Epsiode 353
Leading multiple countries across Asia Pacific requires far more than operational excellence—it demands deep cultural understanding, intentional relationship-building, and the strategic ability to represent your region within a global enterprise. In this episode of UNSCRIPTED, host Sarah Nicastro sits down with Madhu Oza, Director of Global Technical and Service Excellence for APAC at Abbott Laboratories, to explore what it takes to build trust, bridge cultural divides, and amplify regional impact while maintaining alignment with global standards.
Whether you're navigating the complexities of international leadership or looking to elevate your team's impact on the world stage, this conversation is packed with actionable insights to help you lead with cultural intelligence and authenticity.
What You'll Learn
This episode explores how regional leaders can drive results and build alignment without losing the nuance of local context. Key takeaways include:
- How to separate true cultural context from poor execution or lack of ownership
- Why you cannot lead a multi-country region through a screen and what “being on the ground” really unlocks
- How to build connection and cohesion across dispersed field teams without relying on constant in-person travel
- How to represent your region effectively within a global headquarters that designs processes for the markets it knows best
- A more realistic approach to standardization that protects the “what” while giving teams flexibility in the “how”
- How trust, curiosity, and employee experience shape service excellence initiatives and customer outcomes
About the Guest(s)
Madhu Oza is the Director of Global Technical and Service Excellence for APAC at Abbott Laboratories and a Standout 50 leader. Based in Singapore, Madhu leads capital equipment services across 15 countries in Asia Pacific, supporting installation, maintenance, and issue resolution across a highly diverse regional footprint.
In addition to her APAC leadership role, Madhu also oversees global service excellence initiatives focused on service enablement, including tools, processes, and analytics designed to improve operational performance, employee experience, and customer outcomes.
Follow Along
1. Why You Can’t Lead Asia Pacific From a Screen
00:08:58 – 00:11:34
Madhu explains why regional leadership requires immersion, not management by video call. Visiting countries, meeting customers, and stepping into cultural context are non-negotiable.
2. Japan vs. China: Two Very Different Approaches to Change
00:04:59 – 00:07:52
A compelling comparison of consensus-driven risk awareness in Japan versus fast-moving, entrepreneurial experimentation in China and what that means for leading change effectively.
3. Building Connection Across Dispersed Field Teams
00:12:47 – 00:18:47
From smaller in-person gatherings to virtual workspaces and cross-country collaboration, Madhu shares practical ways to prevent disconnection in remote service teams.
4. Representing Your Region at Global Headquarters
00:22:55 – 00:26:56
Madhu discusses how to advocate for regional realities using scale, data, and visibility and why “marketing your team” is essential to building influence.
5. Standardization That Actually Works
00:28:28 – 00:29:59
A grounded perspective on global consistency: define the hard requirements, eliminate unnecessary standardization, and give teams ownership of execution.
6. Curiosity Over Control in Service Excellence
00:45:20 – 00:47:01
Why analytics and process improvement should enhance employee experience and customer outcomes - not feel like oversight. A powerful reminder that trust drives results.
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