Roundtable 1:

Sending People to Switzerland – Aspects on Immigration, Tax & Social Security

Sending People to Switzerland – in addition to practical issues (such as finding the right school and suitable accommodation), a number of legal questions also arise in connection with assignments. As the leading global mobility experts in Switzerland, we would like to discuss the legal aspects with you. This includes residence and work permits, taxation, social security liability and insurance cover, employment contracts and labour law, implementation in payroll as well as the necessity of guidelines / policies.

Hosted by:

Norma Reynov, Senior Global Mobility Consultant, Convinus

Thomas Asemota, MLaw Senior Manager, Business Immigration Convinus

Roundtable 2:

Tiny Tweaks, Big Leaps: Transform Your Mobility Programme with Small Changes

During this session, we will share real life examples of some of the small changes mobility professionals around the world have made and the impact they have made on their mobility programme. It will be an opportunity to critically review your mobility programme and explore if any of these micro adjustments can give you a major gain in your programme. It will cover assignee and engagement and satisfaction, cost control and constraints and programme efficiency amongst other great examples of how mobility colleagues around the world have made significant improvements with relatively small adjustments to their programmes.

Hosted by:

Sam Slater, Manager, Global Mobility, Weber Shandwick

Miriam van Kempen, Sales Director, Heart Relocation

Roundtable 3:

Crisis Management: How Ready Are You?

HR professionals may feel like they have been living in a state of “permacrisis” for many years, impacted by Brexit, Covid-19 or, in recent times; geopolitical conflict. Find out what employers can do to assist their global employees in crisis situations and gain an insight into what Fragomen does to keep clients informed and prepared. The session will compare Fragomen’s approaches to different crises, using some of the - unfortunately many - recent examples.

Hosted by:
Andrew Barnett, Senior Manager, London, Fragomen

Roundtable 4:

Building a Graduate Program

Join us for an essential roundtable discussion on structuring a competitive graduate relocation program. This session will delve into key considerations and best practices to support organizations in facilitating smooth, cost-effective transitions for entry-level hires. Gain valuable insights and strategies to meet your company's recruitment and talent management goals, and help you build a strong pipeline of critical talent.

Hosted by:

Katy Salter, Customer Experience Director, Weichert Workforce Mobility

Roundtable 5:

The Unique Saudi Marketplace and Everything You Need to Know About Relocation

As Saudi Arabia emerges as a leading relocation destination, it brings immense potential—and complexity—for HR business partners and mobility teams. With processes and regulations evolving at a rapid pace, staying well-informed is no longer optional—it’s essential. This roundtable will provide a comprehensive look at the latest developments in the Saudi relocation, immigration and business set-up market, from regulatory shifts to cultural nuances that require close attention.

In this session, you’ll gain:

• Practical insights into the most recent trends impacting relocations to Saudi Arabia.

• An understanding of key local challenges and how to address them effectively.

• Strategies to enhance your internal mobility policies by leveraging local expertise.

• Actionable steps to align your team’s relocation practices with the fast-changing market.

Whether you are just beginning to expand into the region or are looking to refine your existing mobility strategies, this discussion will equip you with the knowledge to stay ahead and ensure smooth, successful relocations.

Hosted by:

Aideen Hopkins, Operations Director & Co Owner, EER Middle East

Janice Trinidad, Head of Relocation, EER Middle East

Roundtable 6:

Why Are So Many Corporates Once Again Looking at the GEC to Solve Their Mobility Challenges?

A unique opportunity to meet The World’s Leading GEC specialist ITX. Discover why so many international companies Global Mobility practices can be dramatically transformed with a GEC. This session has it all, from a basic intro, including the big question, the difference between the GEC and the EOR, through to more technical explanation about the virtues of the GEC, the steps to feasibility and how to know if one will work for your company.

Hosted by:

Mario Ferraro Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, ITX

Simon Davies Director Client Strategy – Global Mobility, ITX

Roundtable 7:

Establishing a Global Mobility Programme for the First time – Processes and Policies for Your First Assignments and Onwards

We will discuss and share practical experiences of establishing a new global mobility programme and related practices and procedures for the first time. This will include key points to note, management of business stakeholders and assignees and laying strong foundations for future assignments.

