The GW-CIBER Podcast
The GW-CIBER Global Careers podcast presents inspiring stories from seasoned professionals who have embraced a global role and reaped the benefits. We offer practical advice and insider tips for a variety of industries about what it's like to work globally. If you love adventure and thrive on taking risks and operating outside your comfort zone, join us as we explore the ins and outs of pursuing an international career!
Hosted by Stacie Nevadomski Berdan, international careers expert and award-winning author on how to succeed in the global marketplace.
Special thanks to Benjamin Tissot, composer of the GW-CIBER podcast series theme song, "Creative Minds."
Our Most Recent Guest
Lauren Gumport, Director of Communications & Brand Strategy, Faye
The allure of being a digital nomad entices many, including Lauren Gumport, who moved to Israel seven years ago, works remotely, and is a part-time digital nomad. In this episode, we chat with Lauren about the pros and cons of the nomadic lifestyle, and she explains how the travel insurance industry is evolving, shares some of her favorite trips as of late, and talks about why sustainability and travel go hand in hand.
Lauren Gumport is the director of Communications & Brand at travel disruptor Faye. Passionate about the mix of travel and tech and how the combination of the two transforms experiences, Lauren has more than 10 years of experience in launching high-growth startups to global audiences. With a data-driven approach to storytelling, Lauren has reached international markets and driven startup growth exponentially. An award-winning media relations executive with a love for all things travel and travel tech, Lauren can oftentimes be found working as a digital nomad defining and shaping the next trends in travel. Lauren’s commentary has been published in outlets such as the Wall Street Journal and USA Today.
Previous Episodes
Season Three — The Impact of the ESG Movement on Global Careers
- Episode 23 - The Intersection of Ethics, Finance, and Tech with Lizette Robinson, Senior Director of Global Ethics & Compliance, Walmart
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Developing a global perspective and language skills began at an early age for our guest, Lizette Robinson, who has combined her financial services and emerging tech background with her regulatory compliance and cross-border market experiences to work on a global scale for most of her career. In this episode, she delves into the topic of ethics and how it goes beyond just compliance and into respect, service and integrity – or a code of conduct – and the important role that technology plays. She also emphasizes the importance of diversity and inclusion as a natural means for everyone to incorporate ESG into their careers, and advises workers not to underestimate the value of in-person networking.
Lizette Robinson is a senior director for Walmart’s Global Ethics and Compliance team. As such, she heads up the global Transaction Monitoring, Financial Intelligence Unit and Advanced Analytics for Financial Compliance. Lizette is a multilingual international business executive (she speaks English, French, Portuguese and Spanish) who has worked for some of the world's biggest corporations, including EY, PWC and Citibank, and throughout Latin America and Asia. She is also an angel investor and advises venture capital funds on emerging technology.
- Episode 22 - Living a Global Life with Shirah Foy, Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship, Strategy and Innovation, Toulouse Business School
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Dr. Shirah Foy has traveled to more than sixty countries and studied twelve languages (attaining proficiency in five). In this episode, she shares her observations on sustainability and how one’s perception evolves depending on circumstances and society — an insight which she incorporates into her courses and research in the area of entrepreneurship. Shirah's main advice to students and graduates contemplating internships and jobs related to sustainability is to look at businesses to determine how they have evolved in their approach to this area.
Dr. Shirah Foy is an assistant professor of entrepreneurship, strategy and innovation at Toulouse Business School (TBS) in Toulouse, France. Shirah describes herself as an interdisciplinary social scientist, an entrepreneur, a start-up mentor, and most of all, an encourager of the human spirit and individual potential. She has traveled the world, studying and working in more than 60 countries across five continents and learning 12 different languages, with the primary goal of discovering how people see themselves and the world.
- Episode 21 - Entrepreneurship & Sustainability with Levent Erkan, Chairperson, WEglobal
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Starting a business can be daunting. Taking it global requires an increased level of risk and reward, but one that our guest says will pay off with a good idea documented by a plan and carried out with persistence, resilience and discipline. In this episode, Levent Erkan shares insights on how he uses his love of technology and project management skills to make a positive difference in the world and encourages people to look no further than themselves when defining if they have achieved success.
