How true is it that spoken English is a widespread language in common use in business internationally?

This article is based upon a true story.

"A few months ago I was invited by a large global organization to present our language interpretation solutions to a number of top managers. The company has a presence in 45 countries, with over 180,000 employees and thousands of local sub-contractors.

When I spoke with the head of their Purchasing Dept., she told me that they wouldn't be needing our services because all their employees are required to know English.

However, when I spoke to some of their country managers, they said the opposite. For example: "We badly need your services! Although it's true that our employees theoretically need to know English, when I hire, let's say, a plumber or an electrician, I just make sure that he is competent in what he is supposed to do in his daily tasks, whether or not he is proficient in English..."

So, I think the assumption that all people in a business speak English is an illusion.