28. Gravitas Shift: When Power Is in Europe and the Future Moves to China

29. The Integration Gap: Why Cross-Border Placements Fail on Culture, Not Skill with Jie Hong

"The problem is not that Chinese teams resist change. The problem is that leaders arrive with a fixed model of what leadership looks like — and mistake cultural difference for underperformance." Cross-border executive placements rarely fail because someone lacks the skill. They fail in the integration — how authority is read, how conflict is handled, how feedback lands, and what alignment really means across cultures. In this episode, Kevin Hong speaks with Jie, a trilingual executive coach working across English, French, and Chinese, with lived experience across China, North America, and Europe. Drawing on Hofstede's cultural dimensions, real cases of Chinese companies acquiring French teams, and the daily frictions of multinational leadership, they break down why cultural integration is a core execution risk — especially in the first 90 days. Five threads: why the "soft skills" framing keeps companies underprepared, how power distance shapes leadership perception across China, France, and Nordic markets, the role of face in real-time feedback loops, the conversation no cross-border leader ever has but should, and the practical pivots that actually close the gap. In this episode: * Why "yes" in a Beijing meeting doesn't mean what it means in Paris — and how to surface the real answer * The power distance gap between China, France, and Nordic countries — and what it means for your leadership style on arrival * Why the most important onboarding conversation is never about strategy — and what to ask instead * How "connection before correction" changes both team integration and leadership credibility in a new market If you lead into China, sit on a board that covers China, or are placing senior leaders across borders — this one is for you. Follow the show and leave a rating to help more leaders find it. --- 🎧 Subscribe now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your executive inspiration and learn how global leaders think ahead, move faster, and lead smarter. Subscribe to our newsletter [https://lyc-partners.us22.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a6ba34d5d9e108df4fae223c8&id=a0961ca045]to get access to exclusive insights and all the details about the Leaders in Motion Academy, our executive program. If the topics discussed resonate with your own leadership challenges or the conversations happening in your organization - assessing international leaders, aligning global and local teams, building capabilities across regions. You can reach us at LYC Partners [http://www.lyc-partners.ai/contact-us] to set up a consultation. -- Produced by Bonjour Podcast [https://www.bonjourpodcast.com/] (Melanie Hong), Leaders in Motion blends storytelling, strategy, and data-driven insight, giving today’s leaders a roadmap to anticipate tomorrow’s challenges and lead with intention. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy [https://ausha.co/privacy-policy] for more information.

28. Gravitas Shift: When Power Is in Europe and the Future Moves to China

"The problem is not bad leaders in China. The problem is a Western-led governance model that confuses uniformity with discipline, historical revenue with future potential, and center-driven control with strategic relevance." For years, European headquarters have blamed their China underperformance on local leadership. In this solo episode, Kevin draws on conversations with a dozen of executives who built careers in the gap between Chinese market reality and global HQ logic — and breaks down why the model keeps failing. Five acts: the daily symptoms of misalignment, the structural sources rooted in Western governance assumptions, the operational consequences, the long-term damage to brand relevance and talent position, and the hard pivots that actually change the trajectory. In this episode: * Why "ghost alignment" in quarterly reviews is a governance failure, not a people failure * The 18-month vs. 4-month innovation gap — and what it actually signals * How boards that have never visited China are making invalid resource decisions * Why the return rate of overseas Chinese talent flipped from 20% to 80% Featuring voices from: Fabien Dumont (Autoliv CTO), Sonia Benjeloun-Carpentier (Piaget Managing Director China), Guilhem Souche (Luxury Executive China), Guido Maune (Partner EAC), Jenny Lai (Bluebell, Managing Director Greater China), Pierluigi Visotti (Founder ULYSSES), Ye Han (Partner Kantar), Laurent Scarato (Industrial Executive China), Greg Au-Yeung (Managing Director China Ingenico), Anne Line Hansen (Cross Border Board Advisor), and Francesco Pesci (ex Lancel Managing Director). Download the Executive Brief: The Gravitas Shift: When Power Is in Europe and the Future Is in China | LYC Partners [https://www.lyc-partners.ai/board-brief/june-2026] If you lead into China, sit on a board that covers China, or are rethinking your China model — this one is for you. Follow the show and leave a rating to help more leaders find it. --- 🎧 Subscribe now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your executive inspiration and learn how global leaders think ahead, move faster, and lead smarter. Subscribe to our newsletter [https://lyc-partners.us22.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a6ba34d5d9e108df4fae223c8&id=a0961ca045]to get access to exclusive insights and all the details about the Leaders in Motion Academy, our executive program. If the topics discussed resonate with your own leadership challenges or the conversations happening in your organization - assessing international leaders, aligning global and local teams, building capabilities across regions. You can reach us at LYC Partners [http://www.lyc-partners.ai/contact-us] to set up a consultation. -- Produced by Bonjour Podcast [https://www.bonjourpodcast.com/] (Melanie Hong), Leaders in Motion blends storytelling, strategy, and data-driven insight, giving today’s leaders a roadmap to anticipate tomorrow’s challenges and lead with intention. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy [https://ausha.co/privacy-policy] for more information.

27. From GAP Munich to Steinway Zürich: Experiential Retail, Cross-Brand Leadership, and Bridging Global and Local with Piet Kolsch

"We needed to slow down to keep the identity of the brand." Piet Kolsch is a Swiss-based retail operator and brand transformation leader with 25 years of experience building, opening, and scaling flagship environments across Europe and beyond — from GAP and Esprit to Apple, Tally Weijl, Benetton, Patagonia, and Steinway. Piet's journey begins in Munich with GAP's record-breaking flagship opening in 2000, through scaling Esprit's largest global store, opening Apple's Zurich flagship after six months embedded in the recruiting and opening team, directing Tally Weijl's rapid expansion across 450 stores and 5 countries (€360M revenues), leading Benetton's entire European network of 1,400 points of sale across 14 markets and 3,000 people, running Patagonia's Munich flagship operations as the brand donated itself to the planet, and most recently managing seven Musik Hug/Steinway locations in Switzerland — where a single product takes a year to build and the customer relationship spans generations. In this episode: * 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 — why Piet always joins 6 months before opening, and what "the company investing in me" really means * 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹 — how stores went from product density to brand experience, and what Apple and Steinway teach us about that shift * 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟲𝟬/𝟰𝟬 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹-𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 — 60% non-negotiable brand process, 40% local adaptation maximum, and why the story never changes * 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 — a German-French visual merchandising case study that reveals how culture shapes execution, not just communication * 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲 — the silence vs. directness dynamic, and how to set a stage where both cultures can contribute without forcing either to change * 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗜𝗗 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹 — less product, more event, more after-sale service, and why customers now want to feel the brand before they buy it * 𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸 — why Piet reads CVs after interviews, and what he is actually watching for in the room For cross-border operators, retail leaders, and anyone who has had to make a global brand feel genuinely local — this episode is a masterclass in the craft of brand stewardship at scale. 🎧 Subscribe now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your executive inspiration and learn how global leaders think ahead, move faster, and lead smarter. Subscribe to our newsletter [https://www.lyc-partners.ai/]to get access to exclusive insights and all the details about our Leadership Insights. If the topics discussed resonate with your own leadership challenges or the conversations happening in your organization - assessing international leaders, aligning global and local teams, building capabilities across regions. You can reach us at LYC Partners [http://www.lyc-partners.ai/contact-us] to set up a consultation. Produced by Bonjour Podcast [https://www.bonjourpodcast.com/] (Melanie Hong), Leaders in Motion blends storytelling, strategy, and data-driven insight, giving today’s leaders a roadmap to anticipate tomorrow’s challenges and lead with intention. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy [https://ausha.co/privacy-policy] for more information.

