What does Peter Brabeck, the Chairman and CEO of Nestlé, look for in his top management?

“…being a global company, our international managers need to be exposed to various cultural backgrounds. You cannot limit yourself to knowing just one culture, for you need to have an understanding of and respect for different national cultures. This is all the more important when you are working in an industry that is very closely tied to the cultural diversity of the world…Frankly, speaking, I cannot imagine a top manager at Nestlé who has not lived in several countries and who does not speak at least two or three languages. This is a basic requirement of our top managers at Nestlé….It is much more important to have the right attitude for continuous learning than use what has been learned in the past.”

Interview: Leadership, Global Management
and Future Challenges: An Interview with Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Chief Executive Officer
of Nestlé SA by Dr Katrina Burrus-Barbey in the Thunderbird International Business Review,
Vol. 42(5) 495-506.September-October 2000.