Cultural Differences and the Levant with Dr. Hussein Rifai
Dr Hussein Rifai · October 12, 2026
Interview with Dr Hussein Rifai
Podcast: Cultural Differences & Cultural Diversity in International Business
October 12, 2026 · 27 min
Listen to Dr Hussein Rifai on Cultural Differences & Cultural Diversity in International Business.
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About Dr Hussein Rifai
Global Business Leader, Investor & Author of The Chaos Theorem
40+ Years in global business leadership85 Countries worked or conducted business inStanford Supply Chain Management qualificationSPC Turnaround leader
Dr. Hussein Rifai is an Australian entrepreneur, investor, chairman, author and lifelong student of people whose extraordinary journey has taken him across more than 85 countries, multiple industries and some of the most challenging boardrooms in the world.
Born in Nablus and raised in Jordan by a respected judge and an award-winning poet, Hussein grew up at the intersection of discipline and imagination - two influences that would shape a life defined by curiosity, reinvention and a willingness to challenge convention. His career has taken him from engineering and senior roles with global organisations including Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson and Ernst & Young, to entrepreneurship, private equity, investment banking and corporate leadership.
He later founded investment businesses, advised companies and governments internationally, and became widely known in Australia for helping lead the turnaround of SPC, one of the country's oldest and most recognised food companies. His leadership has also placed him at the centre of difficult public conversations, from workplace decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic to going undercover to help expose the exploitation of migrant workers and modern slavery within food supply chains.
But Hussein's story extends far beyond business.
About this episode
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:
Respect everybody; any other culture; don't feel superior, because you're not.
Have an open mind; whatever they're doing, they've been doing it for ages, and show respect for this.
Don't mock it until you try it.
Links mentioned in the podcast:
Website: https://www.husseinrifai.com/
Want to avoid the most common mistakes when working internationally? Read this article.
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