Ep. 86: Cultural difference and leadership in China, with Gene Hsu, Founder of EME China Consultants

Gene is an American born Chinese (ABC) with over 20 years of cross-cultural management, business development, consulting, and teaching experience in APAC and Greater China. Gene began managing key accounts, establishing channel partners, and developing new business in Mainland China in 2004. He received his first permanent assignment in Shanghai in 2012, leading all sales in Asia Pacific for a German B2B manufacturing company. Gene has led M&S activities in Asia for several MNCs, worked as a PMS consultant at Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs), started a cross-cultural performance training, coaching, and consulting business, and founded the most diverse Meetup group in Shanghai that has grown organically to over 7,000+ members and hosted over 200+ events. He has taught MBA and EMBA classes in Shanghai and the US and cross-cultural management courses to Chinese executives at HKU-IBC locations in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing.

EME China Consultants, the latest entrepreneurial iteration of Gene’s passion for coaching people towards more favorable outcomes thru self-awareness and empathy, is positioned at the intersection of soft skills development and doing business in China. Gene speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese, and he has a BSME and MBA degree from Georgia Tech.   

EPISODE CONTENT:

• Mike and Shlomo discuss about holidays

• Mike talks about upcoming events

• Gene Hsu introduces himself

• Gene Hsu and Mike talk about political and cultural differences between Mainland China, Taïwan and Hong Kong.

• What is a “Mindset for China Business”?   

• Gene Hsu makes a parallel between US and China about bearing arms

• How is Chinese “Guanxi” different than building relationships in Western cultures?

• What are the risks and potential rewards for starting a business in China?

• What are the most important considerations before deciding to start a business in China?

• What adjustments should I make when dealing with Chinese MNCs versus foreign MNCs versus Chinese SOEs?

• Gene Hsu talks about his various activities

Episode Mentions:

Intro

• Mike’s event: Cross Border Matchmaker

• China Business Cast on Ximalaya

Interview

• EME China Consultants

• Free webinars ‘Mindset of China Business’, once every two weeks

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