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Pol Herrmann is the Bob and Kay Smith Professor of Entrepreneurship in the Department of Management at the Ivy College of Business at Iowa State University (ISU). Pol has a Civil Engineering Degree from the Polytechnic National School in Quito, Ecuador; a Master's degree in Engineering Management from Southern Management University in Dallas, Texas; and a Ph.D. degree in Strategic Management and International Business from the University of Kansas. In 20 years at ISU, he has mainly taught International Management and Strategic Management of Innovation. His research focuses on strategic leadership and innovation.

International entrepreneurs face substantial challenges due to the physical and psychic distance they face in global markets, in which they confront dynamic environments, intense competition, and different local systems. Besides leadership and passion, foreign entrepreneurs need to articulate a rationale for internationalization, compete with large firms, create complex supply chains, and manage global organizations.

Pol Hermann's international experience illustrates a path from working in Ecuador to teaching in the U.S.A. In his research, he has studied the characteristics of top managers and entrepreneurs that lead to firms' internationalization, strategic flexibility, strategic change, and innovation.

For more information on the Foreign Relations Council visit their website at www.icfrc.org.