Bernard Alphonso

BERNARD ALPHONSO’s PROFILE

Bernard Alphonso, a French trainer, coach and consultant offers cross-cultural (intercultural) management and communication services to all types of individuals and organizations.

Highlights:

Bernard sets himself apart by having a rare profile with 35 years of global experience:

1. Academic background in International relations. In 1975, he earned a diploma from the Institute for Political Studies in Paris, France, with a concentration on International Relations.
2. A background as a linguist with two diplomas from INALCO Paris, France (National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations), one in the Japanese language and another in the Russian language. Besides, as a hobby he has started discovering by himself a dozen other languages.
3. Extensive international business experience gained first hand in traveling to over thirty countries spanning four continents. Professional experience has been gained in prominent, international groups (LVMH, Lancel) and startups from the private sector. Experience working, training, speaking and consulting in a variety of settings in, and outside, France interacting with people in various business fields (luxury goods, trade, manufacturing, banking, etc.) academic, governmental, international organizations and non-profit settings.
4. Expatriation in five countries: Japan, Hungary, Hong Kong, The Philippines and Cambodia (for the past eight years). Altogether Bernard has lived and worked for 20 years in Asia.
5. Comprehensive study of works by famous researchers in the field of cross-cultural communication (e.g. Edward Hall, Geert & Gert Jan Hofstede, Dean Foster, Richard Lewis, Jeanne Brett, etc.)
Bernard is currently based out of Phnom Penh, Cambodia,

He is intent on making a difference by sharing his knowledge and experience through training, coaching and consulting. He wants to add value not only to individuals but also to organizations/teams operating in multicultural environments.

Background:

Determined to leverage off his extensive intercultural skills with 35 years’ experience working in Europe (Western and Central), USA, Asia, Pacific Rim, and the Middle East, early 2011 Bernard decided to become a full-time cross-cultural trainer/consultant.
Initially Bernard represented (for six months) a Thailand-based cross-cultural training firm in Cambodia. During that period he conducted a cross-cultural survey, interviewing a large number of Western CEOs about the challenges they were facing in their professional interactions with Cambodians.
Since December 2011 he has been offering, under his own banner, OPC, his range of customized, practical cross-cultural communication and management training services.
From 2003 to 2010 Bernard, through ASC, his consultancy firm, offered information security management training, consulting and coaching, providing his services, initially in France, and then in Singapore, Malaysia and eventually in Cambodia in private, public and non-governmental sectors.
From 2000 to 2002 Bernard became fully certified in information security management.
In 1999 Bernard was a business management consultant with Clarins Group in Japan.
Prior to that, he gained entrepreneurial experience in Southeast Asia, mostly Hong Kong and the Philippines (black pearl jewellery sector) and Hungary (telecommunications sector) in Central Europe.
In the 80s Bernard had senior management positions with LVMH in Hong Kong and Japan.

Specialties :

1) Cross-cultural (intercultural) management and communication training/ coaching/ consulting (with either a culture-general or culture-specific orientation).
2) Leveraging cultural differences and similarities in international negotiations (crash courses and workshops specifically designed for business lawyers and international negotiators).
3) Non-verbal communication (as it varies significantly according to cultures).
4) Cross-cultural executive training and coaching (expatriate relocation).
5) Professional and personal development training.

Bernard offers cross-cultural workshops, seminars as well as one-on-one training/coaching sessions (e.g. through Skype).

He also provides consulting services to help professionals improve their effectiveness in a variety of international settings.

He also acts as an International Business Consultant with a focus on Asia.