Author: Cathy Heyne

In 2021 I hosted a panel exploring the expat experience. One of the female panelists shared something that has stayed with me ever since. Her family was on assignment in Nigeria when her husband received a transfer order to Portugal. She was pregnant. They had young children. The company approved the move. What nobody had […] Continue reading… from The Unspoken Duty of Care Gap

When Maya’s manager asked her to lead the company’s new Singapore office, her first reaction was excitement. Her second was pure panic. She was a single mother of two and had never even been to Asia. She had a million questions and no idea where to start. That night she did what many of us […] Continue reading… from Maya’s Journey—Uncertainty To Belonging

There’s a policy document sitting somewhere in your shared drive. It was probably last updated when a “global assignment” meant one thing: a high-potential employee, a generous package, and a two-to-three-year stint abroad. That world hasn’t gone away, but it’s no longer the whole story. Today’s relocations look a lot different. Short-term rotations. Project-based deployments. […] Continue reading… from Your Mobility Policy Was Built for a World That No Longer Exists

Preparation As a Strategy Most global mobility programs are incredibly good at moving people.You manage tax, immigration, policy, vendors, housing, timelines, and logistics with precision. The process is usually well built. The machine runs. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: moving someone and preparing someone are not the same thing. We assume that if the paperwork […] Continue reading… from Are they truly ready?

As 2025 winds down, I find myself doing what I always do this time of year—looking back at what worked, what didn’t, and what I want to carry forward into the new year. In the international relocation industry, we spend so much time helping other people transition that sometimes we forget to pause and reflect […] Continue reading… from Saying Goodbye to 2025 – What’s Next?

Anyone working in global mobility this year knows the truth: 2025 was tough. Teams were stretched thin, employees were overwhelmed, budgets were tight, and nothing seemed to stay stable for more than a week at a time. Every conversation I had with mobility leaders carried that same mix of exhaustion and determination. But in the middle […] Continue reading… from Re-Humanizing Global Mobility: Lessons From a Crazy Year

How to Get Your Global Mobility Team a Seat at the Strategic Table After attending three major global mobility conferences recently—FEM APAC, FEM EMEA, and WERC Global—one theme dominated every conversation: mobility professionals want out of the operational weeds and into strategic discussions. Here’s how the best teams are making it happen: You’re managing one […] Continue reading… from The Table’s Waiting

A couple of weeks ago, Living Abroad and KPMG hosted a panel discussion for the Forum for Expatriate Management’s NYC Chapter on protecting your workforce worldwide. The session brought together two corporate panelists and a representative from International SOS. One comment really resonated: “It’s always good to plan ahead.” Duty of Care is a company’s […] Continue reading… from Planning Ahead – When Duty of Care Makes all the Difference