Guiding expat executives through the intercultural complexities of international leadership.
$1 M
Average Annual Expatriate Packages¹
Expat programs are often the largest expenditure most companies spend on one employee, other than the CEO
%
Of all US expats return early¹
Of those who stay the duration, nearly ⅓ do not perform up to the expectations of their superiors
%
Of Families are unable to adapt¹
Assignments abroad demand big changes professionally and personally
Living and working in a foreign environment is
a life-changing and lucrative opportunity.
If not planned and well thought out, it is also difficult and exhausting.
And for your company and your family…
failure is not an option.
typical expat experience
Living and working abroad starts with huge possibility and promise…for your career, for your family and for your future.
The expectations are high. Your company is investing in you and your family but demands a strong return.
When reality sets in that it’s not as easy as imagined, we often find ourselves stuck. Our colleagues are not responding as we expected. Our teams are not where we thought they’d be. Progress slows.
Coupled with slower than expected results and we often find in crisis with decisions to make.
about tom
Years in Business
Days Overseas
Diverse Countries Served
It’s difficult to describe the pressures of an expat executive to someone who hasn’t been through the experience. Those pressures are unique, exhilarating, and potentially costly. After over a decade abroad taking on 4 international assignments and guiding teams in 11 different countries, with country, unit, and area P&L responsibilities, Tom Roberts knows the ups and downs of leading abroad. The stakes are high for your career, your company’s objectives, and – perhaps most importantly – for your family.
“After 30 years of diverse business experience, working abroad for many years and interviewing expat executives from the world’s largest companies, I founded Cranberry Leadership with the goal of making every expat assignment a success for the company, for the expat leader, for the host team, and for their families.
No matter how much you prepare, it’s more complex than you think.
With you we will use the best data-driven assessments, science and experience to help make your assignment a tremendous success.”
-Tom Roberts
the process:
science + experience + you
Your internal drivers, personality and work style are determined by your external environment, your experiences, your home culture and your innate values.
01
Using the latest research-based assessment tools we will quickly interpret your culture experiences, identify preferences or possible biases, and create a snapshot of your intercultural leadership style.
02
Using the results of assessments + the unique experience of the Cranberry team we will identify the potential hurdles and pinch points between you, your company’s culture and your host country culture.
03
Together we create a customized plan to bridge the gaps in your unique situation. We will take the journey together to ensure success.
FAQs
Why Cranberry?
The Science Behind Cranberry Leadership Coaching
expatriate
onboarding
Considering an overseas offer? Family helping you think it through? There are so many unknowns. One of the biggest life-changing events deserves careful consideration and planning. It’s never too early. Start now.
global leadership executive coaching
Perhaps you’re already in your new host country. You’re doing your best based on your years of experience, but you are facing challenges you did not expect. You cannot afford to fail…for your company or your family.
custom
solutions
You’ve reached a unique, critical impasse in your journey. You need an experienced expert guide to help with your team. Together we can create a plan to bridge the gaps and ensure success.
the latest from cranberry
Browse our recent posts, short essays & case studies.
Expat Leaders and Global Crisis: Read-Reflect-Respond
Our expat exec panel consistently says that COVID-19 is giving the opportunity to see their challenges and opportunities in a different light. But from unexpected vantage points. A former expat VP in the Hong Kong healthcare market reflects that his time to process...
A Note to Friends…
Dear friends, We’ve received so many questions about what we have been working on. The best answer? A whole lot more than we bargained for! As many of you know, in August 2019 I left my position in Japan after almost 20 years with UCB. It was a tough and heart...
The Science Behind Cranberry Leadership Coaching
Blending your personal traits, science and our experience to create a bullet proof plan forward The fun of any journey is determining where you will go. The harder part is pinpointing exactly from where you are starting. For expat executives, this is particularly...
Expat Execs: Losing and Finding Your Authenticity
You were sent to a foreign land for a reason... You are charged with taking the company’s high minded principles and plant them into this fertile soil. You’ve been instructed to “stop at nothing” and “drive the change” remembering to “push hard” so that you can “move...
Leading Through Crisis as an Expat: Lessons from the War Zone
The following is part two of the Leading Through Crisis as an Expat series. In this series we explore the cultural implications of working and living abroad through national crises. My family and I lived in Japan through a 5 month personal health crisis, the H1N1...
Leading Through Crisis as an Expat: Three Key Intercultural Mistakes Expat Leaders Make in Crisis
Following is part one of the series Leading Through Crisis as an Expat. In this series we will explore the cultural implications of working and living abroad through national crises. My family and I lived in Japan through a 5 month personal health crisis, the H1N1...
testimonials
“After working with Tom and his teams over many years, it is clear that he understands the difficulties of living and working abroad….”
Read More +Jeff O’Dea
InspiringBiz | Owner & Coach
“Tom’s advice helped me realize what my family’s transition for an overseas assignment would entail and prepared me for aspects of my expat role that I had not considered….”
Kathy Love-Weitz
“Coming from the United States to Japan was no easy feat. Tom’s approach in the beginning days was direct and aggressive at times…”
MS
VP in Japan
