GCC expansion: what to get right first

Global capability centres have become the engine room of many multinationals’ operations. But the difference between a GCC that compounds value and one that stalls is decided in the first few months.

Anchor roles before volume roles

The instinct is to hire fast. The discipline is to hire the anchor leadership first — the people who will set standards, build process, and become the cultural spine the volume hires attach to.

Location strategy is talent strategy

Where you set up determines which talent pools you can realistically access. Match the city to the skill profile you need, not the other way round.

Compliance and continuity from day one

Getting employment, tax and data-governance foundations right early avoids expensive retrofits later. Build the guardrails before you scale headcount into them.

A GCC is a long game. The teams that win it are the ones that resist the urge to rush the foundations.