global business

As the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, the evolving global economy is shifting the very nature of competition and consumption. Interconnected and responsive, companies are able to use digital technologies to change the market—swiftly and broadly. The global economy provides opportunities to reshape economies and revolutionize industries. More importantly, artificial intelligence (AI) is triggering a fourth industrial revolution that promises to transform business, government and community. Digital communications allow everyone to have direct access to the global marketplace, creating formidable synergies around trade and capitalism.

On Global Leadership provides country and sectoral experts to help develop our clients’ strategic planning in dynamic markets around the world. Our global team of experts serves clients ranging from the world’s leading commercial and financial organizations to high-growth ventures, industry associations, and more. Services include:

• Tracking in countries and on industries and topics
• Opportunity and risk assessments
• Corporate  development
• Country entry
• International expansion
• Economic political, sectoral, and regulatory analysis
• Policy monitor

Our network of international experts and thought leaders contributes regularly to the On Global Leadership blog, providing deep insights into critical issues in China, around leadership development, and in building sustainable modern cities. Our OGL Global Advisory Services Network:

Doug Guthrie

Doug  has spent his career researching, writing, teaching and advising  companies about two topics: organizational development, where he has  focused on issues of leadership, organizational culture and corporate  social responsibility; and the Chinese economic reforms, where he has  focused on the intersection of economic and political forces that lead  to successful economic development models. From 2014-19, Guthrie was a  Senior Director at Apple, based in Shanghai China, where he led Apple  University efforts on leadership and organizational development in  China. Prior to joining Apple, from 2010-14, Guthrie was Dean of the  George Washington School of Business, Vice President for University  China Operations, and Professor of International Business. Prior to his  time at GW, from 1997-2010, Guthrie held faculty positions at NYU’s  Stern School of Business, where he was Professor of Management and  Director of custom Executive Education, and NYU’s Faculty of Arts and  Sciences, where he was Professor of Sociology and the Founding Director  of the University’s Office of Global Education. He has held visiting  Professorships at several business schools, including Kellogg, Harvard,  INSEAD, Stanford, Columbia and Emory. He served as Director of the  Business Institutions Initiative at the Social Science Research Council  (1999-2003) and was Academic Director of the Berlin School of Creative  Leadership (2008-11). His research has been recognized by numerous  grants and awards.

Dashiell Chien

Dashiell  is the founding managing principal at Xanadu Enterprise. He is a senior  executive who brings more than 20 years of leadership and management  experience at U.S. corporations and private companies. He has guided  clients to support improved outcomes for China-market entry strategies  and operations management. As a former global vice president and  managing director at Home Depot China, Dashiell held extensive  operational and strategic responsibilities for identifying market  opportunities, establishing business operations, and managing government  relations. A native of Shanghai, Dashiell is multilingual and able to  interpret the meaning and nuance of Mandarin to bring local insights to  international business executives. His perceptions allow him to help  clients navigate the intricacies of the ever-changing China business  landscape. Dashiell previously worked in executive positions at Sears,  Roebuck and Co., and led teams in managing manufacturing and supply  chains for SMEs. He currently works with SMEs to Fortune 500 companies  looking for capital for strategic market entry in China. Dashiell likes  nothing better than to share his expertise and ongoing analysis of the  China market place with clients. Dashiell graduated with a Bachelor of  Science in electronic engineering from East China Normal University. He  is fluent in Mandarin, Shanghainese, and English. 

Chris Gao

Chris  is a founding principal at Xanadu Enterprise. Chris leverages his deep  consulting background over the last 20 years for his clients in consumer  products, retail, technology, automotive, and specialty products and  services. A breadth of experience in China, Chris has led, managed, and  executed projects resulting in value-chain transformations, China market  entry, cost reductions, and service-level enhancements for clients  across a number of industries. Chris provides insights to clients from  his on-the-ground experience running businesses as well as workforce  creation and management. Prior to Xanadu Enterprise, Chris worked in  senior managerial positions at multi-national companies in consumer  goods and retail, with a special focus on China operations, business  development, and global supply chain optimization. He has a keen sense  of China’s laws and regulatory environment, understanding how they are  changing and the impact on clients allowing them to address these  concepts in their planning processes. He is regularly tracking and  evaluating the latest changes in China’s policies and politics. Chris is  uniquely positioned to offer his experience of China and how executives  can position themselves to work in this environment. Chris graduated  with a Bachelor and Masters of engineering from Shanghai Jiaotong  University. Chris deploys his bi-cultural and bilingual approach for  clients to guarantee they have feasibility and flexibility for future  opportunities. Chris is fluent in Mandarin, Shanghainese, and English.

Sarah Kellogg

A  veteran journalist, Sarah has written widely about the courts   and U.S. and international law, Congressional operations, U.S.   government policy and regulation, leadership development, and economic   policy. She has written hundreds of articles about Congressional and   executive branch activities in the United States. She also has focused  her research and writing on urban politics and economic development,  working with Doug Guthrie in producing economic reports that explored  the economic vitality of the District of Columbia under the  administration of former Mayor Gray. She serves as the  managing editor  of OGL Insights, city reports, and podcasts.

Diane E. Long

For  over three decades, Diane has had a ringside seat at what can only be  described as an economic revolution. Arriving in China’s Anhui Province  in 1985, she didn’t understand what economic reform was—let alone what  it looked like. Diane’s unique and diverse skill set was developed in  the cauldron of a forever-changing landscape as China marched forward  with reforms at a scale and speed never before seen in history.  Diane  has previously held C-suite positions in global corporations such as Liz  Claiborne and Adidas as well as executive roles in start-ups. During  the ‘90s, she guided multinational corporations in the first stage of  market entry, most notably identifying partners, markets, and teams.  Currently, she serves as the Managing Director of Xanadu Enterprise, a  bilingual, bi-cultural China market-entry firm that provides a range of  consulting and operational services to support companies in various  stages of entering and operating in the China market. Her breadth and  depth of experience enables her to assist both first-to-market as well  as established firms. 

Craig Markus

Craig , MBA, is an award-winning executive who has served in both   creative and business roles in the world's most recognized and  respected  advertising agencies and marketing firms. During the  coronavirus  lockdown, Craig is exploring how he can further share what  he's learned  over 30 years of providing confident, consequential, and  creative  leadership to companies and organizations.

David Slocum

David , Ph.D., is Academic Director and Program Adviser at RARE by  Google, where he provides thought leadership and academic support to  diverse talent in the creative, design, media, and technology  industries. His priorities are to enable and give voice to young and  mid-career diverse creative talent through inspiration, skill  development, and related learning; to establish and sustain networks of  encouragement and material assistance; and, to educate industry, and  notably senior leaders and other organizational decision-makers, about  the business case for diversity, inclusion, and belonging. David is also  a Visiting Professor and Member of the Academic Advisory Board at the  Berlin School of Creative Leadership (Steinbeis University, Germany),  where he previously served as Faculty Director. David has nearly twenty  years of global experience designing and facilitating training programs,  and is a certified executive coach, with a focus on leadership,  learning and development, diversity and inclusion, and business  creativity.