The International Business Podcast Leonardo Marra

On this episode co-host Audrey interviews Shan Saeed. He is a Chief Economist at IQI Global, a leading property, technology and investment company operating and advising clients in Kuala Lumpur, İstanbul, Singapore, Hong Kong, London, Melbourne, Shanghai, Makati, Toronto and Dubai. He has 21 years of solid financial market experience in the areas of private banking, risk /compliance management, commodity investments, global economy, brand and business strategy. Based in Kuaka Lumpur. 
Shan is a financial market commentator and cited in Al Jazeera TV, CNBC Arabia / Singapore, FT [Deutschland], Channel News Asia Singapore, International New York Times/Malaysian Reserve, The Edge Financial Daily, Uni of Chicago, Booth School of Business alumni magazine, The Gulf Today, Berita Harian, Khaleej Times, Smart Investor, Money Compass, Rotary Club USA, World Business Journal Singapore, Focus Malaysia, Oil/Gas magazine Malaysia, Business Today, Bernama TV, CNBC Indonesia, Vietnam News Agency and many more. 
He has been invited at World Bank / IMF annual meeting in October 2017 in Washington DC to participate in Belt and Road Initiative summit and shared his thoughts about the importance of infrastructure investment strategy for emerging economies.  Invited by SWF including EPF / PNB to share thoughts on global macro-economic outlook and Asia's growth landscape.
Shan has graduated from one of the prestigious business schools in USA i.e. Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago. He got his first MBA from IBA Pakistan [in collaboration with the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania]. He is also trained in Alternative Banking/Strategies from the Harvard Business School, USA.
Connect with Shan on LinkedIn
Self-learning is of paramount importance in the business world, listen to your international peers and step up your game.
Connect with the host Leonardo Marra on LinkedIn Follow the page on LinkedIn 

On this episode co-host Stefano interviews Daria Müller Velasquez. She is a Recruitment Marketing & Employer Branding Professional with experience across multiple industries, including financial, education, e-commerce, communication, and consumer goods. Daria has an expertise in 360° content marketing, digital & social media strategies, event management, and launching effective online campaigns across multiple channels and countries.
Currently, she is a part of HelloFresh - the global meal kit company which is on a mission to change the way people eat, forever. Working closely with the Global/International Talent Acquisition team, Daria is responsible for shaping and sharing the company's authentic employer image in order to attract, engage and nurture the right talent across 17 countries.
Connect with Daria on LinkedIn Company website  Self-learning is of paramount importance in the business world, listen to your international peers and step up your game.
Connect with the host Leonardo Marra on LinkedIn Follow the page on LinkedIn 

On these “Select” episodes of the show, we’ll extract our favourite moments from previous episodes of The International Business Podcast.  
08: Finding your career path in China With Francis Kremer45: Disciplined listening With Michael Reddington33: Innovation made easy With Chiara Covone
After a decade of international Sales experience in Europe, Francis Kremer relocated to China in 2017. Since then, he has been working in the interface of European and Chinese Automotive companies and their machine suppliers. The Automotive industry is one of the strongest industries in China, employing lots of foreign talent in different roles. Francis explains how you can relocate to China, find your place in one of the leading industries and grow your international working skills every day. He also explains if you need to speak Chinese in order to find work in China.
 ---
Michael Reddington, CFI is an expert at moving people from resistance to commitment. As a Certified Forensic Interviewer, he achieved the highest professional designation available in the field of interview and interrogation and spent over a decade training investigator around the world on the successful application of non-confrontational interview. 
Michael arrived at two key realizations while expanding his observation and persuasive skill sets. First, the very best leaders and the very best interrogators capitalize on the same two core skills - vision and influence. Second, the cognitive processes that lead customers to commit to saying "I'll buy it", employees to commit to saying "I'll do it" and suspects to commit to truthfully saying "I did it" are all nearly identical. These realizations caused Michael to recognize he could teach executives how to reduce missed opportunities and increase commitments to action
 ---
After the clock rang with 20 years climbing the corporate ladder in large multinational organisations, Chiara Covone knew she was ready to invest the next 20 years in a bigger professional purpose: help corporate professionals and entrepreneurs master their mind to achieve anything they want in their life.  She is particularly proud having been instrumental for the development of what is today a multi-million-dollar business for Philip Morris International - IQOS. After PMI, she worked for Mondelez, in Strategic Marketing and Innovation roles.  She is now a successful executive and business coach, and lives in Sweden with her family.


 Self-learning is of paramount importance in the business world, listen to your international peers and step up your game.
Connect with the host Leonardo Marra on LinkedIn 
Follow the page on LinkedIn 

On this episode co-host Stefano Santelmo interviews Stephan Thaerigen. He  is the Founder and CEO of GQC.io. leading third-party inspection company based in Shenzhen China, with operations covering main cities in China, focusing on consumer products Inspections (PSI & Du-Pro), Factory Audits, Factory Improvement, Technical Engineering and troubleshooting. He helps companies to improve their quality control and save cost and time. 
 LEARN MORE ABOUT QUALITY: 
 What is AQL?  What type of defects do we find the most/Defect Classifications!  Why do manufacturers in China fail quality inspection?  How to develop and improve suppliers?  Factory Audits  Why 3rd Party Inspection Services?  Connect with Stephan on LinkedIn 
Self-learning is of paramount importance in the business world, listen to your international peers and step up your game.
Connect with the host Leonardo Marra on LinkedIn 
Follow the page on LinkedIn 

