Capitalizing on Asia One of the best ways for Western medical device companies to succeed in Asia

Capitalizing on Asia

One of the best ways for Western medical device companies to succeed in Asia is to set up their Asian business with global executives who know Asia. Making sure to have the right people in place for your medical device business is essential around the world, but especially in Asia. One cannot rely just on Westerners to run businesses in Asia where they do not know the local languages and are not completely versed in the local culture or business practices. When in Rome, act like the Romans; when in Japan, have Japanese executives run your device business there.

While a truly global Indian executive can sometimes succeed in East Asia, a local Indian who is not that global will have problems getting Japanese and Chinese executives to follow her/his leadership. Similarly, while a truly global Japanese executive can sometimes succeed in East Asia, local Japanese business leaders who are not international players may have trouble operating outside of Japan, particularly in other Asian countries where employees may still not feel comfortable working for a Japanese boss.

Along with finding top-notch leadership in Asia, it is important that the staff within your Western headquarters be keenly aware of the opportunities in the region. As Jun Tang, president of Microsoft China has said in the past, “China is a priority at Microsoft. Everybody understands that this is a country we cannot lose.”