Global

As we celebrate America’s birthday and reflect on what it means to be an American, I want to share my perspective as a naturalized American citizen who grew up in divided Germany dominated by a…

“Tone at the top” now includes ensuring business dealings are ethical and bribe-free.  The impact of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) on corporations and their boards of directors has been enormous and wide-ranging, and…

For its sheer scope, daring, and size, Wirecard is being compared to Enron. What happens next seems both predictable and inevitable from a global governance perspective. By Andrea Bonime-Blanc and Michael Marquardt The original version of this…

Despite being a global business consultant I have only shared this story with a few close friends before. My father was born in 1936 in a German town called Kassel, northeast of Frankfurt. The oldest…

I remember the email well, although this was more than 15 years ago. Working as a global business advisor, it came from a potential business partner in mainland China and it started out promising. “Planning…

Over the past three months, during this COVID-19 pandemic, like you I have participated in countless virtual meetings: board meetings, staff meetings, team meetings, and political fundraisers. Sadly, even a memorial service. I have used…

As we all try to make sense of how this global health crisis has impacted our personal and business relationships, several observations stand out to me. Observations Countries where citizens have always been good at…

This is my 29th year living and working in the United States after immigrating from Germany in 1991. While developing international business strategy over the years I have come across many differences between Germans and Americans. Some…

As a regular customer for almost 20 years, it pains me to write this but I am concerned that one of the next big victims of the novel coronavirus (#COVID-19) could be one of the…

As I have traveled the world over the past three years since Donald J. Trump was inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States of America, I have stared into the disbelieving and disillusioned…

Over the Thanksgiving Holiday I sat down and reflected on all the little (and big) digital tools that I use each and every day that have made my life so much easier. As I started…

As a very young boy growing up in West Berlin, Germany, I thought every city was surrounded by a concrete wall. As I grew older, I remember feeling angry learning about the abuse of power…

A little more than a month ago, on September 24, federal elections were held in Germany. Chancellor Merkel’s party, along with its Bavarian sister party (the CDU/CSU) lost many seats in parliament but she still…

In 2013, American technology magnate Michael Dell said that “mobile will figure out health care … before health care figures out mobile.” Initially, he was right, but during the past year the healthcare industry has…

Volkswagen AG (VW), with annual revenues of $244 billion in 2014 and some 600,000 employees worldwide, now stands accused of systematically circumventing and violating environmental safety rules and regulations the world over, possibly for years….

If you are an executive at a successful company, then you have probably expanded into new locations within your country numerous times. Each new location required you to confront local red tape and consumer sentiment,…

Twenty-five years ago, I was 19 years old and living in what was then West Berlin. In my last year of German high school, I often worked as a security guard at night to earn…

“Translating Corporate Culture Across Borders” is a favorite subject of mine. I very much enjoy speaking about what I believe corporations need to be mindful of when they expand their operations overseas or when they…

For many years I have had a close-up view of an industry that most people know nothing about until a tragic incident occurs. Picture yourself on that vacation of a lifetime – an African Safari,…

That is no longer the question. At least not for most corporations in most industries in most countries. The question has been answered, in the affirmative. I remember getting my first Casio wrist watch with…

Ever looked for the 4th floor of a hotel in China? You will be looking for a long time… This week I had the opportunity to speak at the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD)…

I spent the past couple of days in Washington, D.C. in advance of German Chancellor Merkel’s visit to the United States. One of the fascinating conversations I had centered on the fact that many medium-sized…