Oscar & Oliver Brothers was founded in 2002 and faced numerous challenges, including the death of one of its co-founders and the impact of the Russia–Ukraine war. The company had, however, been resilient and had continued to grow during the war. Maria, Oscar, and Andrey, the three current co-owners of Oscar & Oliver Brothers, gathered in January 2024 for their annual strategic planning meeting. Maria was reluctant to pursue a strategy of internationalization due to the failure of a previous attempt the company had made to expand into Poland and because the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war was creating uncertainties in the region. She suggested diversifying and expanding locally instead. Oscar and Andrey advocated a cautious international expansion into Poland and the Czech Republic. Following a long debate, they were unable to reach a consensus and scheduled another meeting for June 2024.

James Han, director of strategy and planning at CHINT Group, needed to select the new country manager for the group's branch in Saudi Arabia. The branch was expected to become CHINT's regional hub for the Middle Eastern market, but the incumbent country manager lacked the necessary leadership skills. Han was considering two candidates: Wendy Sun, the country manager in Turkey, and Jack Ma, the country manager in Egypt. Both branches had achieved outstanding business growth under the leadership of Sun and Ma, respectively. Han needed to evaluate their capabilities and decide who was a better fit for the target market and the local team in Saudi Arabia, while also taking into account the cost of replacing them at their respective branches.

James Han, director of strategy and planning at CHINT Group, needed to select the new country manager for the group's branch in Saudi Arabia. The branch was expected to become CHINT's regional hub for the Middle Eastern market, but the incumbent country manager lacked the necessary leadership skills. Han was considering two candidates: Wendy Sun, the country manager in Turkey, and Jack Ma, the country manager in Egypt. Both branches had achieved outstanding business growth under the leadership of Sun and Ma, respectively. Han needed to evaluate their capabilities and decide who was a better fit for the target market and the local team in Saudi Arabia, while also taking into account the cost of replacing them at their respective branches.