From Southern China to Strategic Force: Fiona Lin on Leading with Purpose Across Cultures

Fiona Lin (see her bio below) brings a global lens to leadership, starting with her childhood in southern China and leading to her rise as a business transformation expert in the U.S. As the first guest on the podcast born and raised in China, Fiona shares how growing up without toys or pets (and carving fish with friends in the river) shaped her creativity, resilience, and lifelong love of learning.

We explore Fiona’s evolution from English teacher to COO, her passion for aligning strategy and execution, and why she believes every transformation begins with listening to people first. Whether she’s navigating global supply chains, implementing enterprise systems, or helping a founder scale with purpose, Fiona makes the complex feel human and actionable. You'll hear how she connects the dots between operations, technology, and empathy—and how her concept of the “organizational quarterback” helps bridge the gap between vision and results.

 

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About Fiona: Fiona Lin is a global business transformation leader with a track record of driving growth across FinTech, consumer goods, and manufacturing. Having scaled businesses in the U.S. and China, she excels at simplifying complexity—from product innovation to margin improvement. Known for connecting strategy, operations, and technology, Fiona helps companies grow intentionally while empowering teams through change.