Pirates, Change, and Connection: Navigating the Evolving Global Mobility Landscape in 2024

Who thought we’d be talking about PIRATES in 2024?? And I don’t mean the Pirates from Pittsburgh, whose playoff aspirations were snuffed out with a not-so-hot August.?

I mean actual YO HO HO Pirates.?

But here I was, sitting at the 2024 Fall Conference for NERA (New England Relocation Association) and we were discussing the very real presence of pirates in our world today.? Last year, The Maritime Executive reported that piracy rates are on the rise.? We discussed the impact this can (and has had) on Global Mobility, not only in terms of protecting shipments, but also duty of care for globally mobile talent.?

I’ve been in this industry for over thirty years.? Not one day goes by without learning something new.? I consider myself a lifelong learner, and that’s a good thing because the world is full of change.? Who said, “The only thing constant is change”?? ?Well, the original philosophy is attributed to Heraclitus of Ephesus (c 535 BC - 475 BC), but it was also a key point driven home by Amanda Santamour during the Corporate Panel Discussion on Embedding Global Mobility in Your Organizational Strategy. ? Santamour discussed how critical it is to prepare yourself and your company to navigate constant change.? She talked about creating a solid foundation, a structure that can withstand the volatile environment we live in.? She and the other members of the panel described Global Mobility as being a vital touchpoint for decision makers.? By collecting and sharing data, outlining options, benefits, and risks, the Mobility team becomes a valuable resource for planning business objectives.? One example that Santamour described was with performance management.? What if one of your mobile employees is no longer being successful and termination comes into question?? By involving Mobility in the early stages, the business can make more informed performance management decisions.?

Earlier in the day, at the Supplier Networking session, I had a chance to catch up with Barbara Ebersole from JP Morgan Chase.? Our table was talking about policy trends regarding the new (and still evolving) practices regarding commission splits.? We also touched on interest rates and the impact on the fall market.? It feels like we were just talking about rising interest rates?!? At the Destination Services table discussion, Brenda Levis of NYC Navigator described the challenges for US inbound talent in securing a rental, and how the requirement for a guarantor is beginning to spread to other major markets.? Other tables were set up to discuss tax, shipping, and other industry verticals.? What I felt was fantastic about this session was that this was an opportunity for supplier partners to share stories, successes, and challenges, turning the focus from their own view to the perspectives of the larger community.?

Recently my VP, Sara Miller, attended the Rocky Mountain Relocation Council fall event.? One of the themes of the event was the increasing connectedness between all aspects of our industry.? The self-contained verticals and mantles of secrecy that prevailed in my early career have evolved by necessity into an API driven world of connectedness and information sharing.? Across all regions we are hearing about the growth in participation and engagement at local councils.? It’s a wonderful opportunity to make connections and share war-stories.? Many of us have known each other in other iterations of our past careers.? Keeping those connections alive and growing our engagement with new partners, we build a strong community and an even stronger network to access for our decision making.? ???

With the world ever-changing around us, I’m happy to report that the Global Mobility industry is bucking the trend and becoming more connected, sharing resources, and growing our community.? We still have each other.?

And pirates, we still have pirates.?