What would you say to a UCLA student who is planning on having an international career?
Moving abroad is always an extraordinary opportunity. The skills you learn with regards to culture and diversity and how to effectively adapt to different countries, work in different languages, and live in different cultures, are easily transferred into your job and will make you a highly valued and sought after professional.
How have you navigated cultural differences between your home country, UCLA, and where you work now?
Working in many different countries throughout all of North and South America has shown me that every country has a unique culture and different set of values, even if the language is the same. Being able to quickly adapt to these differences and be flexible enough to adapt your management approach is key to successfully grow and progress in any multinational corporation.
What do you think are the most important components for educating students to be culturally competent global citizens, regardless of their major?
You must learn to read the room, to quickly identify different work and communication styles, and to quickly adapt to each situation and each meeting. To be able to identify and understand how to most effectively use these differences to achieve your objectives. Empathy and patience are also key elements of working with different cultures and people from many parts of the world.