What leadership capabilities should Matthew Leahy, Global Vice President and General Manager of Greif Inc.’s Asia Pacific region, consider when reorganizing his local leadership team as the multinational corporation transitioned to a new operating model?
What leadership capabilities should Matthew Leahy, Global Vice President and General Manager of Greif Inc.’s Asia Pacific region, consider when reorganizing his local leadership team as the multinational corporation transitioned to a new operating model?
In fall 2025, Matthew Leahy was preparing his return to the United States after two years in Singapore and was considering his leadership succession plan for China’s steel drum business. There were two strong leaders under consideration. One was an experienced operator, based in China, who had delivered strong results. The other candidate, based in Singapore, had a good reputation for building teams and coaching, but had never lived in mainland China or led a business of this scale. To complicate the decision, Greif was in the midst of a major organizational transformation, shifting from a regional operating structure to a global Strategic Business Unit (SBU) model organized around manufacturing technologies.
This case examines strategic decisions related to succession planning during a period of transition, with a focus on the leadership capabilities needed to ensure that a regional market contributes to the company’s long-term growth. It also enables students to explore the challenges of leading regional subsidiaries within multinational corporations, as well as the career development paths that prepare managers for regional leadership roles.
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