Howard Balloch received CCBC’s 5 at 50 award in the Relationship Builders category. Howard was Canada’s longest-serving ambassador to China, and then he shifted to a business career in Beijing. He has been in the middle of the political and investment action for many decades. Key takeaways from Howard:
• Relationships are complicated, particularly in a society that lacks traditional faith in institutions of business relationships, such as legal, contractual and societal. You need strong personal relationships to buttress nascent business relationships.
• When negotiating in China, be prepared for whiplash. The actual negotiations take a LONG time, so you must keep at it, and maintain your sense of humor. Don’t be afraid to be Canadian through the process. Once you reach an agreement, and it’s pedal to the metal, and your Chinese counterparts may go from incredibly patient to incredibly impatient. They need to develop their confidence in a relationship, and we want to have things locked up contractually.
• The future of the Canada-China business relationship is PEOPLE. Strong relationships will help Canada transcend these difficult times.
This multi-part miniseries is sponsored by Manulife.
Howard Balloch received CCBC’s 5 at 50 award in the Relationship Builders category. Howard was Canada’s longest-serving ambassador to China, and then he shifted to a business career in Beijing. He has been in the middle of the political and investment action for many decades. Key takeaways from Howard:
• Relationships are complicated, particularly in a society that lacks traditional faith in institutions of business relationships, such as legal, contractual and societal. You need strong personal relationships to buttress nascent business relationships.
• When negotiating in China, be prepared for whiplash. The actual negotiations take a LONG time, so you must keep at it, and maintain your sense of humor. Don’t be afraid to be Canadian through the process. Once you reach an agreement, and it’s pedal to the metal, and your Chinese counterparts may go from incredibly patient to incredibly impatient. They need to develop their confidence in a relationship, and we want to have things locked up contractually.
• The future of the Canada-China business relationship is PEOPLE. Strong relationships will help Canada transcend these difficult times.
This multi-part miniseries is sponsored by Manulife.