Going global resembles a long journey across uncharted waters, where businesses face both opportunities and risks. Within a landscape shaped by diverse cultures, companies must adapt with agility and innovation. Cross-border collaboration, cultural differences, and evolving talent management practices introduce layers of complexity, requiring firms to demonstrate both strategic insight and resilience.
On September 21, the CEIBS Global EMBA Going-Global Club hosted its inaugural offline event at the CEIBS Lujiazui International Institute of Finance, centered around “How to Successfully Build Local Teams in Overseas Markets.” The event featured insightful discussions on the challenges and strategies for Chinese companies expanding internationally and establishing local teams abroad. Speakers included Ying Shen, Club President and FreeS Fund Vice President; Jaden Guo, General Manager of 4PX Global Express; Richard Wang, Industry Solution Head of Feishu People; and Serena Sheng, Trip.com Group Global HR Head, alongside other members of the Going-Global Club.
At the start of the event, Ying Shen highlighted the CEIBS Global EMBA Going-Global Club’s role as a critical platform for fostering business cooperation between East and West. The club not only supports Chinese companies expanding internationally but also encourages deeper collaboration between global enterprises and China. Instead of a one-way dissemination, the club seeks to promote a dynamic exchange of ideas and partnerships. “Whether it’s Chinese companies venturing overseas, global businesses entering China, or cross-border collaborations, all reflect the interconnected nature of business in this globalisation era,” Shen said.
The Going-Global Club was officially established on August 30, 2024, with its mission of fostering collaboration and openness. Founded by industry leaders from a range of fields, the club also brings together a panel of expert advisors. In the near future, it will host various events to provide strategic insights and practical support, helping members to navigate the challenges of international expansion and succeed in global markets.
Club President, FreeS Fund Vice President - Ying Shen (GEMBA 2023)
Ten-Year Overseas Expansion of a Cross-Border Logistics Company
Founded in 2004, 4PX Global Express quickly established itself as a major player in the cross-border e-commerce logistics industry, achieving rapid growth and building a global presence within just a decade. What can other Chinese companies learn from its example? Jaden Guo, a senior consultant with over 16 years of experience, joined 4PX in 2019. In his keynote speech, From Consulting to Industry: Sharing 10 Years of Overseas Organizational Experience in Cross-Border Logistics Companies, he reflected on 4PX’s development over the past decade.
Initially, 4PX operated as an agent for traditional logistics companies like Singapore Post and DHL. However, the company soon identified a significant opportunity in the growing market of cross-border e-commerce. Seeing this untapped potential, 4PX started to provide differentiated logistics services, positioning itself as a key player in the mid-market segment. Over time, it has developed a logistics network between China and Europe. It has also established millions of square metres of warehouse space all over the globe, significantly improving efficiency for its e-commerce clients. As the business grew, 4PX expanded its offerings, scaling beyond small e-commerce packages to include B2B services. Today, it has built a diversified business portfolio, centered around First Mile delivery, global express shipping, and overseas warehousing.
Jaden attributed the recent valuation rise of the logistics industry to three key factors: 1) the effective use of digital tools to reduce costs and increase efficiency; 2) the integration of real estate with logistics to create innovative business models; and 3) the maturing of logistical finance, which has diversified the industry’s ecosystem.
4PX Global Express GM - Jaden Guo (GEMBA 2015)
When discussing global expansion, Jaden highlighted two main strategies for building overseas teams: establishing an in-house team from scratch or using mergers and acquisitions (M&A). While acquisitions can quickly expand a company’s presence, they often come with significant risks. These include verifying the legitimacy of the acquired assets and ensuring smooth integration of operations. If the integration process fails, it can waste valuable resources and potentially damage the business.
Jaden emphasised the importance of selecting the right leader when building overseas teams, such as a regional general manager. This leader must not only have deep professional expertise and extensive management experience, but also strong leadership skills, strategic vision, and cultural awareness. These qualities are crucial for aligning the overseas team with headquarters and driving success in a competitive market.
After appointing the top leader, the next priority is building a strong core team. This team should cover the following key areas: commercial, operations, and mid- and back-office functions. For the commercial team, whether talent is sourced locally or internationally, the selection should be driven by the specific needs of clients. The operations team, on the other hand, requires professionals with the expertise to ensure smooth and efficient execution. Lastly, for mid- and back-office roles, in addition to technical skills, a deep understanding of the local culture, regulations and policies is essential for success.
Regarding managing overseas personnel deployment and expatriate assignments, Jaden suggested motivating employees to embrace overseas postings by offering competitive compensation and benefits, clear career development paths, and comprehensive family support. In managing overseas sales teams, Jaden noted that while core management principles remain consistent with domestic practices, special attention should be paid to adapting compensation structures to align with local market conditions.
How to Achieve Global Collaboration?
