Joan Marques migrated in 1998 from her home country, Suriname, in South America, to California in the USA. With a background in radio and television production and a Bachelor's degree in Business Economics, the gates toward a second career stood wide open. She immediately engaged in further education and earned an MBA and a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership, and started facilitating courses a
t the University level. She also started writing short articles and columns for various sources worldwide. Based on the encouraging responses she received, she decided to move to the next level: publishing books. In 2004/2005, she published a compilation of her articles in "Empower the Leader in You!" and a short story about the importance of performing with a global mindset, titled, "The Global Village." Once the first step in publishing was made, things started moving more rapidly. In 2007, Joan published "The Awakened Leader" and "Spirituality in the Workplace" (co-written with Satinder Dhiman and Richard King) through Personhood Press. In the same year, two of her other works were published through ICFAI Business School in Hyderabad, India: "Interbeing: Thoughts On Achieving Personal And Professional Excellence Toward Greater Mutuality", and "Seasoned Adages for Modern Days' Leaders", a compilation of more than 100 ancient sayings (odo's) from her homecountry, Suriname, interpreted into leadership behavior. In 2008, Joan initiated a major project with multiple authors, which led to the 2009 production "The Workplace and Spirituality: New Perspectives in Research and Practice," (SkyLight Paths). This book became a valuable anthology on workplace spirituality, an increasingly important topic for members of the global workforce. It entails contributions from 25 authors from all over the globe. In 2010, Personhood Press will publish "Joy at Work: Work at Joy: Living And Working Mindfully Every Day." This wonderful hardcover book contains a daily quote, action plan, and a point to ponder, and aims to help members of the workforce regain their inner balance and willpower to attain personal and professional excellence at work and anywhere else. Aside from writing books, Joan facilitates courses in business and management (MBA and undergraduate) at Woodbury University in Burbank, California, presents a weekly radio column through Mart Cultural Radio and Television Network in Amsterdam, the Netherlands; and a weekly newspaper column in "De Ware Tijd" in Suriname, South-America. She co-organizes and presents workshops for business and non-profit entities in the Los Angeles area through the Business Renaissance Institute and ASPEX, the Academy of Spirituality and Professional Excellence. Joan has three children, and three grandchildren. She lives in Burbank, California.
