Heidi Dulebohn began her career by breaking codes; she now teaches them.

 

Heidi was the first female grain trader in Conagra’s history. Before that she had a storied career at Ferruzzi and was the first ever woman to manage a major grain exporting facility in the US.

 

“My early career taught me that understanding social codes creates opportunities.”

 

These jobs intensified Heidi’s love of travel, which, alongside her insatiable curiosity, she has used to continue learning about diverse societies around the world and the codes they live by.

 

Today Heidi dedicates her professional life to teaching American and international etiquette to those who might otherwise not have the kind of opportunities she herself has been able to pursue. 

 

Trained as an International Etiquette and Protocol Consultant and Instructor from the International Etiquette and Protocol Academy of London, England, Heidi knows etiquette is not just an act. “It can provide the individual with a voice and the confidence to participate and belong. We are all inherently social, manners really do matter.”

 

At the same time, Heidi works hard to instill greater cultural awareness among business leaders.  She understands that social codes enables us to participate or see past, even break, those codes. “The less obvious side of etiquette is cultural curiosity and an awareness of others. Be kind. It’s free.”

 

Heidi lives in Johnson City, Tennessee, with her husband and two Bouvier des Flandres dogs, where she has received many awards and accolades for her community impact, including the Tribute to Women Award in 2019 by the YWCA of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia and the 2015 Tom Chase Award for Volunteerism.

 

Heidi is a graduate of Stephens College, Columbia, Missouri, and holds an MA Degree with Distinction from the International School of Protocol and Diplomacy in Brussels, Belgium, with a concentration in Cultural Competence.  She is also trained to teach the cross-culture model, The Lewis Model, by Lewis Communications, Riversdown House, Hampshire, England. 

 

She has an Executive Certificate in Non-Profit Management from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, and is currently enrolled in a similar program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. 

 

Heidi’s infectious interest and passion to learn, participate, and appreciate the social world around us never ends. As she likes to say, “I’m not done yet.”