As a big baseball fan (Go Red Sox!), one of the most
fascinating aspects of the sport is how international it has
become. Across Major League Baseball, more than a quarter of the
players on big-league rosters were born outside the United States
and this percentage is increasing.
Baseball, the most American of institutions, went global to find
new talent, expand its brand and introduce its business to new
customers. Its international success should serve as a lesson to
any enterprise, old or young. If your business is looking for
growth, going global is the natural next step.
There will be roadblocks. I should know. At one time, I was vice
president of international finance for an American supplier of
telecommunications networking equipment, where I was responsible
for the accounting, tax and finance functions for 30 foreign
subsidiaries. In addition, I spent considerable time helping
support their HR and legal needs. I have the battle scars to prove
that managing a
