WHO WE ARE
ABOUT ABCC
We founded ABCC in Geneva, Switzerland 20 years ago, because we were convinced that globalization, with its increasing interconnectedness between countries would confront businesses with the challenges of understanding and leveraging cultural differences.
OUR STORY
My name is Alexandra Brodin. I am the founder of ABCC. I was born in Brussels, from a French father and a German mother. From an early age, I grew up in two cultures and could see how different the French and the Germans were, without being able to put a name on it. Only later, when I was in my twenties, did I come across the field of cross-cultural studies. The books and articles I read about cultures and cultural differences completely resonated with my own experience and observations. A passion was born!
Continuing to deepen my cross-cultural experiences, I lived and studied in Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland and the USA.
I started my career as an author for a popular television series on ARTE TV called Karambolage, which explained and compared the distinctive features of French and German national cultures.
For more than 10 years I then worked in the field of international talent mobility, which has allowed me to develop a deep understanding of human behaviour across cultures and to learn how to communicate, negotiate, collaborate, resolve conflicts and work within multicultural teams and with multicultural clients.
20 years later, I am still as fascinated by the topic as I was at the beginning and I do my best to find ways to transmit this passion to all the people who are curious about understanding the richness of the cultures around the world.
OUR MISSION
- Our mission is to help individuals, teams and organizations develop their international skills, knowledge and abilities, so that they are successful in a fast changing, interconnected and multicultural business environment.
- The goal is to drive growth and engagement, by harnessing the power of cultural diversity.
OUR VALUES
Passion
Decoding foreign cultures is what we are passionate about.
Excellence
Giving our best is what we are commited to.
Impact
Delivering practical results is what drives us.
Empathy
Building a supportive environment is what energizes us.
OUR TEAM
Alexandra Brodin
Founder & Director
Alexandra is a Corporate Learning and Development Specialist with more than 20 years of experience. During her career, she worked with 60 of the world’s largest multinational corporations, as well as with embassies, international organizations, political institutions, SMEs, and vocational schools across a wide range of industries and organisational levels. She assessed, designed, facilitated and evaluated training, coaching & blended learning programs to develop the Global Mindset of more than 1’000 individuals and teams from over 80 nationalities.
Alexandra graduated with Bachelors in Political Science and History from the Universities of Geneva and Paris and further specialized in Cross-Cultural Management at THUNDERBIRD (University of Arizona) as well as at INSEAD (Fontainebleau). She is certified in Talent Development, Career Management, Global Leadership Coaching and in International HR Management.
Fluent in French, German and English, she has some basic knowledge of Italian and Russian.
Jacques Brodin
Special Advisor
Jacques has a long and rich experience in international relations. He spent his entire career as a high ranking diplomat of the European Union and served as an EU Ambassador during 10 years. He devoted his career to the EU external relations and, as such has a deep and concrete knowledge of working with different nationalities and cultures. An expert in bilateral and multilateral negotiations. among others, he participated in accession negotiations to the EU, to cooperation agreements with North African and the Middle-East countries. Jacques received several medals from different countries and is Chevalier of the French Légion d’Honneur.
Fluent in French, German and English, he graduated at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Paris, as well as in German Studies at the Sorbonne.
WE ARE MEMBERS OF
A MAN’S FEET SHOULD BE PLANTED IN HIS COUNTRY, BUT HIS EYES SHOULD SURVEY THE WORLD.
George Santayana
