Relationship Building Doesn't Always Come Easy

For senior global trade compliance manager, Larry Legates, MBA ’04, developing a global mindset goes far beyond the workplace. Legates studied abroad in Spain, Chile, and Mexico. His work has included on-site projects in Brazil, China, Japan, the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Russia, and Peru and he is fluent in Spanish, proficient in Portuguese, and has translated two books on Mexican customs requirements. “Ideally, it helps to have some first-hand experience in a foreign country to gain a true understanding of what living under a different set of rules and norms feels like,” Legates asserts, ”but at minimum, you need to put yourself into different cultural environments to gain the right level of awareness and sensitivity.”

In his day-to-day work at Danaher Corporation, relationship building is key and when working in a global market, Legates says, “you have to put a little more effort into it, it doesn’t always come easy.” Danaher has over 20 companies involved in global commerce in the areas of life sciences, medical diagnostics, water quality, and industrial printing, and Legates currently runs a global program that reviews operations in over 60 of the corporation’s entities worldwide. “I am constantly needing to work with people of so many backgrounds, nationalities, and experiences,” he adds, “being able to establish a good rapport and understanding with them early on is critical, and continuing to build the relationship is always important.”

Legate continues to give back to the Maryland Smith community, currently serving on the board of the Smith Center for Global Business. He says the strong foundation he got at Maryland Smith continues to underpin all the work he is doing today. Legates encourages anyone interested in a career with a global focus to seek out experiences in which you learn a foreign language and ideally spend some time living abroad (not just vacations). “Nothing helps you understand global mindset more than really immersing yourself in another culture even for a short amount of time,” he says. He also stresses the importance of exposing yourself to views from other countries. “It seems to me people from larger countries like the US, China, India, Brazil, and others sometimes have a harder time with this than people from very small countries.” Legates adds, “regardless of where we are from, we all have to work at this – it is critical as part of the global community.”

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