100% of my colleagues who had international experience moved up – global experience is now a requirement.
Because of this, many companies are now hiring foreign-born to take current or future leadership roles:
By contrast, at U.S. multinationals, being foreign-born and having foreign experience can be a ticket to the top.
….
“Having a foreign perspective gives you an advantage not only for doing business outside the U.S. but domestically, where we have the most diverse society in the world
Source: Foreign-Born CEOs Are Increasing in U.S., Rarer Overseas – WSJ
Global experience is critical early on – before you are hired.
Tesla/SpaceX, Microsoft, Google, Adobe, Nvidia, Starbucks, Coca Cola, Kellogs, McDonalds, Alcoa, Mastercard, Johnson and Johnson, United Health, Eli Lilly, prior CEO of Pepsi and so on are headed by foreign born managers – but interestingly, Americans rarely head up foreign companies overseas – and it’s said to be, in part, due to American’s having less international exposure.
At any point in time, someone who is a first line manager will eventually rise to an executive position, even CEO. We do not know who that is going to be – everyone is a candidate.
If you lack international experience, you’ve got a roadblock right at the starting gate. You might be able to pick up that experience on the job, but someone who already has global experience is already ahead of you.
Managers are always looking to fill their pipeline with good management candidates. You might be looked over for that first rung on the ladder because you were not born abroad, did not do a study abroad, and have no global travel experience.
