Dr. Stephanie A. Burns, Chairman, President and CEO Dow Corning Corporation, Midland, Michigan, believes that global business presents unique risks that many inward-looking U.S. companies fail to comprehend. These risks range from intellectual property protection to managing a culturally diverse workforce. “There are a lot of unknowns … around the geopolitical environment, the regulatory approval environment, as well as the economic outlook,” she says. When it comes to an M&A strategy, Dr. Burns says cultural fit of employees is “absolutely key.”