Preparations for our APAC Global Mobility Summit in Singapore, Thursday 5th September are well underway and as I discuss the details with the experts who will be taking part, the anticipation is building.
In the coming weeks I’ll be highlighting some of the key topics on the 2019 Agenda that we’ll be addressing and we will also share some interviews with the speakers, so keep checking our website for more.
Being able to meet and talk to so many inspiring and knowledgeable leaders and global mobility professionals at our events across the globe is one of the best parts of my job. Finding out from them about their very different challenges and how they deal with them is perpetually fascinating, but I'm very much aware that it is then my job to ensure that this knowledge and best practice is shared with all our attendees.
So, when I begin chairing the day’s discussions at our fabulous new venue, Hotel Fort Canning in Singapore on 5th September it will be the culmination of months of preparation, researching topics and speakers, taking soundings on the latest challenges and catching up on the latest news of work carried out, lessons learned and projects completed.
Award-winning expertise
Previous EMMAs winners are a rich source of expertise, and this year, I am delighted to say that Maggie Zhang of AIG, who was the recipient of our award for her Outstanding Contribution to Global Mobility in APAC 2017 will be speaking at two important sessions.
Since we last heard from her at our Summit in Hong Kong in 2017, Maggie has been further promoted from her previous role as Regional Head of HR, North Asia, MENA and Africa at finance and insurance giant AIG, to International Chief Human Resources Officer, overseeing the function for the company across the globe.
As you may know, from the interview I conducted with her after her award, Maggie grew up in mainland China, was educated in Beijing and began her career in the southern province of Shenzen where she was quickly identified as an individual of high potential.
Maggie credits a subsequent developmental assignment in Singapore as the crucial turning point for her career, and with this in mind, she has worked tirelessly to ensure that others have similar opportunities. When I spoke to Maggie in 2017, she was very much focused on improving diversity and inclusion and had identified four 'types' of talent. Maggie was in the process of creating a new scheme to develop talent within AIG and the APAC region in particular, and so I am thrilled that this year, along with Miqi Zhu, AIG's Talent Management Generalist in the APAC Region, Maggie will be sharing some of the details of AIG's STRIDE program at a Mobility Masterclass.
STRIDE stands for Short-Term Relocation International Development Exchange, and is an international talent development program designed to provide opportunities for High Potential employees to work overseas for international exposure, to benefit from cross-border networking and best practice. AIG has rolled this out across seven regions including APAC, UK, Europe, China, Japan, Latin America and Middle East & Africa and it is yielding great results.
Maggie and Miqi will explain how and why the program was created, share some of the lessons learned and provide inspiration and practical advice for Summit attendees to implement in their own organizations.
Powering the development of talent and technology in mobility
Fortunately, I know Maggie to be something of a powerhouse, because immediately following this Mobility Masterclass, she will also be taking part in a panel discussion about the continuing evolution of technology and its impact on the workplace and global mobility in particular. This is one of the perennial themes that we address at our events, but such is the pace of change that it is important to examine how companies are dealing with the latest challenges - and most importantly - maximising the opportunities that current and future developments in technology present.
I do hope that you will join us in Singapore and find out for yourself how you can power the development of talent and technology within your own organization.
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