Levent Erkan is the founder of WEglobal, a consultancy that offers project management, technology and sustainability across four continents. Prior to this role, he founded and sold another UK-based consultancy, which was eventually bought by Tetra Tech. In addition to being an entrepreneur, he has had a stint at Microsoft and is a registered Angel Investor. Levent is an inspiring and motivating speaker and has had more than 25 business articles published. A native to Turkey, he has lived in many cities across the U.S., worked around the world, and is now based in London.
- Episode 20 - Harnessing the Positive Power of Business with Perry Yeatman, Head of Corporate, Save the Children U.S.
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In this episode, our guest Perry Yeatman shares how she has lived her life with integrity and authenticity and has combined the international career that she wanted with a meaningful life while working for some of the biggest and most well-known organizations around the world. She has worked through the evolution of ESG and believes that business is the single greatest lever to pull for positive social value in the broadest sense.
Perry Yeatman is a seasoned executive whose career has spanned sectors (business, government, academia and philanthropy), geographies (from Asia to Russia to Europe), functions (from marketing to HR to general management), and organizations (from Kraft Foods and Unilever to WPP and Shandwick plc, as well as her own consulting firm and social enterprise). Today, Perry is the head of corporate for Save the Children. In this role, Perry is leading a committed and capable team of professionals focused on developing and delivering innovative, holistic, sustainable, scalable partnerships with leading corporations — partnerships that simultaneously deliver business benefits while furthering Save the Children’s mission focused on survival, education and protection of the world’s most marginalized kids.
- Episode 19 - Gender Equality & Purchasing Power with Elizabeth Vazquez, CEO and Co-Founder, WEConnect International
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Gender equality is a United Nations sustainability goal, and today’s guest explains why inclusivity in the workplace goes beyond HR hiring practices and into global supply chain purchases by buying from women-owned businesses anywhere in the world. Elizabeth shares how starting a business takes a combination of passion, curiosity and fearlessness — and encourages everyone to be an agent of change.
Elizabeth A. Vazquez is the CEO and co-founder of WEConnect International, a global nonprofit that connects women-owned businesses to qualified buyers in country and around the world. As CEO, Elizabeth is responsible for mission delivery and measurable impact, working with some of the largest organizations in 130 countries. Elizabeth is a sought-after speaker and thought leader on women’s economic empowerment and global supplier diversity and inclusion, and co-author of the book, “Buying for Impact: How to Buy from Women and Change Our World.”
- Episode 18 - International Consulting with Ramiro Prudencio, Partner and Global Director of Communications, McKinsey & Company
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Working around the world as an international consultant sounds like a dream job for many, and in this episode Ramiro Prudencio discusses his good fortune and work ethic while sharing his experiences and encouraging listeners to pursue a global track early on in their careers. He describes how environmental, social, and (corporate) governance, or ESG, has evolved and the important role that ethical communication plays in helping organizations become a force for good. He also shares why job seekers should take a close look into a prospective employer’s commitment to ESG and sustainability.
Ramiro Prudencio leads McKinsey & Company’s global communications team to build McKinsey’s reputation and engagement with clients, the business community, media, civil society and other stakeholders, as well as a broader understanding of the firm’s values, services, and activities. Prior to joining McKinsey, Ramiro held senior leadership positions across the US, Latin America, and Europe (EMEA) at BCW (formerly Burson-Marsteller), a global public relations and public affairs consultancy. He is fluent in Portuguese in addition to his native Spanish and English.
- Episode 17 - Environmental & Corporate Law with Rosalind Kainyah, Managing Director, Kina Advisory Limited
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What exactly is environmental, social, and (corporate) governance, or ESG? Today we hear from a leader who has been working in the sustainability space for the past 30 years and has witnessed its evolution around the world. Two of the biggest changes she discusses are the proactive steps organizations are taking in promoting and upholding ESG values and the role Millennials and Generation Z are playing in driving change.
Rosalind Kainyah, MBE is a leading thinker, speaker and pragmatic advocate for sustainability — specifically, the business case for sustainability. Rosalind’s experience is based on 30 years of combined international legal, senior management, executive and board level experience, and on projects across Africa, Western and Eastern Europe, North and South America, Asia and the South Pacific. She is also a mentor — especially to younger women — and a connector of people to people and to opportunities.
