Open to opportunities

Lia Leiva

@lialeiva

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Creative executive operations generalist accelerating teams with design strategy and process mastery.

Costa Rica

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What I'm looking for

I’m looking to support ambitious teams in fast-moving environments—removing friction, improving operations, and delivering creative strategy with sustainability and real-world impact at the center.

I’m a creative generalist who helps ambitious people and teams move faster. I thrive in Costa Rica environments where things are being built from scratch—finding gaps before anyone asks and solving them before they escalate.

At McKinsey, I operate as an “executive generalist” embedded with five associate partners, acting as a force-multiplier in a high-velocity consulting environment. I anticipate needs, remove friction from complex workflows, and solve problems creatively before they become issues.

I’ve also led end-to-end work as Founder & Creative Director of LIASTUDIOS, building a sustainable and circular design studio from zero. I handled pitching, pricing, creative direction, client delivery, supplier negotiations, and cross-country production teams—balancing environmental responsibility with client objectives.

Earlier, I managed pop-up shops and brand exhibitions, coordinating logistics and vendors under tight timelines while maintaining a consistent brand experience. I’ve since expanded into freelance creative and strategic consulting, translating briefs into cohesive visual outputs across marketing, production, and executive stakeholders.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Executive Assistant

Current

McKinsey

Jan 2024 - Present (2 years 5 months)

Embedded with five associate partners in a high-velocity consulting environment, anticipating needs, removing friction from complex workflows, and solving issues before escalation. Developed internal coaching resources and handled sensitive client communications and high-stakes, cross-time-zone logistics using Outlook, LLMs, and firm platforms.

Executive Support Creative Operations Process Optimization Stakeholder Management Coaching Client Communication Cross Time Zone Logistics Outlook LLM

Founder & Creative Director

LIASTUDIOS

Jan 2019 - Jan 2022 (3 years)

Founded and led a sustainable, circular interdisciplinary design studio, delivering branding, product, and visual identity projects end-to-end. Managed client relationships, supplier negotiations, and cross-country production teams, building the business from pitch to pricing, creative direction, and delivery.

Brand Strategy Creative Direction Visual Identity Design Product Design Client Relationship Management Project Delivery Cross Functional Collaboration Production Management

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London

Short Course, Footwear Design & Production

2024 - 2024

Specialised short course in footwear construction, material selection, prototyping, and production processes (August 2024). Strengthened practical design execution and technical problem-solving skills.

London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London

Master of Arts, Fashion Futures / Sustainable Innovation

2021 - 2022

Postgraduate MA focused on sustainable innovation, future-focused design methodologies, and critical research within fashion and creative industries (2021–2022). Built analytical, conceptual, and project-led research skills with emphasis on environmental responsibility and systems thinking.

Node Center for Curatorial Studies

Short Course, Exhibition Design

2020 - 2020

Short course in exhibition design (2020). Developed skills in visual research and spatial design for curated, large-scale presentation contexts.

Universidad Veritas

Bachelor of Arts, Fashion and Product Design & Production

2016 - 2019

Undergraduate BA combining fashion, product design, and manufacturing processes (2016–2019). Developed creative development, technical production skills, and multidisciplinary design thinking.

Universidad Veritas

Short Course, Design & Trend Analysis

2016 - 2019

Completed modules in design and trend analysis (2016–2019), including trend forecasting, experimental draping, event production, and scenic costume design. Strengthened visual research, creative experimentation, and coordination for large-scale projects.