“
There’s a
need to be
open-minded.
”
XAVIER COURBOIN,
NORSK HYDRO’S
MANAGING DIRECTOR AND
MARKETING DIRECTOR
ASIA, SAYS SUCCESS
IN A DIVERSE, GLOBAL
COMPANY REQUIRES
LETTING GO OF YOUR
OWN BELIEFS AND BEING
OPEN TO NEW IDEAS.WORDS OLIVER FEATHERSTON • IMAGES YEW KWANGL
ike many European executives, Xavier
Courboin, Managing Director and
Marketing Director Asia for Norsk
Hydro, made the bold career shift to the
Asia–Pacific region, a far cry from the
more traditional corporate world of
Europe. For Xavier, it’s been a rewarding move; the
region offers innovation and disruption at a massive
pace. It’s a challenging task, since his duties involve
overseeing a team of individuals from across South-East
Asia, while serving customers across the APAC region.
For this reason, taking on the position required
some adjustment. “You have to put your own culture
aside, because there’s a need to be open-minded,”
he says. “You have to accept differences. Accept that
things you do in a certain way can be done in a
different way in another place. And they work. It’s
interesting to give up on your absolute trust in your
own beliefs, so you can get something done well in
an altogether different way.”150 | theceomagazine.com
INVEST | Interview