On these “Select” episodes of the show, we’ll extract our favourite moments from previous episodes of The International Business Podcast. You can find the links to the guests in the show notes. Enjoy.
 #89: Decoupling from China With Shaun Rein#46: Business mum With Christine Gouchault#49: Expat executives and brutal truths With Tom Roberts

Shaun Rein is the Founder and Managing Director of the China Market Research Group (CMR), the world's leading strategic market intelligence firm focused on China. He works with boards, billionaires, heads of states, CEOs and senior executives of Fortune 500 & leading Chinese companies, private equity firms, SMEs and long/ hedge funds to develop their China growth, political and investment strategies. 
Rein authored the international best-sellers "The War for China's Wallet: Profiting from the New World Order," "The End of Cheap China"​ & "The End of Copycat China."​
--- 
Christine Gouchault is a mother of four and a very successful entrepreneur, sales enablement expert and international author. Time management and work-life balance at its best. Christine has had companies in Denmark and France and helped businesses build and grow international sales teams. Currently she is CCO at NewBanking, a Danish regtech scale-up. NewBanking provides a user identity platform that allows end-users to verify their identity easily and securely across businesses while at the same having control and ownership of their own data and identity online
 ---
After over a decade abroad taking on 5 international assignments and guiding teams in 11 different countries, with country, unit, and regional P&L ownership, Tom Roberts has been through the ups and downs of leading abroad. The stakes are high for your career, your company’s objectives, and – perhaps most importantly – for your family.  After 30 years of diverse business experience, Tom founded Cranberry Leadership with the goal of making every expat assignment a success for the company, for the expat leader, for the host team, and for their families. No matter how much you prepare, it’s more complex than you think.
 
Self-learning is of paramount importance in the business world, listen to your international peers and step up your game. 
Connect with the host Leonardo Marra on LinkedIn  Follow the page on LinkedIn 

On this episode Leo interviews Steven Yung. He brings extensive management insights from leading multinational and local companies in Asia and the U.S.A. With a proven track record throughout the value chain via leadership roles in Consumer, Brand Innovation, Media & Entertainment, Property, Manufacturing, Retail, FinTech industries, his experiences range from CEO of HKEx-listed Imagi International and took China’s #1 iconic IP to new heights via partnership with top global / Disney & local / Hauyi Brothers Movie & Licensing ventures ... led the successful IPO as Chairman of Clear Media / JV with NYSE-listed Clear Channel Worldwide ... 
General Manager / Office of the Chairman of HKEx-listed Sino Land Group ... President of NYSE-listed Nielsen Media International responsible for all operations outside of the U.S... Managing Director of Nielsen Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China ... Director of Jardine /DFI responsible for buying / merchandising / marketing of various retail brands 7-Eleven & Wellcome, etc.
Based in the HQ of The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, Steven was the first Asian to lead Global Marketing services in partnership with internal leaders in 200 countries worldwide and external partners such as Olympics, NBA, Disney, NFL, McDonald’s, and more.
As Director of Marketing Operations, Steven led a transformative integrated marketing deal with the All-Business Airline of Donald Trump via “Minute Maid ~ Official Juice of Trump Shuttle” in New York, Boston & Washington DC. This success led to & inspired a nationwide multi-year cause-marketing campaign to raise money to support USA Olympic Hopefuls. This impactful pitch was launched via unprecedented roadblock simulcast in over 200 terrestrial, cable & satellite channels preceded with a public service announcement by President Bush to rally community support of Olympic Hopefuls! 
His significant accomplishments were recognized with a citation as “agent of change”
Born in Shanghai, Steven grew up in the multicultural Hong Kong ~ Asia’s World City! To pay for his own college education with dual majors in Communication & Sociology, Steven started his career as a popular DJ / producer of Youth & Music Programs in the broadcasting industry. Highlight was his Producer role in Hong Kong’s ‘Woodstock Live’ Concert at the famous Rugby 7 Stadium. Leveraging his insightful knowledge in Youth & Music, Steven joined McCann Erickson International responsible for advertising & promotion of Coca- Cola and the successful launches of Sprite, Diet Coke, Hi-C, Bonaqua, and more throughout Asia. 
He was invited to join The Coca-Cola Company as Head of New Products onward to be the Chief Marketing Officer for the region ... before his promotion to Houston / Minute Maid HQ ... and upward to join / lead the Global Marketing of The Coca-Cola Company based in Atlanta, GA, U.S.A.
As a firm believer to continuously give back to the community, Steven’s diverse philanthropic roles included Board Director of Heifer International, Little Rock, Arkansas, Chairman of Investment Committee of Youth Global Network & Tao Fong Shan Foundation, Chairman of Youth Foundation, Board Director of Alpha Asia Foundation, Breakthrough, Child Development Matching Fund, Quality Mentoring Network, etc.
Connect with Steven on LinkedIn 
Self-learning is of paramount importance in the business world, listen to your international peers and step up your game.
Connect with the host Leonardo Marra on LinkedIn 
Follow the page on LinkedIn