The Asian Maverick
About this book
I recommend this book to anyone interested in a multinational career and who wants to learn by example. Among his peers at the top level, Chris Lee has always stood out by both his visionary planning and rigorous execution, second to none in aspiration and delivery of results. This has motivated generations of managers to follow his leadership and become successful themselves in the process.’ - Dr Ulrich Koestlin, Member of the Board, Bayer Schering Pharma AG 2006–2011Life and leadership lessons from an Asian perspective, based on the career of a man who has risen to the top of the Western corporate ladder and left it all behind to start something newChris Lee had a cushy role. For a decade, he led the Asia-Pacific division of Medtronic, a multibillion dollar business and one of the world’s largest manufacturers of medical devices, and consistently produced excellent business outcomes. Then, at fifty-six, he threw all of that away to start VentureBlick, an international fundraising platform matching healthcare startups and medical investors. Why did Lee do that?Lee takes us through his journey as one of the youngest Asian leaders in an MNC (youngest director in Merck at age twenty-seven, youngest country manager at thirty, first Asia-Pacific leader reporting to Bayer HQ at thirty-nine), how he brought Asian leadership sensibilities into multiple global companies, and reveals why he believes it’s important for corporate leaders to adopt an Asian lens and think like a maverick.