International executive, martial artist and creator of a leadership journey that began with 7 Virtues in 2018, evolved through Business Black Belt and became Black Belt Vision in 2026.
The work has changed names and grown in scope, but the thread has remained the same: help leaders respond to complexity with greater awareness, discipline and adaptability.
My view of leadership was not built in one company, one country or one discipline.
For more than two decades, Luca Gandino has led and worked with people across different markets, cultures and business environments. Executive roles in international organizations, years of living abroad and a parallel life in martial arts shaped a practical view of leadership: context matters, pressure changes behavior, and adaptation is not optional.
That combination became the foundation for the work he began formalizing in 2018 — first through 7 Virtues, then Business Black Belt, and now Black Belt Vision.
Years leading and operating in international business environments.
Countries across which Luca has built executive and leadership experience.
Living and working across countries gave Luca a direct view of how culture changes communication, authority, trust, conflict and decision-making. That experience remains central to the way he works with international leaders today.
The name evolved as the work evolved. What began as a way to translate martial-arts principles into business behavior became a broader leadership methodology shaped by years of executive practice, facilitation and real organizational challenges.
Luca co-created 7 Virtues as an experiential approach built around martial-arts principles and their application to business challenges. The central idea was simple: under pressure, leaders need to learn how to respond rather than merely react.
Experience becomes a learning toolThe work developed into Business Black Belt: a more structured methodology connecting martial arts, international management and business problem-solving. The approach grew through work with leaders and organizations across cultures, industries and demanding business situations.
A methodology takes shapeBlack Belt Vision is the current evolution of that journey. It keeps the discipline, adaptability and experiential roots of the earlier work while expanding the focus to the leadership moments organizations face now: alignment, complexity, culture, pressure and execution.
A broader international visionAcross each stage, the objective remained practical: make behavior visible, create awareness and help leaders build a better response when the situation is complex, uncertain or under pressure.
Luca’s work sits at the intersection of two long-term experiences: leading in international business and training in martial arts. Neither is used as decoration. Both shaped how he understands decisions, pressure, culture and human behavior.
Executive roles with international organizations including FIAT, Philip Morris, JLL and Swedish Match.
More than two decades working across countries, cultures and different operating environments.
Italian Muay Thai champion, bringing first-hand experience of preparation, pressure and controlled action.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and multi-medalist, with years of practice built around leverage, timing and adaptation.
The most useful leadership ideas are the ones that still work when the situation stops being comfortable.
Meet Luca on LinkedIn