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Dr. Monika V. Kronbügel’s: Putting People First
Intercultural competence is Dr. Monika V. Kronbügel’s focus, and as CEO and Founder of Global DiVision GmbH, an international consultancy, she has been proving for over a decade that the interplay between internationality, interculturality and the consideration of local conditions is what makes people and companies succeed in the long term.
Before founding Global DiVision in 2012, Dr. Kronbügel worked with an international group facilitating management and sales training—she was responsible for the German market. “My experience taught me that it is important to analyze first to put the organization on a secure footing,” she says. Dr. Kronbügel feels that training should always be implemented after a thorough analysis of the organization, and when she founded Global DiVision she wanted to bring more meaning, efficiency and appreciation for the employees in her approach. “That’s why I founded Global DiVision with a clear understanding of values for a focus on people. Because if the internal customer (employee) is satisfied, so is the external one.”
Her people-focused philosophy and clear process are Global DiVision’s unique selling points: identifying inter-cultural differences between source and target markets and utilizing the information to help organizations thrive. With Dr. Kronbügel’s methods, Global DiVision places humans in the center, enabling them to learn efficiently and to develop themselves individually.
This approach has proven successful, with Global DiVision on a growth trajectory and having developed an expansive international infrastructure—allowing to provide premier expertise to clients. The company’s international partner network extends to over 90 countries, with a vast freelance structure of consultants, coaches, trainers and mentors; in Germany alone Global DiVision has 164 freelance experts. As a result of this large network Global DiVision always has its “finger on the pulse” for the latest trends in organizational and personnel development.
While undoubtedly successful, Global DiVision has also experienced challenges over the years.
Most recently, the coronavirus pandemic and the war between Russia and Ukraine had significant impacts on Global DiVision, as these events resulted in companies tightening budgets and becoming reluctant to invest in trainingbigger change consultancy. “While the need is evident, the budgets we are working with are currently restrained,” says Dr. Kronbügel.
Facing these financial restraints, Dr. Kronbügel was excited to learn that UPS and WEConnect International had partnered to launch the Proudly Unstoppable Women-Owned Small Business Grants Program earlier this year, which intended to provide up to $5,000 USD to small businesses with financial need. She applied, was selected as a grantee and intends to use the funding to continue growing her business.
“UPS is committed to supporting women-owned businesses in overcoming the many challenges they face in today’s rapidly-changing world,” said Betsy Wilson, UPS VP Digital Marketing and Brand Management. “UPS and WEConnect International share the belief that women should have equal opportunities as men to compete in the global marketplace, and the Proudly Unstoppable initiative is one way to push forward this important ideal for the betterment of women business owners, and in turn, our local and global economies.”
WEConnect International’s mission is to drive money into the hands of women-owned businesses (WOB) by enabling them to compete in the global marketplace. They do this by connecting WOBs that have registered for free with WEConnect International with its 160 multinational member buyer organizations. All these multinational organizations are committed to supplier diversity and buying more products and services from WOBs globally.
Specifically, Global DiVision will use the funding to improve and launch new digital solutions, including online summits, global-division.digital, global-division.live, global-division.academy and all aspects of “Future Work” Services. With these new platforms, Global DiVision is creating possibilities independent of locations and time zones, enabling it to better deliver on its mission and cover the needs for successful support of change processes.
This aligns with Global DiVision’s strategic growth plan to expand its approach of accompanying customers holistically from analysis to finalization. Instead of just creating concepts, the consultants at Global DiVision are rolling up their sleeves and lending a hand. Dr. Kronbügel looks forward to continuing the important work of consulting, and in doing so, also counseling her clients on the importance of putting people first, saying “investing in the company’s culture and its competence with a focus on people is an investment in a secure future.”