On 5 November, the Forum for Expatriate Management (FEM) held its second Geneva Chapter Meeting. Once again, we were warmly welcomed at LeBooster Geneva by the French-Swiss Chamber of Commerce (CCI France Suisse), whose venue and outstanding hospitality set the scene for an afternoon of open, practical exchange. The event was made possible by the generous support of our sponsors Valoris, Santa Fe Relocation and WorkFlex.
35 Global Mobility professionals came together to discuss the developments shaping how organisations move and manage their international talent.
Panel 1: Expat packages from a reward perspective
We opened with a panel discussion featuring Suzi Williams and Justin Szwaja, who explored assignment packages through a reward lens. A key point: reward is about far more than money. Flexibility in how packages are designed is just as important as early planning of the compliance elements, which can have a significant impact on the overall cost of an assignment.
The key takeaway: Global Mobility and Reward should align on assignments at an early stage, and that conversation should already cover how an assignment will end and what comes next for the employee.
Panel 2: Short-term work from abroad
In the second session, Coline Duval and Ralf Pawolleck of Valoris took a closer look at short-term work from abroad. Topics included the current status of the EU reform of the A1 certificate, as well as registration and notification requirements in Switzerland and France – areas where many organisations still underestimate their exposure.
Networking apéro
The discussions continued over drinks and snacks during the apéro, where participants reconnected with familiar faces and made new connections across the Geneva mobility community.
Thank you
A big thank you to our speakers and panellists Suzi, Justin, Coline and Ralf, to our hosts at CCI France Suisse, to our sponsors Valoris, Santa Fe Relocation and WorkFlex, and to every participant for their valuable contributions.
Next up: If you’re in Hamburg on 11 November, join us for the FEM Hamburg Chapter Meeting – we look forward to seeing you there!