think it is a bit like brushing your teeth (only much more fun).
Do it on a regular basis for the best possible results!
Astrid Naujoks