Patricia Rossman, who grew up in Albany, N.Y., had just been appointed the corporate vice president of communications and public affairs of the Americas region for Ciba (BASF purchased the chemical company in 2009). This was a role that expanded her responsibilities to include operations from Canada down through South America. BASF is one of Fair360, formerly DiversityInc’s 25 Noteworthy Companies.
Naturally, she was excited for her first team meeting. “I was very interested in showing colleagues in South America that I understood their issues,” Rossman recalls. “I did research about business, communication styles, differences in government relationsfor example, the differences between the United States and Brazilian systems.”
However, when it came time to make her introductory presentation, Rossman found her audience wasn’t impressed with her extensive “homework.” It turned out that they were looking for a more personal connection.
