The persuaders: Asia CEOs make their case to HQ

• For CEOs in Asia, making the case for investment in the region increasingly requires as much storytelling as it does strategy.

The challenge. MNCs are often built for consolidation and standardisation, but the region’s fragmentation often seems to defy this approach.

• South and North Asia span vastly different political systems, regulatory environments, business cultures, and consumer markets, making simple regional narratives difficult to sustain.

Below is a sample of the knotty communication challenges Asia CEOs face:

• Compliance burdens compound across legal systems.

One business plan can encounter a dozen different regulatory realities, from labelling requirements to product registrations,

As an international company, we follow the rules. Compliance is key. I can’t have a product with the wrong label on the package — that’s out of the question. But it’s not always a level playing field with local competitors. And then there are the regulatory differences. Thailand is very different from the Philippines. In Indonesia, it can take a year to get a registration number if you do it properly. That’s the challenge: how do you explain that when expectations at HQ are so high?

• Demographics skew young, but not everywhere.

The idea of Asia as a single demographic can persist in some headquarters discussions. The reality is far more uneven.

HQ always thinks, “Asia has a young and growing population, so it must be growing double digits.” And we do see that in many parts of Southeast Asia. But that’s not the reality in Australia and New Zealand, which brings down our numbers. Once you start looking at the region market by market, that assumption breaks down. So, I find myself constantly having to explain it.

• Deals move at the speed of culture and trust.

In some markets, trust is built through long-term relationship development. In others, decisions are made quickly, but the reality falls short. Success requires adapting to both.

The timelines are very different. In Japan, if you set up a new business and expect to get your first contract within 12 months, it probably won’t happen. In Southeast Asia and India, you can often win business within a month. But then you have a different set of issues to deal with in terms of execution, quality, and so on.

What works: Asia CEOs shared what it takes to bridge the gap with headquarters and build support for the region.

Reveal the forest before the trees: one method is to use two frameworks. Set the business opportunity as a whole (or at the regional level) but execute it on a case-by-case basis (depending on market variations).

The trick is to think about the Asia growth story in aggregate, but then manage it in disaggregate. North Asia, Southeast Asia, India, and the Pacific are all distinct markets with distinct execution realities.

But if you only tell the disaggregated story, individual market opportunities can look too small relative to the perceived risk. The premium goes up, and suddenly the investment case no longer seems appealing. So, you need to frame the opportunity in aggregate, while helping HQ understand the local nuances that ultimately determine execution.

Advocate-in-chief: Building understanding at headquarters is rarely a one-off exercise. It requires continuous engagement and repetition.

Some of the best advice I received early in my career is, in fact, very simple. Communicate, communicate, and then communicate some more. I think this applies to any senior leader in Asia with headquarters in North America or Western Europe. Communicate and don’t be afraid to repeat your message and your story quite a bit.

Playing host: Ultimately, there is no substitute for seeing a market firsthand. Many CEOs described bringing headquarters teams, senior executives, and even boards into the region to experience local realities directly.

Western colleagues need to come to the supermarkets, streets, and the office. We can provide a summary and convey similarities and differences, but it takes a visit to truly understand the granularity of this market.

This can mean travelling to more than one country and getting outside the cities.

In fact, when we invite colleagues, one trip turns into many. We take them to India, Japan, Australia and New Zealand – we cover North Asia and Southeast Asia. It becomes five trips or more.

When Asia becomes the teacher. The learning increasingly flows in both directions.

As Asian companies—particularly Chinese ones—become more influential globally, they are exposing multinational colleagues and executives to different operating norms and management styles.

At our annual conference in Brazil this year, a Chinese colleague brought several Chinese customer representatives. It was eye-opening. They spoke as peers, sharing how they approach business. If a problem arises at 8am, they will stick with it until it is fixed, even if it means it’s 3 am the next day. Our company culture is more prone to setting aside time on the calendar to revisit later. Perhaps there is some exaggeration on both sides, but listening direct from the source was very helpful, and it stuck with people.

The upshot: The most effective Asia CEOs are operators and translators—connecting local realities with global decision-makers

• But the lesson can also be, let others make the case for you.

• Hearing firsthand how Chinese customers, Indian partners, or Southeast Asian distributors approach business often has a lasting impact.