Choosing Leadership Across Borders

Juno needed a leader for its Asia operations. Two strong candidates offered different advantages for manufacturing, growth, and representation. Kiani recommended Nolan Bennett, connecting the choice to the operating responsibilities and relationships the role required while examining its longer-term tradeoffs.

Based on David S. Lee’s fictionalized Harvard Business Review teaching case, What Does Diversity Mean in a Global Organization? (2022). Written for Leadership: Theory & Practice at New York University, February 22, 2026.

Juno’s CEO, Alex Pelletier, had to recommend a deputy to John Chang, the head of Asia. The new hire would assume most operational responsibilities across mainland-China manufacturing and Asian distribution, freeing John to concentrate on growth. The appointment also created a possible successor and future board member. Immediate execution and long-term leadership potential both mattered.

Kiani gave the immediate operating mandate the greatest weight. His argument connected the work to the capabilities needed to perform it: communication with local stakeholders, manufacturing experience, and established credibility across the region.

Nolan had spent 15 years working between Hong Kong and facilities in mainland China. Factory managers and other stakeholders valued his language skills, cultural understanding, and trustworthiness. The case describes these relationships as guanxi: social capital that helped him get things done. Kiani treated that experience as a practical advantage in the deputy’s daily work.

Catherine brought substantial business credentials. She had developed expertise in toy manufacturing and distribution, supported a competitor’s expansion, built a professional network in Asia, and led international teams. Her experience aligned with the growth Juno wanted. Choosing Nolan therefore involved a judgment about the role’s priorities within a strong field of candidates.

Language mattered because of its connection to operating relationships. Nolan spoke, read, and wrote Mandarin fluently. Catherine spoke it with family but used it less consistently in business and lacked fluent reading and writing skills. The case also provided translation support through her team. Nolan’s advantage lay in the combination of direct communication, regional experience, and established relationships; language alone did not determine leadership ability.

The analysis examined how diversity changes with context. At headquarters, appointing Catherine could strengthen representation in a leadership group dominated by white men. In Asia, Nolan was often the only non-Chinese person in meetings and brought experience different from Juno’s existing executives. Kiani argued that the company needed to consider that regional perspective alongside its headquarters measures.

The regional picture had several dimensions. Juno’s Asia division was 70% male, so Catherine also offered greater gender representation there, along with an American perspective. Her contribution extended beyond headquarters. The case made clear why a multinational’s diversity assessment needs to account for geography, gender, background, and experience together.

Kiani recommended Nolan for the operating role and paired that choice with a continuing commitment to broader leadership representation. The rationale was continuity and effective execution in Asia: select the candidate whose established capabilities most closely matched the immediate mandate while keeping the company’s wider commitments visible.

The case’s succession question remained consequential. Nolan’s references regarded him more as an operator than a visionary leader, while Catherine’s expansion experience was a strength. A potential board appointment was at least five years away and depended on readiness to succeed John. The choice favored proven operating capability today while carrying uncertainty about future strategic leadership.

For a multinational business, a senior appointment connects local operating needs with company-wide accountability. Headquarters sees the leadership pipeline and public commitments; a regional operation experiences the quality of daily decisions and relationships. A credible recommendation makes both perspectives visible and explains how competing priorities were weighed.