The election of Barack Obama must be a turning point in history as we can never go back to a time where being President of the USA is solely a job for white men. It is interesting to debate and reflect on what influence this will have on the intercultural field and on cultural diversity issues. Undoubtedly he seems to have a natural ability to mix and match with his fellow human beings in a way that George Bush could never dream of.  His skin colour, minority background, intelligence and genuine respect for others of difference has him being a role model for someone with Cultural Intelligence – long may he live up to this – there are so few people around who can.

The cultural difficulties concerning the failed merger between Daimler and Chrysler are legendary, but not legendary enough it seems for Robert Diamond, president of Barclays Capital.  He found out the hard way that ignoring corporate culture can harm your business.  Eight weeks after the acquisition of Lehman Brothers’ US business much of the senior talent had left. Mr. Diamond’s famous ‘knee-jerk’ approach of getting rid of non-team players did not sit well with those he wished most to keep: “That approach is a style that is anathema to many of Lehman’s senior bankers who Mr. Diamond wants to retain, as well as the European bankers he’d like to attract” (FT November 3rd 2008).  It seems Mr Diamond has fallen foul of the first rule of an M&A – it’s people that make a business, it’s people you ‘buy’, and it’s people that are your most important asset – make sure you understand what makes them tick! Ignore culture at your peril.