14: Technology and Culture with Jeff de Klein

Jeff is a sinologist and has spent many years working and living
in China. He works as a leader in the world of technology and has
worked in global tech companies and now is CEO /owner of a mid
size tech company.   In 2018 Simon and Jeff presented
together at a conference exploring how new technologies pull us
in two competing directions, towards centralisation and to
decentralisation. Techno utopians led us to believe that the
internet and other technologies would lead to a greater
democratization and egalitarian society, whilst techno-dystopians
claim these new technologies increasingly centralise power and
limit individual freedom.  Jeff discusses these issues and
shares insights on how Chinese culture adapts to these pulls and
compares his experience of how western culture addresses these
issues.

Bio
Prior to becoming Dilaco's CEO in August 2019, Jeff served as a
Senior Director for HP in Asia-Pacific and Greater China, the
company's fastest growing region and one of its largest country
markets. Before joining HP in 2011, Jeff was country director
Greater China for Canon and Oce. He cultivates leadership through
benevolence, righteousness, propriety, learning, and
trustworthiness throughout his work.  Placing prime
importance on inspiring and connecting people to take care of
themselves and encouraging dynamic and positive collaboration
within and across teams. Jeff is also very involved in growing
the understanding between China and the West, comparing chinese
and western societies from a historical perspective of human
consciousness. Here he has a special focus on leadership, based
on the belief that Chinese and Western principles and practice of
leadership are largely complementary, and an understanding of
both is required to be a complete
leader.
Jeff is a trained Analytic-Network Coach and co-wrote a chapter
on Chinese leadership in Global Leadership Perspectives: Insights
and Analysis (Western and Garcia Sage 2018)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffdekleijn/