In June, ExpatWomen.com features Anna Catalano as a Success Story. I've included part of the interview here, as well as the link to read the entire article. It's a great piece, and focuses on how Anna made a new career for herself as a senior board director on several companies. Her combined experience as a senior executive in a Fortune 100 company and an internationalist enables her to manage an active board portfolio, serving on the Boards of Directors of SSL International, plc, Hercules Incorporated, and Willis Group Holdings. She serves as a member of the Strategy and Marketing Advisory Board of BT Global Services, as well as the Advisory Board of Amyris Biotechnologies. Anna is also a board member of the Houston/Gulf Coast Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Here are Anna's Top 5 Tips on how to become a board member: 1. Find a good first board – don’t worry about “pedigree”, but find something that feels good based on the industry and the people you meet. Make sure it’s a board you can contribute to, and not one that’s just looking for a woman (there are many of those out there!) Depending on the level you achieved as an executive, you may/may not be qualified to serve on some boards you wish you could at first. Don’t fret about it…you can still enjoy a small board as much as those who sit on Fortune 50 companies – without many of the headaches! 2. Know where you can add value, and stay current on that topic. If you’re a marketing person, stay up on the latest and greatest in brand development and changes in how companies reach consumers. There’s nothing worse than a board member who’s stale! Remember – you’re being looked at as an expert at the table. Keep earning that role! 3. Network, network, network. Your value as a board member or prospective member is dependent on your relationships and connections. You can never know too many people or have access to too many conversations. This will also give you the ability to help put other women on boards in the future! 4. Learn about the business. Before the interview, do your due diligence so that you can have a meaningful conversation. If you become a board member, invest some time in the company and get to know what makes it tick. You don’t want to be a board member that just shows up and takes a seat at the table! 5. Enjoy it! You’re about to enter a wonderful chapter in your professional career. It’s a great opportunity to continue to contribute without being a full-time executive. You’ll find the company you keep is fabulous and you’ll continue to feel like you’re learning and growing! To read the full article, go to:  http://www.expatwomen.com/success-stories/anna_catalano.php

http://www.expatwomen.com/success-stories/anna_catalano.php

        MBA programs are incorporating study abroad in their curricula. Approaches vary but mandatory time abroad working on a specific business problem is proving most valuable.  Two schools leading the pack are Yale School of Management and George Washington University’s Global MBA program.
       Yale SOM revamped its curriculum in 2006 by replacing standard finance and marketing courses with “progressive yet practical multidisciplinary courses that cut across functional boundaries," says SOM professor Doug Rae. “Our focus is not only to prepare students for graduation – but to be ready to tackle business problems that are five to ten years out.”
        Role-playing future managers learn various perspectives, such as customer, regulator and manufacturer for example.  During students’ first year and after a 12-week preparatory course covering culture, history, language, background and world economics, students embark on a 10-14 day field trip in January.  They mix study with meetings with business, government, and nonprofit organization leaders.  They complete a trip project and take part in cultural activities. Yale’s first global students are graduating this spring. 
        GW will offer its revamped program to full-time students beginning fall 2008. Its MBA program is overhauled with new courses on cross-cultural diversity, international business and management, social impact of global business and micro and macroeconomics.  
        “Students cannot learn to do international business without having international business experience,” says associate dean Murat Tarimcilar, who himself has worked on four continents. “All full-time MBA students will participate in an international residency, which provides an interactive close-up with the complexities of the global economy.”
        The international residency is a project-based consultancy. In March, an international business executive visits the campus to share information about a specific company problem in an overseas market. Students then spend weeks writing up the case study and working through the problems. In May, students spend two weeks in the host country before making a final presentation of its recommendations to company executives.
        Both Tarimcilar and Rae are passionate about the important role international now plays in a student’s ability to successfully tackle present-day business problems.  Although the brief international exposure doesn’t replace living in-country for a length of time, “it teaches the students to ask the right questions” and to do so in completely foreign environments. There are no memorized answers; students must learn to think through the problems – a critical skill to working successfully across borders.

As originally published on Greentree Gazette on June 10: http://greentreegazette.com/articles/load.aspx?art=934

