Don Southerton
CEO and President, Bridging Culture Worldwide
Asia and the Far East Guru
Don Southerton is an advisor, consultant, strategist, and coach for many of the top Korean-based corporations with global business, along with major western firms that have ventures in Korea.
For example, Southerton focuses on optimizing teamwork, strategic alignment, and communication within organizations globally through cross-cultural training and education. Professional and court witness expertise includes Korean culture and norms, Korean business, Korean education, and most of Korea’s major conglomerates including Samsung, Hyundai-Kia, Hanjin, Hyosung, and LG.
As an author his work focuses on entrepreneurship and the opening of Korea to the West.
Southerton began his fascination with Asian culture in the early 1970s while attending Mansfield University in Pennsylvania. Southerton operated a number of businesses in the 1970s and 1980s, which brought him into daily contact with Asians and their workplace culture. Key among these experiences were:
- From 1983-1991 Southerton instructed students at the United States Military Academy at West Point and was responsible for the training of hundreds of cadets. While at the academy, Southerton interacted with a growing number of Korean American cadets, which included mentoring cadets of Korean heritage. Over the years, he also worked with delegations of Korean cadets visiting the military school.
- In 1987, Southerton was asked to represent the academy in an international goodwill event held in Seoul, Korea.
- Beginning in 1987, Southerton served for a decade as a national consultant and trainer for the Educational Funding Company, a Bethesda, Maryland based firm. Southerton was responsible for conducting regional and national level programs in staff development, commercial lease negotiation, sales, and personal development. Southerton, with his understanding of Korean culture, was asked to work with and train with the Korean American clients of the firm.
- In 2003, Southerton noted the need for bridging the gap between American and Korean employees and management of Korean-based firms operating in the states. This prompted Southerton to launch his current company, Bridging Culture Worldwide, to provide corporate training programs with experience gained from his 30 years of interaction with Koreans at both personal and professional levels.
Today, Bridging Culture Worldwide is globally recognized for providing a wide variety of customized diversity training programs and consulting services to major Korean-based firms operating internationally and Fortune 100 companies with operations in South Korea and Asia.
Bridging Culture clients include: Gale International, Initiative Media, CIEE, LG Electronics America, Hyundai Motor Company Korea, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, Hyundai Motor Finance Company, Hyundai Information Service North America, Kia Motors, Innocean Worldwide, HATCI, MOBIS Parts Korea, and Hyosung, to name but a few.
Bridging Culture under Southerton’s direction, also engages in ongoing research into cross cultural communication and the dynamics of U.S.-Asian commerce. A key resource for this on-going research is an alliance with the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies at the University of California, San Diego and its Korean Pacific Program. Southerton serves as an area specialist for the university.
Southerton and his work has also received media recognition both in the U.S and Korea. In addition, Southerton frequently speaks to Korean and international groups and organizations on Korean business, workplace culture, and entrepreneurship. Moreover, he posts daily observations on trends impacting Korean and Asian business, corporate development, and culture at: http://bridgingculturekorea.blogspot.com and via Everything Korean Podcasts.
He is also editor for Korea Expert Witness, Songdo IBD CityTalk and Resort Monarque 36.5 blogs, the later two, multi-billion Dollar Korean development projects. Southerton is currently an advisor for both ventures.
