205 Cultural Differences and the Levant with Dr. Hussein Rifai

Cultural Differences and the Levant with Dr. Hussein Rifai

Dr. Hussein Rifai is an Australian entrepreneur, investor, chairman, author, and lifelong student of people. His remarkable journey has taken him across more than 85 countries, multiple industries and some of the most demanding boardrooms in the world. Along the way, his experiences have given him a deep appreciation for Cultural Differences and the Levant, as well as the broader forces that shape how people think, communicate and do business.

Born in Nablus and raised in Jordan, Hussein grew up in a family where discipline and imagination existed side by side. His father was a respected judge, while his mother was an award-winning poet. This combination of structure, intellectual curiosity and creativity had a lasting influence on Hussein and helped shape his willingness to question assumptions and look at challenges from different perspectives.

His professional career began in engineering before developing into senior roles with global organisations including Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson and Ernst & Young. He subsequently moved into entrepreneurship, private equity, investment banking and corporate leadership, building experience across very different business environments and cultures.

For Hussein, Cultural Differences and the Levant are not simply academic concepts. His background and international career have provided him with first-hand experience of how history, family, education, social expectations and regional traditions influence business relationships and leadership.

His travels across more than 85 countries have reinforced his belief that successful international business requires more than technical expertise. Understanding people, their motivations, and their cultural context is equally important. His perspective on Cultural Differences and the Levant is therefore shaped by both personal heritage and decades of international professional experience.

Today, Hussein continues to combine entrepreneurship, investment, writing and corporate leadership. His work reflects a continuing interest in people and the cultural forces that influence organisations, markets and relationships. Through his experience, he offers a practical perspective on Cultural Differences and the Levant, while placing the region within the much larger context of global business and intercultural understanding. Ultimately, Cultural Differences and the Levant remain an important part of understanding Hussein’s journey and the perspective he brings to the international business world.

His tips for becoming more culturally competent are:

1. Respect everybody; any other culture; don’t feel superior, because you’re not.
2. Have an open mind; whatever they’re doing, they’ve been doing it for ages, and show respect for this.
3. Don’t mock it until you try it.

Links mentioned in the podcast:

1. Website: https://www.husseinrifai.com/

Want to avoid the most common mistakes when working internationally? Read this article.

More stories and culture can be found here.

Culture Matters

The Culture Matters Podcast on International Business & Management Podcast

Build your Cultural Competence, listen to interesting stories, learn about the cultural pitfalls and how to avoid them, and get the Global perspective here at the Culture Matters podcast on International Business.

We help you understand Cultural Diversity better by interviewing real people with real experiences.

Every episode there is an interview with a prominent guest, who will tell his or her story and share international experiences. Helping you develop your cultural competence. Welcome to this culture podcast and management podcast.

To Subscribe to this Management Podcast, Click here.
The Culture Matters Culture Podcast. Available on iTunes and Stitcher Radio
Click here to get the podcast on Spotify
Talk to your Amazon Alexa and listen to the Podcast
Listen directly on Amazon

If you have a minute, please leave me an honest rating and review on iTunes by clicking here. It will help the visibility and the ranking of this culture podcast on iTunes immensely! A BIG THANK YOU!

Enjoy this FREE culture podcast!

Music: Song title - Bensound.com

More Ways of Listening: