What’s ahead for Global Mobility?
Whew — what an energizing week in Salt Lake City! The WERC Global 2025 National Conference reminded me why our community is so special filled with passionate professionals who come together to share ideas, challenge assumptions, and shape the future of global mobility.
For those who couldn’t join us in Salt Lake City, Utah, I wanted to share a few conference highlights… a new word I learned, some interesting statistics and popular topics, and a few takeaways from the session I had the privilege of speaking in.
First, the new word!
Have you heard the Japanese word “Kintsugi”? (It was shared by Sophie Rehberg in her IGNITE presentation.) It’s the art of repairing cracks typically in pottery with gold, creating something even more beautiful for having been broken. I thought about how often “cracks” appear in our own lives in relationships, careers, even in the everyday moments that challenge us. But just like in Kintsugi, most cracks can be repaired… it just takes intention and care.
It reminded me of a story I shared at the end of my book Find Your Lane. My youngest son once drove a golf cart into the back of my uncle’s, completely shattering the plastic wheels on his golf bag cart. My uncle was so kind — he simply bent down and started gathering the tiny broken pieces, saying, “I’ll try to glue it back together.” I remember thinking how impossible that seemed, as there were hundreds of little fragments scattered across the ground. So my son and I went to the store and bought him a new pull cart instead.
Life is like that sometimes. We’re all going to have cracks, moments of failure, mistakes, disappointments. But each one represents a part of our story. The goal is to keep learning, keep repairing, and keep moving forward, because that’s how we grow stronger and more resilient, just like Kintsugi.
WERC Global 25 Conference Update…
We had 1,400 mobility professionals representing 34 countries at WERC Global 25 in SLC! Here are a few takeaways…
Industry Landscape: Navigating a VUCA World
The mobility industry continues to evolve within a VUCA environment marked by:
Volatility: Economic instability and fluctuating interest rates
Uncertainty: Rapid technological innovation and AI adoption
Complexity: The ongoing rise of remote and hybrid work models
Ambiguity: Shifting workforce expectations and cultural behaviors
Mobility by the Numbers
25.6 Million Total Moves / 5.4M Corporate Relocations (3.2M for new jobs)
Top Drivers of Employee Mobility
Intra-company talent and skills transfer
Executive leadership development and Internal skills gap
Talent retention and early-career onboarding
Business expansion or downsizing initiatives
Internship programs and new market launches
Key Conference Themes & Insights
Strategic Focus
Unlocking Mobility ROI by using benchmarking to drive strategy
Leveraging AI for agility and innovation
Understanding real estate trends that reshape relocation decisions
Staying ahead of evolving immigration, tax, and compliance considerations
Talent & Leadership
Mastering influence and earning executive buy-in (this was my session:)
Developing early-career talent and bridging global skills gaps
Building a better mobility function through transformation and integration
Innovation & Partnerships
Breaking silos between Mobility, HR, Talent, and Travel teams
Reimagining RFPs for stronger, more strategic partnerships
And lastly, my session spotlight:
So honored to present Mastering Influence: 5 Strategies to Get More Buy-In from Leadership at WERC Global 25 to both HR and Mobility professionals.
A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who joined me for my session, “Mastering Influence: 5 Strategies to Get More Buy-In from Leadership.”
Influence is so important in the workplace. Building trust, defining the right problems, and building a strong business case is just part of the process. In my session, we discussed 5 ways to create more influence using these topics as the foundation. It was energizing and inspiring to see such strong engagement. I’m deeply grateful for the feedback shared after the session — comments like:
“My favorite session of the conference — I learned so much!”
I just love how you engage everyone to feel part of the meeting.”
“The biggest takeaway was the power of words. I’m going to start using phrases like ‘investment’ in my business cases.”
“Loved the business case examples — my team was taking pictures of all your slides!”
“I really liked how you used your podcast videos to support your points… it kept it entertaining.”
“One of the best sessions I’ve ever attended at this conference.”
“This was the best session of the conference — so many takeaways!”
Knowing that participants walked away with actionable strategies, a new language for influence, and some practical tools to grow their leadership influence made it a success!
Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who joined me!
And if you’d like to bring this presentation — or a customized version to your next company event or conference – or even a lunch ‘n learn, reach out! I’d enjoy continuing the conversation.
Final Reflections
As I reflect, I think about how the future of mobility is strategic, tech-enabled, and people-centered. Your success ahead will be determined by how you effectively integrate technology while balancing the human connection in mobility, all while staying agile in an unpredictable world.
If you’d like to take a deeper dive into these topics, let’s connect… it just might accelerate your mobility program.
My favorite quote(s) of the week at WERC in SLC:
"We need you to show us better ways or options to be more effective in our business. -Nidia Knight
“You have to speak the business to be in the business.” Jason Munoz
“If your life was a book, and you were the author, how would you want your story to go?” Amy Purdy
“You never know when your greatest fear will turn into your greatest gift.” Amy Purdy
“WERC is the global community for talent mobility.” Anupam Singhal
“When you’re working your upward mobility, you need to be consistent, so people recognize who you are to have influence.” CJ
What was your favorite? A quote? An industry update? Or is it time for Kintsugi? I would enjoy hearing from you… and if you are looking for a relocation partner, lets connect!
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