Lost deals. Miscommunication. Team friction. Acquisition failures. The global business landscape bleeds billions annually, not from lack of strategy or capital, but from something far more fundamental: cultural blindness. When a Nordic leadership team struggles to decode Japanese hierarchy, when American directness crashes against Middle Eastern relationship-building protocols, when brilliant professionals from 150 different cultures sit in the same room but operate on entirely different wavelengths/ This is where business ambitions collide with cultural reality.
The cost isn’t just financial. It’s the energy drained from misunderstood intentions, the trust eroded through innocent missteps, the innovation stifled when diverse perspectives can’t find common ground. Most companies recognize the problem too late: after the merger stumbles, after the expatriate assignment fails, after the global project team fractures. They need more than diversity training or surface-level cultural awareness. They need someone who can decode the invisible forces shaping every interaction, every decision, every relationship across borders.
Marit Imeland Gjesme has spent decades becoming exactly that translator. As the founder of CultureCatch®, she transforms how international teams understand, communicate, and collaborate. Her work spans continents and industries, from pharmaceutical giants navigating Japanese acquisitions to leadership teams learning why “good leadership” looks radically different in Oslo than it does in Dubai.
From Coastal Norway to Global Classrooms
Marit’s journey began in a small coastal town in Norway, where a young girl consumed books about geography, history, and cultures with relentless curiosity. That early fascination would shape an unusual academic path: eight years of university study specializing in Asian history and cultures, Middle Eastern studies, Jewish and Islamic history. She envisioned herself as a political broadcasting journalist, correctly anticipating that the Middle East would become increasingly central to competent journalism.
Life had different plans. She emerged instead as a certified psychologist, specializing in learning theories, organizational theory, leadership, and achievement motivation research. “Quite a mix,” she reflects now, “that now has melted into unity over the years of corporate work life, everything coming in handy.”
That unity crystallized during thirteen transformative years as Global Head of Learning & Development at a major pharmaceutical company. Building and leading an internal Academy that served employees from around 150 cultures became her laboratory for understanding how culture shapes everything—from how feedback is given to how decisions are made, from leadership expectations to learning preferences.
Cross-cultural training formed a massive part of her portfolio, and she spent years developing and delivering cultural workshops. Then came the ultimate test: her company was acquired by a Japanese giant. Marit found herself at the epicenter of a global cultural integration effort, conducting more than 50 new team workshops designed both to teach everyone about the cultures involved and to collectively build a new company culture.
That experience made her next move almost inevitable.
The Birth of a Dream
“After years of arranging, designing and conducting training and workshops on intercultural issues, going into depth of the global variety of cultures and how they play out and influence business and work life, the only natural next step was to move on from doing it all inside only one company, to reaching a broader audience I know is in need of support,” Marit explains.
She’d witnessed the hemorrhaging firsthand. “It’s incredible how much energy, constructive communication, cooperation and leadership that is lost in translation due to cultural differences, and how much people end up with lost business or conflicts even when doing their best and having the best of intentions. A cultural translator is necessary, both in daily team life and in big acquisitions!”
On November 1st, 2013, while based in Zurich, Marit founded CultureCatch®. The name came to her in a dream; her subconscious working overtime to capture the essence of what she does. Her logo tells the story: “CultureCatch: capturing the secrets of global agility.”
That mission statement isn’t marketing speak. It’s precision. Marit helps leaders and companies understand, master, and navigate, be culturally agile, with any relevant culture they work with, whether owners, staff, markets, vendors, or partners. From day one, that clarity has never wavered.
The Power of Dedication
Ask Marit for one word that describes her, and she doesn’t hesitate: “Dedication! That’s my word. I go all in whatever I do, and accept no mediocrity or light-hearted, sloppy quality. Real value, deep competence and seriously helpful tools are the only acceptable deliveries for my clients, I do not allow myself any less than that.”
That dedication traces back to a devastating childhood moment, losing her best friend in a car accident when they were both twelve. The fragility of life became undeniable. Marit decided then to live intensely for both of them, to make the most of every day, to always contribute meaningfully.
Professionally, she credits elderly, knowledgeable mentors who saw her potential and invested in her development from her first job to today. The most influential remains her mentor and close friend, Sir Richard D. Lewis, the legendary cross-cultural speaker, author, and creator of the cultural model that forms the foundation of Marit’s work. Now 95, he remains her strongest supporter and most inspiring discussion partner. Together, they’ve conducted numerous training missions worldwide with a range of clients, refining an approach that teams grasp immediately because it works.
Beyond the Nordic Comfort Zone
Building CultureCatch® presented few external hurdles. The biggest obstacles lived inside Marit herself—personality traits common to her Nordic heritage. She loves the work but doesn’t crave the spotlight. Her deliveries, the “product,” should be visible, not her as an influencer. Marketing and sales, actively reaching out to potential clients—these feel fundamentally at odds with who she is.
