Spending nearly three weeks traveling across key global financial centers—from New York to London, Frankfurt, Kraków, Geneva, Zurich, and Paris—has completely transformed my understanding of conducting international business and engaging with diverse individuals. What stood out most was how business culture is deeply intertwined with a country’s history, values, and pace of life.
Initially, I assumed that global finance operated under a universal business culture, perhaps with slight regional nuances. However, I quickly realized how inaccurate that was. For example, during our visits to BlackRock and Apollo in New York, we were immersed in a fast-paced, results-driven environment that emphasized scale, innovation, and disruption. This contrasted sharply with the understated elegance and long-term orientation we observed at places like Rothschild & Co. and Ardian in Paris, where legacy, relationship-building, and discretion were central to business interactions.
In London, our time at JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, and the London Metal Exchange revealed a fascinating blend of traditional finance and global connectivity. The formality and professionalism in the UK’s financial sector felt different from the more informal, yet equally high-performing culture we experienced in the U.S. Meanwhile, Frankfurt offered a unique insight into European economic stability and regulation through our meetings at the Bundesbank and the European Central Bank—institutions that play a critical role in the eurozone economy.
The personal interactions across each city, especially in places like Oxford and Geneva, reminded me of the value of cultural intelligence. Simple things like greeting etiquette, mealtime customs, or even how meetings are structured taught me that cross-cultural communication is not just about language, but about empathy, adaptability, and awareness.
Beyond finance, visiting Auschwitz in Poland and the beaches of Normandy in France profoundly deepened my understanding of Europe’s historical scars and their impact on policy, memory, and national identity today. These reflective experiences enriched the business visits by highlighting that economic decisions are never made in isolation—they are influenced by the people involved, the cultural context, and the weight of historical events.
This experience has not only reshaped my views on international business but also on leadership. Effective global leaders, I now see, must possess cultural humility, historical context, and a commitment to lifelong learning. My initial impressions have evolved into a more mature, nuanced perspective that I know will shape my professional and personal growth for years to come.
