Global & Cross-Cultural Leadership
Sarah Butler
I build and lead high-performing teams across regions, time zones, and organizational boundaries to deliver complex cross-cultural programs.
20+ years translating long-range strategy into executed outcomes across North America, Europe, Australia, and India. From new product development to platform ecosystems to large-scale transformation—I navigate the grey so teams can move forward with clarity.
Core Expertise
Where complexity meets clarity
I specialize in the spaces where strategy meets execution across regions—turning distributed complexity into coordinated delivery.
Multi-Region Program Delivery
Orchestrating complex initiatives across North America, Europe, Australia, and India—aligning distributed teams, navigating regulatory landscapes, and delivering cohesive outcomes regardless of geography.
Cross-Cultural Team Leadership
Building and leading high-performing teams that span cultures and continents. Creating frameworks that honor local context while maintaining global alignment and delivery momentum.
New Product Development
End-to-end program leadership for NPD initiatives—from concept through launch across multiple markets. Balancing innovation velocity with operational readiness and market-specific requirements.
Platform & Ecosystem Programs
Designing and delivering platform strategies that unify fragmented systems and stakeholders. Creating integrated ecosystems that scale across business units and geographies.
Transformation & Change Leadership
Guiding organizations through large-scale transformation while maintaining delivery momentum. Translating complex changes into clear narratives that drive adoption.
PMO Design & Governance
Establishing program management methodologies, governance structures, and reporting frameworks appropriate to organizational maturity—creating clarity without bureaucracy.
Operating Philosophy
How I approach complex programs
After two decades leading programs across regions, I've developed a consistent approach to navigating global complexity. These principles guide every engagement.
The common thread
"I absorb complexity so stakeholders can focus on decisions, not details. My role is to create alignment where ambiguity existed."
Navigator of the Grey
Global programs rarely offer clear answers. I thrive in ambiguity—finding paths forward when requirements conflict, timelines compress, and stakeholders disagree. My role is to create clarity where none existed.
Cultural Bridge
I've lived and worked across four continents. Every cross-cultural team develops its own organizational culture—shaped by the people, regions, and contexts involved. I surface these dynamics through careful engagement and respectful interaction, creating shared understanding where assumptions once lived.
Delivery-Focused
Strategy means nothing without execution. I measure success by what ships, what scales, and what gets adopted—not by plans produced or meetings held. Outcomes over artifacts.
Selected Work
Case studies in global complexity
Representative engagements demonstrating how cross-cultural leadership and program discipline translate into delivered outcomes.
Early-Stage Ventures
Rapid Prototyping & Growth Leadership
Deep startup experience across multiple ventures—from serving as CMO driving growth strategy for a consumer platform, to rapidly designing and prototyping applications for ride sharing, back-office services, and micro-messaging for celebrity influencer audiences. Not all ventures succeeded commercially, but each sharpened judgment about what works, what doesn't, and how to build from zero with limited resources.
Public Sector Transformation
Statewide System Modernization
Led engagement and change strategy for a $110M transformation initiative modernizing a 30-year legacy eligibility system across multiple government agencies. Designed a cross-cultural OCM strategy tailored to Hawaiʻi's uniquely multicultural environment—incorporating Native Hawaiian perspectives, Asian and Pacific Islander communities, and Western enterprise stakeholders.
Platform Ecosystem — Australia
Category-Defining Prop-Tech Platform
Designed and delivered a prop-tech platform structured as a startup within an operating business. Coordinated an ecosystem of integrated platforms supporting commercial property owners, hospitality booking associations, and management-rights operators across Australia.
Healthcare Systems — North America
Multi-Specialty Health System Portfolio
Directed a portfolio of enterprise initiatives across a multi-specialty health system, establishing governance models and delivery cadences to coordinate work across 15+ locations and multiple service lines. Led cross-functional teams through periods of change while maintaining delivery momentum.
Global Team Leadership
Distributed Engineering & Success Teams
Former Global Director with responsibility for customer success, engineering, and marketing teams spanning Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and India. Built onsite and offshore delivery models that maintained quality and velocity across time zones.
Additional case studies available upon request
Background
Two decades across four continents
My career spans the full spectrum—from early-stage ventures building from zero to global enterprise transformation. Whether leading distributed teams, navigating cultural complexity, or delivering programs that span geographies, I operate effectively wherever strategy meets execution.
Education
BA Public Relations
Minor: Political Science
Western Michigan University
Community Engagement
Board Member
Community Housing & Youth Services (Australia)
Board Member
Neighborhood Housing Services (USA)
Career Timeline
2023 – Present
Director, Marketing & Patient Experience
Multi-specialty health system
Leading systemwide portfolio of enterprise initiatives across marketing, operations, clinical leadership, and technology.
2006 – 2023
Founder & Global Program Strategy Lead
International consultancy
Built and led a consultancy delivering complex, multi-year programs across healthcare, property, hospitality, and platform-based businesses spanning the US, Europe, and Australia.
2018 – 2020
Communications & Engagement Lead
Public sector healthcare
Led engagement and change strategy for statewide system modernization impacting healthcare delivery across multiple agencies.
Contact
Let's discuss your challenge
Whether you're navigating a complex global initiative, building distributed teams, or need strategic guidance on multi-region delivery—I'd welcome the conversation.
Typical engagements include
- Global program leadership
- Cross-cultural team building
- Transformation & change strategy
- NPD program management