Denise Sabet is the General Manager of Labbrand, a global branding agency in Shanghai.
Originally from small town Saskatchewan, Denise credits Royal Roads University’s Master of Arts Program in Intercultural and International Communication (MAIIC) for helping her make the transition from a career in finance to an international brand consultant living in China’s largest city.
Can you tell me a bit about your career path and how you ended up in Shanghai?
My husband and I came to Shanghai 10 years ago. We wanted to explore our belief in world citizenship by experiencing living, working, learning and contributing in another culture and society.
Career-wise, it also benefited us a lot as the economy has experienced rapid development in the time we have been here, as well as significant social challenges and change.
Initially, I took a bachelor’s degree in Commerce with a finance emphasis, but after a couple years of working I wanted to transition into Communications. Starting the MAIIC opened doors for me in terms of job opportunities, and I was able to land a Communications and PR role within a couple of months, from which I developed into my current career in brand consulting, which I love.
The personal and professional learning over the past decade has been profound. Our two children are fluent in Mandarin.
How did the MAIIC prepare you for your current role working in branding in China?
First of all, the course content itself. I learned concepts and models on intercultural communication, organizational communication, cultural intelligence, etc. that I call on constantly in professional and personal life in China. For example – how to run a meeting with Chinese and Western attendees, how to brainstorm with a multicultural team, how to handle conflict, leadership skills, etc.
Also, I developed capacities for abstract thought and how to develop frameworks. This has been very beneficial in my career as a consultant and manager – to be able to see the big picture and tackle complex problems by breaking them down into manageable parts.
Denise also found that by being aware of cross-cultural communication differences she was able to navigate social environments more easily. For example, in China it’s not uncommon for the older generation to ask younger people, rather directly, about their monthly earnings. Money is not a taboo subject. Denise has learned to respond with humour and grace, explaining that in her culture, people aren’t comfortable sharing salary details. She acknowledges the differences and shares a laugh.
After 10 years in China, Denise finds the cultural differences easier to detect and navigate. Further, she maintains that in an increasingly global workplace, we all need to be intercultural communicators.
Almost every job and career today requires intercultural competencies – we all need to work with individuals from different cultural backgrounds and often across geographic locations. Our families and friends are also increasingly intercultural compared to generations gone by. At the end of the day, I feel that all communication is intercultural communication, and all marketing is intercultural marketing. It is about understanding the target audience and catering your message and offering to their unique needs and values, while staying true to the core of who you are as a brand or individual.
And so, the big question…who would benefit from this program?
My instinctive answer is everyone. But more specifically, professionals in public relations, marketing, corporate communications – either in-house roles or consultants – will benefit greatly from this program, as well as academics, counselors, trainers, and educators.
As with most things in life, you will get out what you put in, so it is ultimately up to the motivation and drive of the individual to make the most out of their experience with the MAIIC.
