From Local Champions to Global Masters: A Strategic Perspective on Managing Internationalization

Globalisation. What exactly does it mean for you? Drawing on their extensive experience of internationalisation and globalisation in practice, the authors focus on the obstacles faced by companies making the transition from local champions to global masters and provide a simple but structured framework to think about how it will affect your business. Examining the mistakes and successes of real companies the book links questions regarding if and how companies should internationalize, the opportunities, challenges and threats and the strategic framework and tools for thinking about internationalization.

PAUL VERDIN holds the Chair in Strategy and Organization at the Solvay Business School, ULB, Belgium. He is also Professor of Strategy and International Management at KU Leuven, Belgium, and Affiliate Professor at Large at INSEAD, France. He has been a visiting professor or guest lecturer at several other institutions, including IESE International Graduate Business School, Spain and the Helsinki University of Technology, Finland. He holds an MA and PhD in Economics from Harvard University and has held short-term positions with McKinsey & Co, Merrill Lynch Capital Markets, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. His research has been published in leading management journals and books in the field of strategy and international management.

He consulted for a range of European and American companies crossing industry and geographic boundaries, and serves as a non-executive board member to several private companies as well as non-profit organizations.

NICK VAN HECK is an Advisor in Strategy and Management Development. A former Research and Teaching Assistant at KU Leuven, Belgium, he lectures in various Master and Executive programmes around Europe. He has published articles and cases, and won, together with Paul Verdin, First Prize in the European Foundation for Management Development Case Competition.

As co-founder and Director of Executive Learning Partnership (Belgium), he advises several organizations and directs project-based management development programmes in the area of strategy and international management.