In his presentation, Born Global, Think Global: Building the Next Generation of Global Organizations, Richard Wang shared insights from his experience with ByteDance’s Feishu team, focusing on three key aspects of businesses going global.
Industry Solution Head of Feishu People - Richard Wang
1
Collaboration
In global collaboration, communication barriers are common due to regional and cultural differences. ByteDance has tackled these challenges with its Feishu platform, which is designed to enhance global employee communication. As a unified collaboration tool, Feishu allows employees to connect effortlessly across borders. Its smart features – like time zone display, real-time translation, and meeting transcripts – remove communication hurdles and strengthen asynchronous teamwork. Feishu also includes internal recruitment tools and cleanly structured employee profiles, fostering closer connections and promoting an environment of equal, open communication.
2
Culture
As businesses expand globally, balancing company-level core values with local cultural adaptation becomes essential. Richard explained that ByteDance embeds its corporate culture into daily operations to prevent miscommunication and keep the company’s mission aligned. He noted: “To maintain a strong corporate culture across borders, the key is ensuring core values remain intact without obstructing business. At the same time, flexibility is crucial, as adapting to local customs and expectations allows us to succeed in diverse markets.”
3
Complaince
Richard noted that in the era of globalisation, data privacy and cross-border data compliance have become increasingly critical. ByteDance has developed a comprehensive data security system, including an early warning mechanism and logging system. The company also adapts its data collection and application practices to meet the specific regulations of different regions. Richard emphasised, “Companies should choose compliance solutions that fit their scale, cost structure, and business needs. In some cases, it’s more cost-effective to implement compliance measures early on, or you may face higher costs down the line.”
Practical Insights: How to Build Local Teams in Overseas Markets?
The panel discussion, moderated by Ying Shen, featured insights from Jaden Guo, Richard Wang, and Serena Sheng, focusing on the practical challenges Chinese companies face when building local teams overseas.
Serena highlighted several key issues to address during international expansion. First, it is crucial to quickly establish a recognisable employer brand in new markets. For instance, although Trip.com enjoys strong brand recognition in China, promoting itself on international recruitment platforms and social media requires substantial effort. Companies also need to continuously adjust their recruitment standards to meet the specific needs of each relevant market.
Another challenge is finding talent that not only meets the necessary skill requirements but also fits the company’s culture. HR teams must quickly analyse regional hiring trends and work closely with business leaders to localise recruitment strategies. Meanwhile, managers need to deeply understand cultural nuances – not just to improve hiring, but to build cohesive teams that can operate effectively in diverse environments.
Additionally, navigating complex labour laws and compensation structures adds to the challenge of building overseas teams.
Trip.com Group Global HR Head - Serena Sheng(GEMBA 23)
Serena highlighted the challenges Chinese companies face in the Japanese hiring market, particularly the prolonged hiring cycles and a lack of trust from local candidates. She noted that Japan’s job market is highly reliant on headhunting agencies for talent placement, which adds another layer of complexity to the recruitment process. To overcome these obstacles, Serena recommended that companies allow more time for their overseas hiring efforts and adopt flexible strategies for building local teams, such as dispatching staff from headquarters or facilitating internal transfers.
Richard compared international expansion to navigating uncharted waters, filled with unexpected challenges. ByteDance has embraced flexibility and innovation throughout its globalisation efforts. For example, when developing compensation policies for overseas employees, the company brought together representatives from HR, employees, and business leaders for open discussions. This collaborative, co-creation approach allowed them to reach a consensus within just three days.
As companies expand and manage multiple business lines, conflicts and coordination challenges inevitably arise when different business units enter the same market. ByteDance experienced these issues as well. To address them, the company implemented a “soft landing” strategy, creating local committees with rotating chairpersons to ensure smooth coordination and collaboration between business units.
When discussing cultural differences, Jaden emphasised the mutual adaptation process, citing Mexico as an example. He explained that companies like 4PX have successfully aligned Chinese and local practices through flexible incentives such as piecework pay and overtime allowances. These strategies allow both sides to adapt to each other’s expectations, increasing employee engagement and accelerating the localisation of the business.
Serena emphasised that when navigating diverse cultures, corporate culture and shared values are crucial for fostering unity and building consensus. At Trip.com, this has been achieved through a well-defined code of conduct, complemented by shared activities and open communication. These efforts ensure that employees feel included while still maintaining their unique cultural backgrounds. Trip.com’s approach strikes a balance between respecting individual differences and promoting a fact-based, goal-oriented corporate culture. This strategy of “seeking common ground while preserving differences” has been key to fostering mutual growth and effective collaboration across the organisation.
Richard highlighted that “Champion Diversity and Inclusion” is one of ByteDance’s six core values. The company has fueled significant business growth by embracing cultural diversity and adapting to various market conditions. A key strategy in achieving this has been hiring executives from diverse cultural backgrounds. These leaders help bridge communication gaps and facilitate faster cultural integration within the company.
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