Inside Our First Club 100 Huddle of 2025

We kicked off the year with our inaugural Club 100 Huddle of 2025, staying true to tradition by starting with a lively icebreaker: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve ever been given? There was no shortage of contenders in the room, but the Expat Academy prize goes to: “You don’t need a work visa!” and “It’s only a job; it doesn’t really matter.”

Enhancing Efficiency Through Technology

Our first session, Using Technology to Make You More Efficient, explored how Global Mobility professionals can harness technology to enhance efficiency. From AI-assisted notetaking and document creation to workflow automation, participants shared their experiences integrating technology into their processes. A common theme emerged: technology should support, not replace, the human element. The session concluded with a key takeaway - automate repetitive, low-value tasks and dedicate human effort to areas requiring judgment and creativity. When used thoughtfully, AI can be a powerful ally.

Learning from Our Members

One of the highlights of the day was hearing from Carla Campbell-Smith of Squarepoint and Lucy Cross at TUI. These members offered a fascinating glimpse into their priorities for 2025, unified by a shared challenge: securing buy-in from the business. Whether focusing on standardisation, centralisation, or compliance tracking, their insights resonated across the room.

Tackling Global Mobility Hot Potatoes

Before lunch, we tackled some GM hot potatoes, showcasing the depth of expertise within our community. Key topics included:

• Tracking business travellers and managing risks associated with their activities abroad.
• Securing senior leadership buy-in to establish a formal Global Mobility function.
• Supporting local-to-local transfers into the US with minimal relocation support.

The discussions underscored the power of collaboration within the Expat Academy community to generate innovative ideas and practical solutions.

Overcoming Roadblocks

Our post-lunch session, What’s Stopping You?, encouraged creative thinking to address Global Mobility challenges. Participants shared top tips, such as:

• Conducting mock audits and creating cheat sheets.
• Hosting employee seminars to raise awareness.
• Leveraging vendor expertise.

Special mention goes to the member who protects their budget by tapping into the company’s travel points pool - a frugal and innovative approach!

Embracing Chaos

Grant Thornton facilitated an engaging session titled Embracing Chaos, where Jo-Anne Allen and Katy Bond shared a brilliant framework for managing the evolving complexity of Global Mobility. Members can access this framework in the Latest Presentations section of the Vault. Discussions focused on bringing structure to chaotic environments and adapting to continuous change.

Debating the Future of Global Mobility

The day ended with a spirited Perspective Playground debate: “The drop in the number of assignments is an existential threat to Global Mobility.” Teams exchanged compelling arguments, with laughter and thought-provoking insights in equal measure. Key reflections included:

• If assignments are decreasing, why are we busier than ever?
• Are we overextending into areas outside our scope?
• How can we formalise processes and ensure immigration compliance?
• How do we measure and communicate our impact to stakeholders?

Final Takeaway

Our key takeaway from the day: “Make sure you evolve and sort the chaos out!”

Acknowledgments

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Grant Thornton for hosting this Club 100 Huddle, with special recognition for Jo-Anne Allen and Katy Bond. We are also deeply grateful to our subject matter experts - Gerson Relocation, Newland Chase, Santa Fe Relocation, and Workia - for their professional guidance and contributions.

Join Us Next Time

We look forward to welcoming you to our next Club 100 Huddle. Don’t miss the chance to connect, learn, and grow with the vibrant Expat Academy community!