26. From Queens to Paris: Storytelling, Branding, and Cultural Humility in a World of AI Translation with Lory Martinez

“One Spanish listen…is equal to at least 10 listens because people listen with their friends.” Lory Martinez, Colombian-American brand strategist and founder of Maraviya in Paris, has spent the last two decades building multilingual story ecosystems—then translating that operating system into brand strategy for cross-border founders. Lory's journey runs from early radio journalism and engineering in upstate New York (at the moment audio first moved online) to a global communications pivot in France, to founding Studio Ochenta—an award-winning multilingual podcast company that scaled to 25+ languages and 100+ shows—before building Maravilla to help immigrant and first-generation founders tell the truth of their identity without losing themselves in the messaging. In this episode: * 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗲 — why cross-cultural teams require “I don’t know—teach me” as an operating stance * 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 — why “just giving the files” fails, and how to bridge HQ/local misalignment * 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼-𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 — why “hyper-niche” groups can outperform mass targeting * 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 — how to decide who converts first, then tailor the same product to multiple audiences * 𝗔𝗜 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗥𝗟 — why translation tech can help, but human-to-human experience is what people buy * 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 — leadership lessons from remote production, and what “giving time back” changes inside teams If you lead across borders—or you’re building a brand that has to feel authentic in more than one culture—this conversation will sharpen how you think about language, audience, and the human side of strategy. 🎧 Subscribe now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your executive inspiration and learn how global leaders think ahead, move faster, and lead smarter. Subscribe to our newsletter [https://www.lyc-partners.ai/]to get access to exclusive insights and all the details about our Leadership Insights. If the topics discussed resonate with your own leadership challenges or the conversations happening in your organization - assessing international leaders, aligning global and local teams, building capabilities across regions. You can reach us at LYC Partners [http://www.lyc-partners.ai/contact-us] to set up a consultation. Produced by Bonjour Podcast [https://www.bonjourpodcast.com/] (Melanie Hong), Leaders in Motion blends storytelling, strategy, and data-driven insight, giving today’s leaders a roadmap to anticipate tomorrow’s challenges and lead with intention. To Contact Lory: * Her Substack [https://substack.com/@lorymartinez] * Her Website [https://www.lorymartinez.com/maraviya]   * Her Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorymartinez/] Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy [https://ausha.co/privacy-policy] for more information.

25. From Naval Officer to AI Architect: CEO-Led Transformation, and Hiring for the Vibe-Code Era with Ian Hogg

"We could see the SaaS apocalypse coming five years before it came." Ian Hogg is Chairman of SolvedBy.ai [http://SolvedBy.ai] and ShopWorks. He partners with SaaS leadership teams to embed practical, vertical AI engines into their products — not generic copilots, but AI built for specific operational contexts like workforce scheduling, demand forecasting, and labour efficiency. For any executive navigating software vendor decisions in an AI-first world, Ian offers one of the sharpest ground-level frameworks available. In this episode: * 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗮𝗦 𝗔𝗽𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹𝘆𝗽𝘀𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 — Three buckets: simple SaaS already dead, complex SaaS racing to re-engineer, and AI-first SaaS coming for both * 𝗥𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝟱𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝘁 — What AI-first re-engineering actually looks like inside a running SaaS business, bolt by bolt * 𝗖𝗘𝗢-𝗟𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗜 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 — Why a CEO who rebuilt the company website over a weekend using Claude Code changed the culture of a 100-person business faster than any strategy deck * 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 — Why "cautious and conservative" is now an organizational liability — and how top-down AI leadership breaks through it * 𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝗯𝗲-𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗘𝗿𝗮 — The application-build test every new hire at SolvedBy.ai [http://SolvedBy.ai] must pass — including marketing * 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗘𝗢𝘀 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗦𝗮𝗮𝗦 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗿𝘀 — Red flags, QBR questions, and what a real AI roadmap from your supplier should look like right now * 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲-𝗣𝗲𝗿-𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 — Running a 19-person global operation and why humans still need to get on a plane to Denmark * 𝗛𝗮𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖-𝗦𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗩𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽? — The one board-level question that separates companies that will survive from those that won't For CEOs, board members, and transformation leaders navigating software vendor decisions and internal AI adoption — this episode gives you the framework and the diagnostic questions to act before the apocalypse reaches your stack. --- 🎧 Subscribe now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your executive inspiration and learn how global leaders think ahead, move faster, and lead smarter. Subscribe to our newsletter [https://lyc-partners.us22.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a6ba34d5d9e108df4fae223c8&id=a0961ca045]to get access to exclusive insights and all the details about the Leaders in Motion Academy, our executive program. If the topics discussed resonate with your own leadership challenges or the conversations happening in your organization - assessing international leaders, aligning global and local teams, building capabilities across regions. You can reach us at LYC Partners [http://www.lyc-partners.ai/contact-us] to set up a consultation. -- Produced by Bonjour Podcast [https://www.bonjourpodcast.com/] (Melanie Hong), Leaders in Motion blends storytelling, strategy, and data-driven insight, giving today’s leaders a roadmap to anticipate tomorrow’s challenges and lead with intention. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy [https://ausha.co/privacy-policy] for more information.