Hosted by:
Gavin Phillips, Tax Director, RSM UK

Roundtable 8:

Enabling 'Temporary Work from Abroad' - From Policy and Process Up to and Including A1 and PWD

During this roundtable, we will discuss the biggest global mobility trend of today: temporary work from abroad. What should a policy look like? Where does the responsibility of the employer (and global mobility) start and end? Do you require A1s, PWDs and/or insurance? And how does technology help you manage the process and the workload? Join us for an interactive session to jointly share best practises and challenges!

Hosted by:

Pieter Manden, Co-founder, WorkFlex

Roundtable 9:

Overcoming Barriers to a Strong Business Traveller Program

Join us for a dynamic roundtable where we tackle the key challenges of building a resilient business traveller program. From compliance hurdles to cost constraints, we’ll explore practical solutions and share insights on how to overcome obstacles and drive program success. Connect with peers, exchange ideas, and leave with actionable strategies to strengthen your organization’s approach to business travel.

Hosted by:

Jenny Aird, Global Client Success Director, Equus Software

Scott Turner, VP Product Marketing, Equus Software

Roundtable 10:

Saudi Arabia and GCC: The Mega Projects, the Opportunities, and Challenges in Mobilizing Talent

In this session, we will explore the immense opportunities presented by the mega projects across Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC region. These transformative developments are creating vast potential for businesses and industries, driving economic growth and innovation. However, with this growth comes significant challenges in mobilizing and retaining skilled talent. This discussion aims to uncover strategies for effectively tapping into the talent pool while ensuring sustainable growth in the region.

Hosted by:

Murtaza Shah, Partner, Northman & Sterling

Kate Prince, Immigration Consultant, Northman & Sterling

Roundtable 11:

Understanding the Pressures and Challenges in Global Mobility

This roundtable session will follow on these themes to enable delegates to share the opportunities to enhance their GM programme and their own contributions, using the GM framework described above. No one size fits all and we will explore the maturity of GM programmes in the varied sectors and encourage participants to describe what great looks like and how they have achieved this. • It will be a great session to conduct a self-health check on the GM Programme as we rapidly move towards 2025 and beyond. • We will capture the key experience learnings and summarise them as a key take away.

Hosted by:

John Rason, Head of Consulting, Santa Fe Relocation

Julia Palmer, Chief Operating Officer, Relocation and Chief People Officer, Santa Fe Relocation

Roundtable 12:

International Remote Working: How Do You Design a Remote Work Programme That Supports Employee Flexibility But Removes the Pain Points?

We will explore how and why organisations support employee flexibility to work internationally and address the practical challenges of managing an international remote work programme including:

• How long can employees work overseas?

• Where is the balance between compliance and reality?

• How is international remote work affected by return to the office initiatives?

• How can you reduce the time your team spends managing international remote work requests?

• How do you monitor employee adherence to the policy?

• How do you measure if the policy is meeting its strategic objectives?

Hosted by:

Louise Nicholls, Senior Manager, Vialto Partners

Sean Baker, Senior Associate, Vialto Partners

Roundtable 13

The Powerful Impact of Family Services in Global Mobility: How Small Investments Drive Retention, Engagement, and Well-being

79% of HR and mobility professionals believe job relocation failure can be strongly correlated with failure to address relocation challenges such as loneliness, anxiety and difficulties settling in. This is not just attributed to the assignee, but also impacts on accompanying family members, including children. Family reasons are consistently cited as the top 3 reasons for assignment failure, and yet many organisations do not have robust policies in place to support the assignee and their family through the relocation process, and it is sometimes overlooked as “nice to have” rather than business critical.

One of the key business priorities for our clients is maintaining high levels of employee engagement and productivity during international assignments. When families, especially children, struggle with the relocation process, it can lead to significant stress for the employee, often resulting in reduced job performance or even early assignment termination By dedicating modest resources to family and child well-being during relocations, companies can achieve significant improvements in employee retention, engagement, and overall well-being. Programs like the Children’s Transition Program demonstrate how a focused, relatively small investment in supporting families yields substantial returns in assignment success, reduced early repatriations, and increased employee productivity. This not only helps individuals but also aligns directly with broader business goals, creating a win-win scenario. For example, one multinational client reported a 20% reduction in early repatriations after implementing our program, directly saving millions in potential costs associated with failed assignments.

In our Roundtable we will address the growing challenges and demands of family wellbeing, and discuss how small modifications in your existing policies can have a huge impact on the assignee and family experience, and demonstrate the ROI of effective employee and family support.

Hosted by:

Lucy Foster Global Career/Transition Coach & Global Account Manager, IMPACT Group

Tracy Kautzmann, Director, Global Client Relations, IMPACT Group