Brand Global, Adapt Local with Katherine Melchior Ray - VistaTalks Ep 181

Описание: Katherine Melchior Ray, Faculty Member and Lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business, President of Global Ally, keynote speaker, and author, joins Host Simon Hodgkins for a conversation on how brands expand globally without losing authenticity. From San Francisco's multicultural roots to luxury, hospitality, beauty, and tech, Katherine's career is a masterclass in bridging cultures, building trust, and staying just a half step ahead of the market, not a leap too far.
From San Francisco's "Little Worlds" to a Global Career

Katherine grew up in cosmopolitan San Francisco, with its espresso-fueled Little Italy, vibrant Chinatown, and the Mission's Latino heart, while attending French schools and living in a cross-cultural home. That lived diversity became the foundation for a career spent connecting people, markets, and meaning. She later worked and lived in France and Japan, speaks both languages, and has led teams across industries at iconic brands including Nike, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Hyatt, and Shiseido, before moving into tech and teaching at Berkeley Haas.

00:00 - Katherine Melchior Ray - VistaTalks Ep 181
01:02 - San Francisco roots & a cross-cultural upbringing
04:43 - Cultural intelligence: definition and why it matters
08:52 - Japan vs. France: when “basics” aren’t basic
12:55 - Kit Kat’s “freedom within a framework” playbook
18:55 - Building trust across global teams
27:34 - Lessons from Nike, Hyatt, Shiseido & tech
34:03 - AI’s promise, context gap, and brand values


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