{"id":18,"date":"2013-05-08T14:11:00","date_gmt":"2013-05-08T14:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ceo-worldwide.com\/blog\/?p=18"},"modified":"2025-03-19T06:13:22","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T06:13:22","slug":"international-business-relationships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ceo-worldwide.com\/blog\/international-business-relationships\/","title":{"rendered":"International Business Relationships: A Success Story"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Introduction to international business relationships<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This success story describes one experience and two levels of feedback on international business relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The experience is my assignment as Executive Vice President for Orascom<\/a> started 7 years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One level is describing a senior management position<\/a> within an emerging market leader organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other is how, on a global basis, interrelations (business, ethics, strategy) between emerging economies are building a breakthrough position vis-\u00e0-vis multinational companies from, to make an easy reference, the so-called western world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Context<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Being a European engineer holding an Insead MBA it was always a driver to work internationally. From 1986 till 2006 I held various positions in Africa, Asia, Austral-Asia, Europe and Latin America, and always in major companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But these companies were always Western European companies and in particular French. But this analysis is valid for all major Western European groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting in 2003 I met Orascom founder and Chairman, M. Onsi Sawiris and joined the group in 2006 till today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the major change and challenge in my career and where above all the learning has been so extreme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Situation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When I effectively crossed the board in 2006, I knew the owner\/family as a client & partner but not really the company from inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also must admit that it was difficult to leave my previous company as the senior management proposed me an interesting challenge in Asia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And more importantly it was a jump to a truly emerging world market and organization, still fairly unknown to western managers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Problems encountered<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Obviously knowing now the level of difficulties, I would not have probably taken up this new career path! (even if the overall period is a great success)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lack of organization, default of communication and inexistence of middle management is a list of main drawbacks of such companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But probably the cultural gap is one which can bring failures all the time: religion, vision Western versus Arabian world, old economies\/emerging, etc…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And more importantly is the level of discrimination the company and its people have encountered in trying to break the ice and make sound and reputable business relations.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"strategy<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Strategy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once I started this challenging position, I decided to concentrate on two axis:<\/p>\n\n\n\n