        In 2004, I was teaching at a University in Connecticut. The subject was globalization. In that class, I predicted that based on the rapid development taking place in countries like China and India, we would see $100 oil within 5 years. (If only I'd put my money where my mouth was...but that's another story...) 
      Several weeks ago, prior to the oil industry experts announcing the same, I predicted we'd see $200 oil within the next 5 years. Maybe I'll be right. Maybe I'll be wrong. But if it comes to pass my hope is that with all the difficulty and disruption that will undoubtedly cause, it will also offer real opportunity for improved quality of life - and not just for the oil companies. I hope that $200 oil will finally make alternate work scenarios not only affordable but desirable for most employers. I hope that with the high cost of transportation and heating/cooling, etc., companies will finally see that technology is cheaper than office space. And that employees, freed from an often torturous daily commute, can be even more productive and engaged working remotely. 
        Because the truth is that while personal relationships and team work will always be important, we can all learn how to be more effective in managing these things, even when we are not in the same location every day. In fact, it will become just like it is right now for those of us who have international teams. 
        Throughout my career, I have had teams that I worked with every day or every week but only saw in person a couple times a year. It's not as easy, especially with junior folks you are trying to mentor or when you are first starting to work together, but it can be highly effective in many instances and indeed it can liberating for senior folks - allowing or forcing (depending on the person) the individual to make more of their own decisions and to be more accountable for the results. 
        As my husband will attest, I am not a big technology buff. But, even I LOVE the personal freedom and power that comes from the ability to do work whenever and wherever I please. Like right now, as I'm sitting at the Wilmette community center, waiting for my daughter to finish her first ballet class, and writing this blog. 
        So if $200 oil is inevitable, I say let's at least be sure we get some personal benefits along with the obvious difficulties.
As originally published in the Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/perry-yeatman/the-good-news-about-200-o_b_105865.html

 

 

        With Mike being a travel writer, I'm often asked by friends and colleagues alike, "Where should I go this summer?"  Since we usually take our big trip in spring (we've recently returned from 3+ weeks in Asia: Bali, Hong Kong and the Philippines with the kids), we tend to take shorter vacations in the summer. We usually go somewhere in New England, since Connecticut is such a lovely place to be May-September. This summer we'll spend a week on Cape Cod biking the National Seashore trail, exploring the various lighthouses along the coast, and swimming and sunning along both bay and ocean side. And oh, of course, eating plenty of seafood along the way! 
        I've collected three of our favoritie places we've visited recently with children to provide some food for thought when planning this summer's get-aways. One of these, Alaska, is best visited in the summer months, due to weather, but the off season offers a chance to beat the crowds (although going over land as oppoised to cruise also minimizes crowds). 
        With the dollar down and gasoline priced at record highs, many Americans are staying put this summer. Those outside the US are looking for some interesting places to visit, off the beaten path -- check out these places for their geographic diversity yet natural beauty, history and kid-loving fun.
        The first of these three articles on Lubec, Maine, is published in full on our website: www.getaheadbygoingabroad.com/Travel . The remaining two will go up in a few weeks time. ENJOY!

The End of America: Way, way Down East in Maine
by Marshall S. Berdan as published in the Chicago Tribune

        For outdoor enthusiasts, Maine’s “Bold Coast” offers ample adventuresome opportunities -- everything from headland hikes that make you puff to onboard puffin-watching.  Most of those, however, are still beyond the capabilities of our six-year-old daughters, whose tastes turn more to lighthouses and who cultivated a passion for sea glass during our first trip two years ago.  As such, we headed straight into Lubec, home to three lighthouses, and some of the happiest sea-glass hunting grounds in the country, thanks to its nearly 16-foot average tides.  www.getaheadbygoingabroad.com/Travel
For more information on Lubec: www.visitlubecmaine.com

Arizona’s Tombstone Corrals the Tourists
by Marshall S. Berdan as published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

         The “town too tough to die” was born at the end of a Pennsylvania prospector’s pick-ax.  In the case of Tombstone, you can be forgiven for having seen the movie instead of reading the book.  After all, there’ve been nearly a dozen feature movies depicting the events that transpired – and those who expired – at the O.K. Corral on the afternoon of October 26^th, 1881 when the Earp brothers, Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan, and their friend, “Doc” Holliday shot it out with the Clantons and McLaurys.  It was among the most dramatic 30 seconds in American history, and the stuff of which legends – and movies – are made For more information on Tombstone: www.cityoftombstone.com

For Mom, Dad and the Kids, It’s a Wild, Wild Life in Alaska

by Marshall S. Berdan as published by the Miami Herald

        Alaska is for kids, especially suburban kids like ours whose only regular exposure to the great outdoors is limited to the 1,750-acre local Nature Conservancy preserve.  Now 1,750 acres is certainly nothing to sneeze at – at least not in Connecticut.  But compared to Alaska’s half million square miles -- and population density of 1.1 person per square mile -- it does somewhat pale by comparison.  And Mt. McKinley -- not only Alaska’s, but North America’s highest peak at 20,320 feet -- does have it over Connecticut’s Mount Frissell, which tops out at dizzying 2,380 feet.  For more information on Denali:  www.denalinational-park.com 

        Despite the economic downturn, companies are still sending the same number or more employees on international assignment.  MNCs appreciate the growth taking place outside the US and although American postings in Europe are down due to the decline in the greenback, those in Asia and Latin America are on the rise.     
        The recent Global Relocation Trends Survey by GMAC Relocation Services indicates 95 percent of large companies are arranging to transfer more or the same number of employees than in the past year. However, the slowing economy is prompting 58 percent of companies to cut back on costs related to international assignments, such as perks and financial incentives.  Here's the release:
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/05-12-2008/0004811046&EDATE=
        The financial impact on the housing market has also cut into company profits as selling employees' homes is not as easy as it has been in the past. Companies are taking a loss even, but still, they transfer employees for the need for internationalists is great.
        For those students or junior professionals looking to go global, check out this podcast on http://thecreativecareer.com/