“My own lack of seeking the limelight, disliking to do marketing and sales nor actively reaching out to potential clients, is probably my biggest hurdle,” she admits with characteristic honesty. “It’s so far from who I am and what I find it worth spending my time on, so I let the clients and assignments come to me, by reputation. That’s actually a bit of a cultural Nordic trait, we are not very comfortable with marketing and selling ourselves! The client and their needs should always be the focal point.”
That approach—letting excellence speak for itself—has worked. Her client list spans most industries and circles the globe.
The CultureCatch® Approach
What exactly does Marit deliver? Consultancy, coaching, teambuilding, training, keynote speeches, integration support, expat preparations, and team mapping—all through the lens of intercultural business and cooperation. But these services manifest as a panorama of tailored programs and projects, customized to the specific cultures involved and the client’s unique needs.
A project might involve mapping and teambuilding for an international leadership team. Or a kickoff for a new global project team. Perhaps a module in a leadership development program differentiating how good leadership manifests across various cultures. Sometimes it’s a workshop unpacking and solving specific cases stealing energy and lowering productivity within a company.
Expat preparations and in-depth coaching on new cultural contexts remain crucial for securing good starts and building trust. And with nearly every team now featuring cultural diversity—even in companies based in a single country—the applications multiply. Planning to acquire a company or expand sales into another culture? Cultural insights and preparations become non-negotiable.
The programs have earned recognition: Best Global Cross-Cultural Business Training Specialist 2021, Best International M&A Integration Consultancy 2022, Best Team Building Company for Culturally Diverse Teams 2023, Business Training Specialist of the Year 23/24, Best Culturally-Diverse Team Building Company 2024, and the Global Excellence Award for Best Cultural Awareness Workshops 2025.
This past spring brought another honor—an invitation to speak at TEDx, presenting her approach on enabling cross-cultural insight and competence. “It’s a message I love spreading,” she says, “and one the world badly needs these days, both in business as well as in our private lives!”
The Work-Life Integration
Ask Marit about work-life balance—that sacred Scandinavian obsession—and she laughs. “Oh, the question I feared coming…. Despite being Scandinavian (and we are globally the most obsessed ones by work-life balance!), I’ve never thought in those terms.”
Her work has always felt like a consuming hobby, a passionate interest rather than something requiring distance. She’s always worked extensively and never grown tired from it. Developing concepts, content, and illustrations; engaging with training groups; standing before audiences large and small; witnessing insights light up in people’s eyes—this is what grounds her.
“I guess I’m really lucky, and take it as a clear sign I’m doing what I am meant to do! And this means I’ve never felt the need even to think in terms of ‘work-life balance.'”
Advice for the Next Generation
For young women navigating leadership and entrepreneurship, Marit emphasizes resilience, stress tolerance, and the wisdom of learning from mentors and role models who’ve paved the way before them. But she recognizes that challenges vary dramatically by cultural context. Working extensively with young female leaders in Middle Eastern Muslim countries, she’s seen super-competent, motivated professionals facing entirely different obstacles than their counterparts in the Nordics, Western Europe, or Asian cultures.
One challenge transcends borders: balancing entrepreneurship and leadership with motherhood. “A day has a fixed amount of hours and often one needs a lot more, and this conflict is probably a timeless one for young female entrepreneurs. You need a solid support system.”
Her broader advice cuts deeper: “Believe in your mission, your dream, your purpose and your passion, and your own strength to fulfil these! Don’t go with the flow, don’t be afraid of standing alone. Be authentic and unique, and remember that your femininity is your superpower, not an obstacle!”
The Road Ahead
Marit’s vision for CultureCatch®’s evolution holds steady. What she does now carries such meaning and delivers such tangible value to diverse teams that her dream centers on reach rather than reinvention. She wants more companies and teams to realize what they can gain from cross-cultural learning and teambuilding.
She’ll continue building their competence and global agility while constantly searching for improvements and innovation in communication methods, tools, and exercises for enhanced learning outcomes.
Why change what works? “I’ve found my niche and treasure chest, so there will be no major transformation of my company and services, since I know there is a severe need for what I can contribute with! I offer stability in where you can find help to make your cross-cultural business a success!”
For any woman breaking normal barriers, Marit believes high integrity and being a truly good role model constitute key responsibilities. She aims to inspire young women, her university students, and young female leaders in their first challenging roles. She wants to demonstrate that following a dream and working as hard as it takes always proves worthwhile—if you want a meaningful life, not just safe existence. She embodies passion for both clients and content, strong work ethics, and always walking the extra mile where she can contribute.
From Oslo, Marit Imeland Gjesme continues her mission: helping global teams transform cultural differences from obstacles into advantages, workshop by workshop. Because when different cultures can finally understand each other, business doesn’t just succeed; it soars.
Quote: “Be authentic and unique, and remember that your femininity is your superpower, not an obstacle!”
• Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maritimelandgjesme/
• Visit Culture Catch: https://www.culture-catch.com/
• Watch her TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9osOUvcktWw
Read more for the latest upcoming Leadership articles at Turning Opportunity into Reality: Why Data and Practical Support Matter When Entering a New Market
