Global Class: How the World's Fastest-Growing Companies Scale Globally by Focusing Locally

Wall Street Journal Bestseller

The playbook for a new era of global business.

The business world has changed, and to stay ahead, companies must think, operate, and scale differently. Companies need to adopt a new mindset and build distributed teams with a unique set of skills to succeed in global markets. A new strategic approach and revision of the agile methodology are necessary to better balance the need to localize with the complexity that localization creates.

To date, business leaders have had to learn how to scale globally the hard way—through trial, error, and failure—since no guidebook existed to light the way . . . until now.

Enter Global Class: the playbook that teaches you how to build teams, manage a diverse international footprint, and balance cultural differences to scale globally by focusing locally. Through case studies and insights from more than 250 of the world’s fastest-growing companies, Aaron McDaniel and Klaus Wehage illuminate what this new class of businesses (“Global Class Companies”) do to succeed, who are the catalysts of their growth, and how they do it. From market entry to international growth, Global Class introduces a comprehensive tool kit of practical frameworks that provide a blueprint for how to build and manage a global business.

Whether your company is just starting its growth journey, already has an established international footprint, or you are a globally minded professional looking to build an international career, Global Class is the essential playbook for reaching global scale for businesses of all sizes and stages.

Aaron McDaniel is a corporate leader, entrepreneur, professional speaker, start-up advisor, and author. He is a faculty member at University of California Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, his alma mater. Aaron is a serial entrepreneur who cofounded global innovation ecosystem builder 10X Innovation Lab as well as three other ventures that were acquired. An alumnus of AT&T’s flagship Leadership Development Program, he was also an AT&T Diamond Club award winner (top 1 percent of sales managers worldwide). He is the author of The Young Professional’s Guide book series and has been featured in Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, and Bloomberg Businessweek. Aaron is a sought-after speaker whose client list includes The Ritz-Carlton, Deloitte Consulting, Wells Fargo, UnitedHealth Group, and many more.

Klaus Wehage is an entrepreneur, start-up advisor, professional speaker, and author. He is commonly referred to as the “Silicon Valley Ambassador,” coaching corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and government leaders. Currently, he holds advisory positions with 3 reputable Asian ministries. Through his former role as the Head of International Relations at Silicon Valley Forum and now as the cofounder and CEO of 10X Innovation Lab, Klaus has trained more than 2,000 business leaders from more than 50 countries. Originally from Denmark, he has lived on 4 continents, speaks 5 languages, and holds degrees from Hult International Business School (MBA) and Copenhagen Business School (Bsc). Klaus is a sought-after speaker and has worked strategically with the top echelon of the Silicon Valley business community, including Google, Salesforce, LinkedIn, IBM, HP, and more.