Closing the gap, one room at a time.

The LATAM BUSINESS NETWORK hosted a successful event while pursuing one of their main objectives: "to promote business relationships between European SMEs and Latin America". The goal was a deeper understanding of business culture and national culture and how the traits of the Latin American culture impact regional performance.

We had the honor to welcome Mr. Kai Hammerich and Sir Richard Lewis, authors of the awarded management book Fish Can't See Water. They provided the audience deep understanding of the impact of culture on a corporation's life cycle, and Sir Richard Lewis explained his model of cultural categories — contrasting the Latin American "Multi-active culture" (warm, emotional, loquacious, impulsive) with the Swiss "Linear Active" (cold, factual, decisive, planning). Identifying the golden rules for interacting with multi-active people is essential for a successful business experience.

Mr. Philippe Margueritte and Mr. Mauricio Graber substantiated the theory with their remarkable business careers. Mr. Andreas Haas moderated a panel discussion enriched with insights from participants — representatives of Latin American Embassies, Swiss Administrations and managers of international companies.