more about Michael Bössler...    Throughout my life I have fostered my natural affinity for languages: I am fluent in four and have a working knowledge of three others. Growing up in a Swiss-German household and attending German school until 4th grade in East Africa made me fluent in my mother tongue as well as Amharic, the national language of Ethiopia.  Attending international schools in Ethiopia and
Kenya and university in the United States provided me with a very solid
background in English. I studied French
and Spanish in school and speak Spanish with friends and colleagues almost
every day. I have always surrounded myself with people from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. My High School class at Rift Valley Academy in Kijabe, Kenya, for example, consisted of 73 students from 60 different countries, many of whom I continue to stay in contact with. Now in my free time I organize and play for a football (soccer) team with participants from Europe, Africa, Central and South America and the US.    During my professional career I have often been chosen to lead or interact with ethnically diverse employees and clients. While working as a Special Projects Manager in Pennsylvania, for instance, I was responsible for a group of workers from Puerto Rico and Ethiopia. My current employer specializes in representing Latin American and Asian companies to Walmart and Sam’s Club. As a business development manager, I routinely communicate with clients and sourcing partners both locally and abroad. Growing up in a multilingual household and living and traveling extensively overseas, gives me the ability to interact effectively with our ethnically and internationally diverse client base.  I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Business / Human Resource Management and have many years of experience screening, interviewing and managing employees in a variety of work environments. Consequently, building rapport and solving differences in personality have become second nature for me. Solving conflicts is also a quality that helps me to be effective with my hobby. Over the past 13 years I have refereed over 5,000 football (soccer) matches, including a number of games at the collegiate and professional levels. I also coach and continue to play the beautiful game.    The conflict resolution skills and the confidence to stay calm in the face of adversity that I have acquired through all of this, have proven to be invaluable both in my personal and professional lives. Football (soccer) in the United States continues to be a sport that is most popular among recent immigrants and foreign residents. I have learned to thrive in this unique and challenging environment created by cultural differences and language barriers. |
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more about Michael... |