Season Two - Crafting Your Place in the New Global Work Space
- Episode 16 - International Affairs & Diplomacy with M.J. Crawford, Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State
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Diplomacy presents a clear example of a global career. Our next guest, M.J. Crawford, offers a glimpse into the life of a Foreign Service officer. She describes her career path (including the value of study abroad experiences), talks about the importance of foreign language and culture learning in her line of work, and shares her view on what opportunities and challenges new entrants into the field might face.
With over a decade of combined experience in international affairs and diplomacy, M.J. Crawford's career has taken her from her hometown of Flint, Michigan to the front lines of major global events. She is currently a political officer serving at U.S. Mission Pakistan. Outside of diplomacy, M.J. is an investor focused on generational wealth creation, a fiction author, and a world traveler who aspires to visit every UN-recognized country in the world. She speaks Turkish, Russian and Urdu.
- Episode 15 - Healthcare & Wellness Packaging with Christine Jones Harris, Co-owner and Principal, Jones Healthcare Group/Jones Packaging
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In this episode, our guest is Christine Jones Harris, a senior executive in the healthcare and wellness packaging industry. She reflects on her perspective leading her family's 100-year-old company and clearly articulates how the global supply chain issues will continue to affect most every business. She shares her belief in the importance of being curious, present for your organization, skilled in cultivating business relationships, and being able to "stand in the wind" when it comes to change.
Read a transcript of this episode with Christine Jones Harris
Christine Jones Harris is co-owner and principal of corporate development at Jones Healthcare Group/Jones Packaging, headquartered in Canada. Chris leads innovation development and commercialization, external partner relationships, digital commerce, marketing and communications, and organizational talent strategy for this company with 400 employees across facilities in Canada, UK and Spain. Chris is an entrepreneur with a global perspective and just recently celebrated the company’s 100th anniversary of the Jones enterprise.
- Episode 14 - International Tax Management with Nazia Manji, International Tax Manager, Assurant
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Being a global worker does not always involve traveling, but it does involve cross-cultural communication and understanding, patience and tolerance. Working in the area of international taxation requires adaptability to change, flexibility and critical thinking. And what our next podcast guest, Nazia Manji from Assurant, sees as most important in both situations is the willingness to keep learning.
Nazia Manji is a certified public accountant in both the U.S. and Canada and is an international tax manager at Assurant, an insurance company that provides lifestyle and housing solutions that support, protect, and connect major consumer purchases. Working for a Fortune 500 company with a presence in 21 countries, Nazia appreciates the opportunity to be able to connect and build relationships with people from different walks of life from her office in Atlanta. She speaks seven languages and has visited more than fifty countries.
- Episode 13 - Human Resources and Consulting with Gretchen Moxcey, Partner & Chief Human Resources Officer, KPMG Lower Gulf
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In this episode, we chat with a seasoned global HR professional whose newest role involves creating strategies and policies for a global workforce representing more than 78 countries. Gretchen describes what opportunities and challenges currently exist in her industry, and emphasizes the importance of humility and good technical, data-analysis and presentation skills for new hires.
Gretchen Moxcey is a partner and the chief human resources officer at KPMG Lower Gulf, where she leads the People, Performance and Culture function in support of over 1700 Partners and employees in the UAE and Oman. She moved to Dubai earlier this year with her husband. Gretchen has three decades of human resources experience, including more than twenty years in "big four" professional services, most recently serving as managing director for Deloitte delivering talent strategy and programs between the U.S. and India.
- Episode 12 - The Study Abroad Path to a Global Career with Claire Meyer, Consultant, Business Performance Institute
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It's never too early to go global! Our guest this week started her global career at the age of nineteen through a study abroad program and has kept pursuing this path ever since. Today she shares with us what motivates her to keep going and discusses her current role in consulting, pinpoints the main skills and knowledge needed to work internationally, and identifies a number of emerging workplace trends that excite her.
Claire Meyer is a consultant at the Business Performance Institute in Milan, Italy. She is relatively new to the position but has spent many years studying and working in Europe. Although Claire grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, she opted to study abroad in Spain for her undergraduate degree in international business and then went on to complete her MBA at SDA Bocconi in Milan (with a semester abroad in China). Claire speaks Italian, Spanish and English, and has been passionate about having a global career for as long as she can remember.
