By
Matthew Hearfield
August 14, 2025
Updated
August 14, 2025
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When aerospace leader Fergus Lopez set up a new operation in Malaysia, he made one bold decision: staff it entirely with local talent. In this episode, Fergus reveals how he built a high performing team in a country where some technicians had never even flown before, and how he bridged cultural gaps without compromising on safety, quality, or global excellence. From teaching “airport culture” to embedding respect and empowerment into everyday work, Fergus shares the practical leadership lessons any STEM professional can apply to build trust, adapt to new environments, and achieve world class results.
Listen to the full episode below:
Trust Is the Foundation of Global Talent Strategy
When establishing APS’s Asia-Pacific headquarters in Malaysia, Fergus Lopez and his team made a deliberate decision: hire and train a fully local workforce from day one. This was not a cost-driven move or a compliance measure, it was a strategic act of trust. By placing confidence in the abilities of local talent, the company committed to building a foundation rooted in long-term investment and sustainable growth.
This approach challenges the common belief that leadership must be imported. Instead, it shows that when local employees are trusted and supported, they can build and lead high-performing teams that reflect both global standards and regional authenticity.
Training Must Include Cultural Intelligence
As Fergus prepared his newly hired Malaysian team for overseas training, he encountered a challenge that had little to do with technical skills: cultural readiness. Some of the team members had never traveled internationally, let alone worked in a foreign corporate setting. Their first hurdle wasn’t mastering aerospace systems, it was navigating airports, adapting to a new culture, and adjusting to a completely different work environment.
To support them, the team implemented cultural orientation sessions and role-playing exercises to help the employees feel confident before stepping onto the global stage. This holistic approach to training ensured not just technical success, but personal and cultural resilience, resulting in stronger team dynamics and better collaboration.
Empowerment Drives Ownership and Performance
Hiring talent is one thing; empowering them is another. Fergus didn’t just train his Malaysian team—he gave them real authority and responsibility. After their training in the U.S. and Brazil, these employees returned not just as implementers but as leaders, helping to establish the company’s operational culture and training the next wave of recruits.
This model fosters a sense of ownership, accountability, and pride. Rather than micromanaging from afar or relying on expats, Fergus built a leadership pipeline rooted in local talent. Empowerment turned trainees into mentors, technicians into leaders, and a regional office into a hub of innovation.
Adapting Global Practices to Local Contexts Is Key
Global companies often try to transplant their processes wholesale into new markets. Fergus took a different approach. While technical standards remained consistent, the methods of communication, team management, and cultural expectations were localized to reflect the Malaysian context.
This adaptability helped build stronger engagement with the team and avoided the friction that often arises when foreign management styles are imposed without sensitivity. By co-creating local practices that worked within the global framework, the team achieved both compliance and connection, delivering high performance without cultural dissonance.
Adapting Global Practices to Local Contexts Is Key
Fergus doesn’t see Malaysia as a secondary office or back-end support center—it’s a launchpad for global excellence. The team there operates to the same rigorous standards as aerospace hubs in the U.S. or Europe, but with local talent driving the outcomes. This model redefines what leadership looks like in global industries.
Rather than depending on legacy power centers, this approach positions emerging markets like Malaysia as equal players in the future of aerospace. By investing in people, infrastructure, and cultural alignment, the company has built a center of excellence that’s both locally grounded and globally competitive.
Key takeaways
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Building high-performing teams starts with trusting local talent to lead and deliver at a global standard.
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Preparing employees for global roles requires more than technical skills—it demands cultural awareness and personal readiness.
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Empowered employees take greater ownership, evolve into leaders, and create a culture of accountability.
- Success in new markets depends on customizing systems and leadership styles to fit local cultural norms.
- With the right strategy, Malaysia can be more than a regional base—it can be a world-class center of innovation and leadership.
Article and quotes have been edited for brevity and clarity.
