Latest News
Cross-Cultural Leadership Initiative at SK Americas
On October 14, The Korea Society brought its Cross-Cultural Leadership Initiative (CCLI) to SK Americas for a full-day leadership program at the company’s Manhattan office. The program brought together 19 HR and finance leaders from SK Americas’ member companies for their annual training.
As SK Group continues to expand its U.S. presence, the challenge is not simply bringing different teams together—it is creating the trust, alignment, and shared understanding that allow them to move in the same direction. The CCLI explored how cross-cultural leadership can help bridge headquarters, expatriate, and local perspectives, while bringing SK’s core value of Paegi (패기)—the spirit that challenges and overcomes hurdles—to life across its U.S. operations.
Building Trust and Strengthening Influence
Led by Jim Lee, Founder and Chief Executive Coach of B-Spoke, the program invited participants to look more closely at something that can easily be overlooked: how cultural differences influence the way people communicate, build trust, make decisions, and work together.
Rather than treating cross-cultural leadership as simply another management skill, the CCLI positioned it as a business advantage—one that can strengthen collaboration, unlock influence, and help teams turn shared values into shared action. For organizations operating across borders, the question is not whether cultural differences exist, but how effectively leaders can navigate them.
A Firsthand Perspective on Leading Across Cultures
During lunch, Dr. Abraham Kim, President and CEO of The Korea Society, held a fireside conversation with Frank Ahrens, Partner at BGR Group and author of Seoul Man. A former Washington Post journalist, Ahrens led global public relations for Hyundai Motor Group from 2010 to 2013, ultimately becoming a vice president and the highest-ranking non-Korean at Hyundai headquarters.
Drawing on his experience as an American executive working within a Korean corporate headquarters, Ahrens offered a firsthand perspective on a question at the heart of cross-cultural leadership: How can leaders bridge cultural differences while building trust, alignment, and a shared sense of purpose? His reflections highlighted how cultural awareness can shape trust, collaboration, and leadership well beyond the boardroom.
Through the CCLI, The Korea Society helps organizations working across cultures build the trust and understanding needed to collaborate more effectively and bring their shared values to life.