- Episode 11 - Compliance and Sustainability with Gail Lehman, Executive Vice President, Hexcel Corporation
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What skills are needed to work for a growing global firm, in any industry? Today we hear from someone who often has to wear several corporate hats in order to ensure regulatory compliance, sustainable development, employee and customer satisfaction, and smooth manufacturing operations within a company that is looking for long-term advancement and global competitiveness.
Gail Lehman is executive vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary at Hexcel Corporation, a global leader in advanced composites technology used in aerospace, defense and industrial applications. Gail oversees the legal and trade compliance departments for this $1.6 billion company with global operations, including 19 manufacturing locations on six continents. Gail has also held positions in human resources in a number of public and private equity companies.
- Episode 10 - Global Mobility and Human Resources with Steve McGarry, Director of Global Mobility, WPP
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Working globally often (but not always) entails companies moving employees overseas for a certain period of time, and there are experts who help employers handle the logistics of those moves. Listen as Steve describes what working in the field of global mobility is like, how the practice has changed over the years, and what new trends, opportunities and challenges have emerged.
Steve McGarry is the director of Global Mobility at WPP, a world leader in communications, experience, commerce and technology. Headquartered in the UK, WPP has a global network of 100,000 people across 110 countries. WPP owns some of the biggest and most prestigious brands in advertising, PR and data analytics, including Landor & Fitch, Ogilvy, Mindshare, Wavemaker, Grey and BCW.
- Episode 9 - Public Policy and Government Affairs with Christine Davies, CEO & Founder, Poligage
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In the first episode of season two, which focuses on crafting your place in the new global work space, Christine introduces us to the field of public policy and government affairs services. She describes her work with small business and startups where she and her colleagues help them navigate business and trade regulations and access expert policy advice. Top tips for students today, including those pursuing a global career: be proactive in your learning early on in your career, become familiar with data collection and interpretation (and factor data into your decision-making process), and look at change as an opportunity, not a threat.
Christine Davies is the CEO and founder of Poligage, an online marketplace for companies seeking policy insights and government affairs services. Christine started the company in May of 2020 after two decades of working at the intersection of public and private sectors, including the Asia Society, Microsoft, U.S. Department of State and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, as well as a stint in Thailand for the American Chamber of Commerce.
Season One - Working Globally Through the Pandemic
- Episode 8 - Procurement in the Healthcare Industry with Michael McKenna, Head of Procurement, GenesisCare
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Procurement — specifically in healthcare — was one of the fields that felt the pandemic impact most acutely. In this episode, Michael talks about the supply chain disruptions in the markets for critical goods and the importance of supply chain diversification and risk management. Leveraging his vast global experience, he also advises young professionals to learn to "disagree agreeably," understand who they are, avoid fixating on the end point, and be open to chance.
Michael McKenna is head of procurement for GenesisCare, a premier provider for cancer and urology care. He has a career of more than 25 years spanning academia, international development, pharmaceuticals and banking on a global scale.
- Episode 7 - Global Trade with Lisa Schroeter, Global Director, Trade and Investment Policy at Dow Chemical Company
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The staggering impact of the pandemic on global trade continues to reverberate around the world. In this episode, Lisa explains how her passion for trade and her consensus building, problem-solving approach have enabled her to identify current industry challenges amidst the pandemic and turn them into opportunities on a global scale.
Lisa Schroeter is the global director of trade and investment policy for Dow, the material science company. She is a GW alumna, the president of Women in International Trade (WIIT) Trust, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
- Episode 6 - Sales and Marketing with Rebecca Pearson, President and Chief Marketing Officer, WEConnect International
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One of the many challenges facing organizations amidst the pandemic is figuring out how to do business — especially sales and marketing — wherein relationships and personal interaction are critical. Rebecca shares how learning to pivot creatively and adapt to changing circumstances without skipping a beat is a mark of success.
Rebecca Pearson, a GW alumna, is president and chief marketing officer of WEConnect International, a new position she recently took up after a long career at ExxonMobil Corporation. It is no surprise that in this new position she is leading a global organization designed to empower women entrepreneurs around the world.
- Episode 5 - Enterprise Technology with with Dana Abu-Nasrah, Managing Consultant, Global Government at IBM
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Many organizations were not prepared for the significant digital transformation made necessary by the pandemic. Dana takes us into the field of enterprise technology, where workforce strategies are developed for and implemented in governments, corporations and non-profits around the world.
Dana Abu-Nasrah is the managing consultant on IBM’s Global Public Sector team based in Dubai. She is an IBM Design Thinking coach and co-creator whose enthusiasm for her job is evident and inspiring. Dana graduated from the George Washington University.
- Episode 4 - International Affairs with Julie Chung, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. Dept. of State
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The coronavirus pandemic has exposed just how fragile the international system is, upending the global economy and dramatically affecting international relations. Julie explains how the unpredictable nature of global issues and global relations creates a future of opportunities for intellectually curious job seekers.
Julie Chung is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service. As principal deputy assistant secretary of the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. State Department, she is responsible for the management and oversight of the bureau’s 52 overseas U.S. diplomatic missions, 18,000 overseas and domestic staff, and a $300 million budget.
- Episode 3 - The Insurance Industry with Tracey Gibbons, Senior Vice President, Third Point Reinsurance
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Imagine being in the business of insuring AGAINST a pandemic. From cancelled sporting events and global conferences to shuttered businesses due to lockdown, the devil is certainly in the details of the various policies to protect against financial loss. Tracey emphasizes the speed at which the global business world is moving and the need for flexibility and diversity of thought to be able to embrace the changes ahead.
Tracey Gibbons is senior vice president at Third Point Reinsurance, headquartered in Bermuda. She has more than 40 years of experience in insurance, reinsurance, and captive insurance management — including insuring pandemics — and was recently named a global “Woman to Watch” by Business Insurance magazine.
- Episode 2 - The Aerospace Industry with Colleen Pritchett, President, Hexcel Corporation
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Although the aerospace industry has been hit hard by the pandemic, today’s guest is optimistic about the future of the industry. Colleen advises on how to own your career from the get-go and why focusing on the customer or client is a winning strategy no matter what.
Colleen Pritchett is president of Hexcel Corporation, "America's aerospace and global fibers business." She leads a $1.5B global business and is renowned for spearheading turnarounds, improving profitability, championing the customer’s needs, and motivating teams to deliver significant results.
- Episode 1 - Global Human Resources with Steve Miranda, Senior Advisor, The Federal Reserve Board
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The coronavirus pandemic has made adaptability the new normal as we all figure out new ways of working. But one industry in particular has had the spotlight on it from the very beginning: Human Resources. As organizations turned to a remote workforce model almost overnight, the need to keep employees engaged, committed, and inspired elevated the importance of HR professionals within their organizations as never before.
Steve Miranda is a global HR executive with almost forty years of experience in the corporate, non-profit, education, and public sectors. He has lived and worked in Hong Kong with responsibility throughout the region, and most recently has witnessed firsthand the effects of the pandemic on the workplace at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.
- Introductory Episode with GW-CIBER Director Anna Helm & Stacie Berdan, International Careers Expert
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In this episode, GW-CIBER’s faculty director, Professor Anna Helm, introduces the podcast series and interviews its host, Stacie Berdan, an experienced global executive, an international careers expert, and a best-selling and award-winning author on how to succeed in the global marketplace. Have a listen as Stacie shares how the pandemic has impacted her work and what she is hearing from global leaders about changes to globalization and emerging trends in the international business workplace. She also shares tips students can turn to if they are interested in pursuing a global career in a post-COVID-19 world and offers a glimpse into the industries, organizations, and business leaders that listeners will ‘meet’ through this exciting global careers podcast series.
Read a transcript of this episode with Anna Helm and Stacie Berdan
Stacie Nevadomski Berdan is an international careers expert and the award-winning author on how to succeed in the global marketplace.
Anna Helm is an associate teaching professor of international business at the George Washington University School of Business (GWSB) as well as the faculty director of GW’s Center for International Business Education & Research (GW-CIBER), one of 15 CIBERs in the United States funded by the U.S. Department of Education.