        Although more women are choosing to take their careers global, there still aren’t that many tools to help her along the way. Since we launched our book, Get Ahead By Going Abroad last fall, we’ve begun to uncover some little gems and want to help spread the word. One of these is www.ExpatWomen.com

        ExpatWomen was created by, what else, two expat women! They combined their experience to develop a web site designed to “inspire your success abroad by providing you with a first-stop website to share stories, network globally, develop personally and find the best resources.”  For any one who’s longed to build camaraderie with like-minded global women, you’ll enjoy this site. 

        On it you’ll find lots of information: one thousand resources pages with links to the important stuff on the ground in 194 countries, such as expat clubs, associations, sites of interest and international schools. You can join truly global community of women who gather online to submit blogs and personal stories to share in the adventure in the hopes others can empathize and learn. And of course, you will be inspired by the combination of success stories, business ideas, and interviews with authors and entrepreneurs, motivating articles and a monthly e-newsletter.

        I must admit that Get Ahead By Going Abroad was featured in April in the “Books” section http://www.expatwomen.com/books_authors.php#book  and I was profiled under the success stories. Many other fabulous women are featured, including Anna Catalano coming up in June! But the depth and breadth of these interviews is truly inspiring. Check them out:  http://www.expatwomen.com/success_stories.php

        If you’re an female expat professional, I encourage you to network online at www.ExpatWomen.com

    Many people assume that since I write about women's issues I would be pro-Hillary because a female US President would be one of the greatest achievements for women. I agree -- having a woman as US President would be an awesome accomplishment, and one I believe I will see in my lifetime. However, despite my being a woman and believing we're pretty great stuff, I am not for women just because we are women. I do not cry "foul" if a woman is not chosen for a job if she is not qualified.  I do not make excuses -- or let others offer them -- if a qualified person is chosen for a job over [insert your favorite gender/race/nationality]. Whether it be a professional situation or my candidate of choice, I choose the person best qualified.  After living in Washington DC for more than 12 years, I understand the detriment of continued inside politics too well. I want change. I want out of the war in Iraq. I want to believe in the greatness of America again. I found my candidate almost a year ago.
        But I also admire what Hillary has accomplished in breaking down the barriers as a trailblazer to the White House. She has done what no other woman has done, and she deserves tremendous credit for paving the way for women of the future who now know it's not so far-fetched. Although I believe she is not the right one for the job... it's not because she's a woman. I salute her for going where no other woman has gone before. For a great article on this topic, check out Arianna's blog today on the Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/hillary-clintons-defeat-a_b_102418.html

        I just finished a great book that I believe every internationalist should read, A Shattered Peace by David Andelman (Wiley 2007).  Although David is an acquaintance – we worked together at Burson-Marsteller in Washington, D.C. more than a decade ago – I haven’t seen him in years.  It was my good fortune, however, to run into him at the Forbes office on 5^th Avenue, one afternoon last fall. I had just finished an interview on ForbesTV.com with Helen Jonsen, who was walking me out of the studio. I showed him my book and he showed me his. The premise of the book intrigued me and, with the holidays coming up, I thought I’d order it for a few friends and history buffs.  Although I never did manage to get David to sign them (friends love autographed books!), I did give quite a few as gifts, including one to my husband.

            Scanning our library shelves as I tried to determine which books to bring on an transpacific flight, I started reading A Shattered Peace -- and couldn’t stop. It's a must-read for internationalists and anyone interested in the going global, including today's students and new professionals entering the new world marketplace. A Shattered Peace will take you on an important journey through history, beginning at the decision-making center of Paris, post WWI, which is filled with political intrigue, high-minded Western idealism, and lack of cultural awareness (sometimes cultural superiority). With 20/20 hindsight you follow in the footsteps of various diplomats and revolutionaries around the world as their hopes are dashed and the playing field is set for the coming century. It is compact, yet gives a full taste of "what could have been", encouraging me to read further about the players and their roles back at the critical moment in history. It's also stimulated quite a few conversations with friends and colleagues around the table. 
        The sad and perhaps most alarming point of the book is past and present lack of cultural awareness and sensitivity. As an author of a book focusing on the critical importance working globally, today's leaders haven't seemed to learn much. This relevance to today’s state of affairs – most recently Iraq and the problems in the Middle East -- is why I recommend all those playing in the international business and academic space read the book. Not only is it well written and a page-turner, it’s interesting stuff that we need to know to better understand our past – and hopefully change our future.

            For more information go to www.ashatteredpeace.com