Nanjing Lecture Intro Autumn 2016

1. Differences in Western and Chinese
business culture
… and how to bridge the differences!
Autumn 2016
Hannu Bergholm
Lily Lin

2. Who are the speakers?
e have both been deeply involved in negotiating, establishing and running
Chinese/Western joint ventures and other strategic cooperation
arrangements during the past 20 years.
e have gained hands-on experience of the challenges - and possible
solutions –to match the two fundamentally very different negotiations
cultures and processes.
Mr. Hannu Bergholm
Berhan Ltd
President and CEO
Ms. Lily Lin
Berhan China Ltd
Partner

3. Hannu Bergholm
Berhan Ltd President
Experience and skills offered to Berhan Clients:
25 years management experience in global, international corporations, 15 year of this in
senior executive positions as President and CFO
15+ years experience as an entrepreneur in Berhan Ltd, building a successful advisor
company, working with Clients in Europe, China and India
Particular areas of experience:
 Advising SMEs and MNCs in their strategic projects
 Entry projects to China and India
 Cross cultural M&A, JV and partner negotiations
3
Working experience:
1997- present Founder and President of Berhan Ltd
2001-2002 interim President and CEO at
Elcoteq
1987-1996 Nokia Group
1987-92 as Nokia Group CFO and member of
the Nokia Executive Board
1992-96 President of one of four Business
Groups and member of the Nokia Executive
Board
1972-87 Kone Corporation
1983-87 as CFO of Kone Corporation
Personal:
-Born 1949 in Tammisaari, Finland
-Lives in Helsinki, Finland and Geneva, Switzerland
Education, Honors:
-MSc(Economics), Turku School of Economics
-Holds a badge of honor of Knight, 1st
Class of the
Order of the Lion of Finland since 1990
-Chairman and Board member of Finland Hong Kong
Trade Association since 2008
-Member of Finland China Trade Association

4. LILY LIN
Berhan Ltd HEAD OF CHINA OPERATIONS
Experience and skills offered to Berhan Clients:
15 years management experience in big Chinese State-owned Companies, especially
experienced in government issues and JV project issues.
8 years experience as project partner in Berhan Ltd with active role in almost all Berhan
Chinese projects.
Active in many other business projects in Mainland China.
Particular areas of experience:
 Drafting plans to set up business and company structure in China
 Organizing necessary resources for the project in China
 Advising in negotiations and in business cases
4
Working experience:
-1989-92 Nanjing Chemical Industrial (Group)
Corporation
-1992-1993 Guangdong Fortune Color Picture Tube
Company (listed company)
Responsible for export sales
-1993-2005 Dongguan Nanxin Industrial
Development Corporation (Nokia Chinese JV
partner)
-2006- Present Berhan Ltd. Project Partner
Personal:
- Born 10th
January 1968 in Mainland China
- Married, two children
- Lives in Dongguan, Guangdong, PRC
Education, Honors:
- Major in International Trade, Nanjing University
- Certified State International Business
professional
- Certified State Industrial Economics professional

5. Berhan Ltd
erhan Ltd is a Corporate Advisory company established in 1997.
e are specialized in market entry + international mergers, acquisitions and
divestments.
erhan is in particular focused in advising its customers in projects, where the
customer considers becoming established in emerging markets – in particular in
China and India.
erhan has:
ain office in Finland
branch office in China
n associate office in India and Singapore

6. ultures and business cultures

7. People from different cultures think
and act differently
e think differently
e behave differently
e solve problems differently
e agree on things differently
e regard agreements differently
ll this is strikingly different in
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8. The problem is very real
Most problems in Chinese / Western joint projects
are caused by not understanding the other side.
The key is to UNDERSTAND that
My way is not “right” – his/her way is not “right”
09/28/16 8

9. Why do we give this lecture?
• Business is becoming increasingly global.
• You meet and need to work with people from different
cultures.
• It is not always easy! You tend to see things only from
“your cultural angle”.
It helps if you invest time to understand the basics of
the “other business culture”.
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10. Why THIS IS important for you
09/28/16 10
YOU
& your generation
will make China
international
YOU
will work with
foreigners in business
MUCH MORE
than anyone in China
before you!

11. You are going to work with foreigners more
than any generation before!
n Chinese companies (or your own company)
In China, working with foreigners
Working in joint projects with foreigners
Abroad, working in foreign countries
09/28/16 11
In Foreign companies
In China
Abroad

12. Berhan Ltd.
www.berhan.fi