The International Business Podcast

China is a complete and complex system with its own history, internal logic, and implicit rules that influence every business decision taken inside its borders. In this episode we connect leadership, policy, infrastructure, and culture to the practical question of how to operate in and with China in 2026. Over six months, Leonardo Marra combined deep reading with interviews from eight professional...

If you work across time zones, borders, and cultures, this is the show for you. This is your host Leonardo Marra, welcome to The International Business Podcast. AI can now summarise almost anything in seconds. That's powerful, but it makes it easy to stay at the surface. We get headlines, "3 key takeaways", and move on. What's lost is context, nuance, and understanding that chang...

If you work across time zones, borders, and cultures, this is the show for you. This is your host Leonardo, welcome to The International Business Podcast. In this episode, Leonardo unpacks the “double helix” of risk and opportunity that defines international business for 2025: from the fragmentation of globalization and the unstoppable rise of AI, to the centrality of sustainability, talent shifts...

If you work across time zones, borders, and cultures, this is the show for you. This is your host Leonardo, welcome to the international business podcast. Amanda Molenaar is a life coach for high-achieving expats. As a former diplomat, she knows what it's like to balance international ambition with a steady personal life. Through 1:1 coaching, online programs and events, Amanda now helps high-...

If you work across time zones, borders, and cultures, this is the show for you. This is your host Leonardo, welcome to the international business podcast. Strategy, structure, people. This encapsulates the need for a clear strategic direction, an organizational framework to support it, and the right human resources to execute it—each reinforcing the others to drive business success. -------- If yo...

If you work across time zones, borders, and cultures, this is the show for you. This is your host Leonardo, welcome to the international business podcast. -------- If you work with Asia or in Asia and want to understand it properly, you are in the right place. Business culture, and intercultural stories. ⁠Join the “Asia With Leonardo” newsletter⁠ . ------- ⁠"Asia with Leonardo library"⁠...

If you work across time zones, borders, and cultures, this is the show for you. This is your host Leonardo Marra, welcome to The International Business Podcast. This episode is part of the CONCEPT series, where Leonardo aims to define a key topic in international business. Today, we're discussing the G-7. The G-7, or group of 7, are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, The UK and the USA, co...

If you work across time zones, borders, and cultures, this is the show for you. This is your host Leonardo Marra, welcome to the international business podcast. International strategy, how to measure cross-cultural competency in multinational teams, and more. -------- If you work with Asia or in Asia and want to understand it properly, you are in the right place. Business culture, and intercultura...

If you work across time zones, borders, and cultures, this is the show for you. This is your host Leonardo Marra, welcome to the international business podcast. The episode focuses on India, exploring the persistent misconceptions foreign executives bring to Indian workplaces and how global leaders can adapt their leadership styles to navigate India's hierarchical corporate structure. Find mor...

If you work across time zones, borders, and cultures, this is the show for you. This is your host Leonardo Marra, welcome to the international business podcast. Today, we delve into international sales. From connecting SMEs across Australia, Latin America, and Spain to overcoming regulatory challenges and understanding cultural nuances, two expert guests share insights on what's changed in the...

If you work across time zones, borders, and cultures, this is the show for you. This is your host Leonardo Marra, welcome to the international business podcast. Today, we delve into the Gulf countries. With the rapid growth in smartphone and internet penetration in Saudi Arabia, how can businesses leverage the digital landscape to enhance customer experience and market reach? Why is Dubai a hub fo...

If you work across time zones, borders, and cultures, this is the show for you. This is your host Leonardo Marra, welcome to the international business podcast.   Today, we delve into the world of beauty and luxury. We will travel across the UK, Italy, France and China. What role will technology play in shaping the future of luxury? What are the most significant shifts occurring in the Chinese bea...

If you work across time zones, borders, and cultures, this is the show for you. This is your host Leonardo, welcome to the international business podcast.   What are some of the unexpected reverse culture shocks that expats experience upon returning to their home country? What are the most important skills expats should cultivate to navigate unexpected career shifts in 2025 and beyond? And more. -...

If you work across time zones, borders, and cultures, this is the show for you. This is your host Leonardo, welcome to the international business podcast.   What is the future of international education? How do current geopolitical trends are influencing the choices of students when selecting study abroad destinations? And more. We do this with two experts. See their details below. -------- If you...

If you work across time zones, borders, and cultures, this is the show for you. This is your host Leonardo, welcome to the international business podcast.   Today we dive into the intricacies of global supply chains, factory relocations, personnel relocation, overseas payroll management and more. We do this with two experts. See their details below. -------- If you work with Asia or in Asia and wa...

If you work across time zones, borders and cultures, this is the show for you. In the "Concept" series, Leo aims at defining a topic in international business. These are shorter episodes to illustrate key concepts in this discipline. BRICS+ has the potential to reshape the global economic landscape. The bloc’s focus on financial independence, trade cooperation, and infrastructure develop...

If you work across time zones, borders, and cultures, this is the show for you. This is your host Leonardo, welcome to the international business podcast.   AI has emerged as a pivotal element within numerous organizations due to its ability to transform business operations and drive growth. Today we travel around the world to discuss AI. We’re going to Canada, Portugal, China, and Brazil. See bel...

If you work across time zones, borders and cultures, this is the show for you. In the "Concept" series, Leo aims at defining a topic in international business. These are shorter episodes to illustrate key concepts in this discipline. Today, we talk about supply chain management.   SCM, abbreviated, has emerged as a cornerstone of successful international business operations. In an era wh...

If you work across time zones, borders, and cultures, this is the show for you. This is your host Leonardo, welcome to the international business podcast.   Today, we dive into the world of HR, exploring it from botha recruitment and company culture perspective. Automation and AI are ubiquitous in today's business landscape. What should job seekers be wary of? Companies are facing significant...

If you work across time zones, borders and cultures, this is the show for you. In the "Concept" series, Leo aims at defining a topic in international business. These are shorter episodes to illustrate key concepts in this discipline.   Today, we talk about economic sanctions.   Economic sanctions act as tools of diplomacy that can greatly affect global trade. These measures, which can in...

If you work across time zones, borders, and cultures, this is the show for you. This is your host Leonardo, welcome to the international business podcast.   Today, we dive into Latin America from different angles:nearshoring, market access to LATAM, and LATAM expansion to Europe. We have three guests joining us—one based in Colombia, one in Brazil, and one in Spain. -------- If you work with Asia...

If you work across time zones, borders and cultures, this is the show for you. In the "Concept" series, Leo aims at defining a topic in international business. These are shorter episodes to illustrate key concepts in this discipline.   Today, we talk about NAFTA. It stands for North American Free Trade Agreement.   NAFTA was a trade deal between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico,signed in 199...

If you work across time zones, borders, and cultures, this is the show for you. This is your host Leonardo, welcome to The International Business Podcast.     Muraly Srinarayanathas , author of Between Borders, Beyond Boundaries: Strategies for Authentic Business Engagement in an Interconnected World, is a global strategist and serial entrepreneur. He is co-founder and executive chairman of 369 Gl...

If you work across time zones, borders and cultures, this is the show for you. In the "Concept" series, Leo aims at defining a topic in international business. These are shorter episodes to illustrate key concepts in this discipline.   Today, we talk about the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development).   It was established in 1961 to boost the economic growth of Weste...

If you work across time zones, borders, and cultures, this is the show for you. This is your host Leonardo, welcome to the international business podcast.     What are the major differences between U.S. and Chinesebusiness dealings and practices?   What questions do today’s business leaders need to ask towork successfully and carefully with China?   How does the CCP operate, including their use of...