Lead Across Borders: Decode Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges

Effective communication is at the heart of all managerial activities, whether you’re writing emails, negotiating with business partners, or leading team decisions.

Understanding how communication customs vary across cultures is essential to minimize misunderstandings and build stronger connections with business partners and colleagues across the globe.

Join us for this engaging fireside chat, led by, Tina Girndt-Clougherty, Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Business Administration within the Gies College of Business, Mohamed Zaher, Senior Manager of Product Development in the Automotive Industry, and Iveren Ityoikaa, African Diaspora Partnerships Manager for Ashoka, as we will explore key differences in verbal and nonverbal communication across cultures, including the role of pauses and silence, explicit versus implicit messaging, and direct versus indirect feedback styles.

We’ll delve into how these differences can lead to cultural misunderstandings and, at times, serious conflicts.

Through entertaining examples from Germany, Egypt, Nigeria, and the United States, we’ll bring these concepts to life and provide practical insights for navigating cross-cultural communication challenges.

Tina Girndt-Clougherty

Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Business Administration at Gies College of Business, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Tina Girndt-Clougherty has been a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Business Administration within the Gies College of Business at UIUC since 2011. At UIUC, she has taught courses in ‘Action Learning - Business Consulting’, ‘International Business’, 'International Comparative Management', ‘Global Business’, and ‘Global Marketing’.

She also taught Chinese executives attending the China Executive Leadership Program at UIUC’s Global Education and Training institute.

Mohamed Zaher

Senior Manager of Product Development in the Automotive Industry at American Axle & Manufacturing

Mohamed Zaher is a senior manager of product development in the automotive industry and a part time realtor with Century 21. He is originally from Egypt where he taught in academia and consulted before moving to Chicago in 2009 and acquiring his PhD from UIC and his MBA from UIUC in 2024.

Mohamed has been living in Michigan where he is also the vice president of the American Sailing institute. He was a lead engineer at Ford Motor company and a regional manager for LHPES.

Iveren Ityoikaa

African Diaspora Partnerships Manager at Ashoka

Iveren Ityoikaa is the African Diaspora Partnerships Manager for Ashoka – the largest network of social entrepreneurs worldwide. She is responsible for identifying, connecting, and partnering with people in the diaspora towards supporting Ashoka’s ‘Everyone A Changemaker’ vision in their countries or residence and origin. Iveren grew up in Germany and lives in Nigeria.

Iveren holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and is currently obtaining her MBA from UIUC. She has worked as an oilfield engineer internationally and started a management consulting firm before transitioning into her current role.