Bridging the gap - a series on China: Recent Episodes
Mats Hinrichsen & Philip Fischer
Hi, we are Mats Hinrichsen and Philip Fischer, 2 students of the Future Leaders program at Peking University. In this program, we learn a lot about China’s culture, business environment and changing geopolitical role. To supplement our studies with a real-world perspective we started this Podcast and invite you to join us in our attempt to uncover how our guests successfully bridge the cultural gap between China and the West. In the process we will be able to take home some insights into the speaker’s respective industry and valuable lessons on how to succeed in the international sphere.
Prof. Hermann Simon, Founder of the consulting companySimon-Kucher & Partners, is an expert in strategy, marketing, and pricing. He is one of the most significant management thinkers globally and coined the term "hidden champions." He explains their contribution to a large portion of the export success in both Germany and China. We also delve into pricing strategy, discussing companies like Shein and Temu, as well asexploring the concept of perceived value.
His golden advice for gaining international experienceresonates deeply with us, and we hope you'll enjoy listening.
Sandrine Zerbib, the former President of Adidas Greater China and a leading e-commerce expert, shares her insights on establishing Adidas in China in the 90s. She discusses the evolving preferences of Chinese consumers, their growing desire for entertainment, their demand for swift access to new products, and the importance of large social commerce platforms.
Her insights are invaluable for understanding the future of e-commerce, both in China and globally. We learned a lot, and we hope you will enjoy listening.
Edwin Diender, Chief Innovation Officer at Huawei Technologies, which was recently named the 8th most innovative company worldwide by BCG. He explains how their availability of expertise across different industries allows them to accelerate innovation and growth. We also touch upon future outlooks and a worldwide web of energy.
His golden advice, “be passionate about everything you do," certainly applies to this podcast project, and we hope that you enjoy this episode as well.
Jet Chang, VP at Tomra, a leading multinational recycling company focusing on deposit return systems, explains how influencing policy in China requires a fact-based approach. He also elaborates on how the Chinese economy was initially rather circular out of economic necessity, what the recent developments are and the specific steps to be taken to achieve full circularity.In his golden advice, Jet recommends embracing new opportunities and experiences, as they have the potential to shape career paths and bring about unforeseen successes.
Aldo Spaanjaars, the former CEO of Lacoste in China and author of "Dragon Tactics," shares valuableinsights about retail company turnarounds. He demonstrates how the notion of hierarchy is different inChina, and how unique company structures ensure agility in a culture of power distance.
His golden advice of "feeling the stones as you cross the river" is especially valuable for us as we are aboutto graduate.
Alexander is a partner at Picus Capital, a leading global early-stage technology investment firm, where he is overseeing investment activities in China. Alexander shares what he learned during his earlier career including his time as a director at JD.com, a leading internet company, and China's largest retailer, and talks about current VC investment trends.
Jonathan currently is the President of the Emerging Advisors Group, a China-based emerging market macro consultancy that services investors and other key players in the global financial markets. Jonathan explains how China’s growth miracle was driven by agricultural efficiency gains, manufacturing exports, and residential property reforms. Mats and Philip test whether the pursuit of common prosperity could accelerate economic growth.
This episode we invited President of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China Jörg Wuttke to talk about his past 40 years experience of working in China and the work of the European Chamber.
What to listen for:
00:00 Introduction
01:25 Upbringing and interest in China
02:50 Studying sinology and first trip to China
04:50 How China changed
06:22 China as the “fitness club” for management
09:21 Founding of the European Chamber
11:47 Jörg’s achievement briefing European leaders on China
13:00 How the advocacy works
17:05 Being credible speaking up for China and EU
19:20 Guanxi
20:50 Ways of communication
22:50 Productive talks with Ministry of Commerce
26:10 Golden advice “You have to be a backpacker”
Jonathan Woetzel is a senior partner at McKinsey, based in Shanghai. Born and raised in the US while being grounded in Chinese culture from an early age, he plays a key role in the China consulting environment. A true embodiment of bridging the cultural gap between China and the West. It was an honor talking to Jonathan. In this episode you will hear anecdotes, consulting insights and some really valuable advice on how to succeed in life. Hope you enjoy.
Rex Gu is the CFO of Maersk’s Asia Pacific Operations. The conversation with Rex is centred around cultural differences. In Rex’s opinion company cultures can triumph national culture in a way, which is a great additional aspect to the Hofstede model learned in business school. We also covered operational and commercial drivers in international trade. A very interesting first episode!