This story starts with a car crash. But this is no run-of-the-mill fender-bender. On an otherwise uneventful Missouri evening in 1973, one distinct accident serves as a marker—a signpost of sorts—from which one can trace a chain of events culminating in Al Blumenberg, SCRP, vice president, international services for NEI Global Relocation, Omaha, Nebraska, being elected 2009 president of Worldwide ERC®.
Blumenberg, then a 15 year-old high school student out for a joy-ride in his stepfather’s pickup truck, had an accident. The collision was minor; unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the bill for the damage. Blumenberg’s mother agreed to pay for the damages but insisted on being paid back. Thus, Blumenberg had to get a job, and found gainful employment as a stock boy at a local grocery store.
This particular grocery store would afford Blumenberg the opportunity to witness all the things one encounters in his or her first paying gig. The behind-the-scenes operations, the customer service, the paycheck, and, in this particular case, the girl he was going to marry.
Debbie, a checker at the grocery, thought Blumenberg was obnoxious at first, but he persisted, putting all of his energy into wooing her, and inside of six months they were dating.
Things were wonderful for a time. But, two years later, a strained relationship with his stepfather that only could be described as oil and water led Blumenberg, despite being named senior class president, to drop out of high school to join the Army.
His high school guidance counselor, Nancy Ward, did not receive the news well. “You’ll never amount to anything,” she told him. Taken aback by her bluntness, Blumbenberg vowed to prove her wrong. And he would.
After boot camp, he returned home with the intention of proposing to Debbie. He asked his future father-in-law for his daughter’s hand. Eight weeks prior, he had seen Blumenberg as a long-haired punk kid, but that was no longer an accurate description of the man that now stood before him. This man had changed, and would make for a fine husband. They married in July 1976.
Welcome to Human Resources Sergeant Blumenberg
Everyone has a job in the Army. And in 1976, the Army wanted to know what direction Blumenberg’s career would take. When queried by a superior officer about his vocational interests, Blumenberg blanked. Searching his memory for any help, all he could summon was an image of television character Gomer Pyle or, more specifically, the sergeants’ assistant who was visible shuffling papers during times when Pyle was receiving his latest dressing down.
“That’s what I want to do,” he told the officer; “I can do that.” This moment would provide the preamble to his introduction to personnel and, for the next four years, he served as a personnel sergeant and recruiter.
Looking back, Blumenberg credits the military for tempering an adolescent streak of rebellion and changing his father-in-law’s opinion of him. But it also presented an environment in which he could use his innate skills; he had always had a connection with people—many describe him as like a big brother—and now he could use that quality in the pursuit of a career.
But pursuit of a career has its own challenges in a world full of choice. Opting against re-enlistment, Blumenberg was left with one question: what was he going to do? He began to work a series of odd jobs until a chance encounter would help steer him toward employee relocation.
It was the summer of 1980 and it was hot. For three straight weeks the mercury topped out at 110 degrees. These same three weeks found Blumenberg painting a house that incidentally belonged to a family friend and executive at Anheuser-Busch.
With the job completed, the executive approached him to discuss compensation.
Blumenberg’s father-in-law had offered him a piece of advice when he got married. “As you go through life, you should never tell somebody what you want; you have to prove to them what you can do and then you will be rewarded accordingly.”
Considering this guidance, he told the executive to pay him whatever he thought the job was worth.
The executive paid him the equivalent of twice his old monthly Army salary, and then changed his life forever. “And by the way,” he said, “I have a job open at the brewery if you’re interested.”
The Road to Relocation
Blumenberg began work at the brewery in the August of 1980. He had served as an office assistant for nine months when a job in human resources opened up. His experience in personnel helped him land the job, and he would spend the next 28 years in a variety of HR positions. His first foray into relocation came as a result of supporting the real estate department. He was a compensation analyst responsible for the department’s programs at the time the relocation manager retired, and was given the opportunity to give it a shot. And that is how it all started.
Incidentally, he never forgot his guidance counselor’s challenge; he enrolled in night school less than six months after beginning work at Anheuser-Busch. He earned his bachelor’s degree in 1988 and finished his MBA in 1994. He also became certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR).
While at Anheuser-Busch, he gained experience in domestic and international compensation, 401(k) administration, drug testing, and relocation; implemented and managed an in-house relocation program that supported in excess of 500 global transfers annually; and impacted the development and administration of Anheuser-Busch’s global assignment policy for expatriates and third country nationals.
After spending nearly three decades in corporate America, Blumenberg wanted to see what the other side of the business looked like. He joined NEI Global Relocation as the vice president of international services. He has seen firsthand the difficulties third-party companies can experience, and is confident he can offer solutions.
Throughout his career, he has seen the industry continuously evolve as external realities ebb and flow and, as a result, he says he is less prone to panic over the current financial and housing crises.
In his opinion, it seems like every five to 10 years some sort of dilemma manifests itself that affects the industry in its entirety. The current economy, issues with the sub-prime mortgages, the resulting collapse of the real estate market, and the global credit crunch all loom large for a relocation professional. However, the current scenario has some similarities to what we encountered in the mid-90s, when we dealt with soaring interest rates.
He has seen changes in the focuses of policy, too. Real estate always has been the prime issue in U.S. domestic transfer activity, but addressing family issues has increased in importance.
U.S. organizations have become vastly more family-friendly in their outlook on transfers, and have made common the practice of supporting the employee and family during the settling-in period, adding policy components from a menu of services that mirror the organizations’ realization that great benefit is derived from quickly acclimating their employees to their new surroundings.
Blumenberg has seen change in the transferee, too. There is growing reluctance to accept transfers, and he views this as more than just a byproduct of the stalled housing market. When he first entered relocation, a majority of moves resulted from a promotion, whereas today the majority of moves can be better characterized as a flat transfer.
Blumenberg indicated this change is dangerous for organizations because it can create a loss of trust between the employee and company. While he does not advocate every transfer resulting in a promotion, he says that the employee should receive some assurance that the move will be good for his or her career. The company needs to sell the relocation benefit to the transferee and, in a lot of cases, to the family. He also feels that it is more important than ever for companies to do a good job of deciding to whom and when a relocation opportunity is offered.
This is especially true for international moves, in which Blumenberg will be focused at NEI. He says the international aspect of employee mobility, where the responsibility for the employee and family does not end until the repatriation aspect has been addressed, is a critical area for workforce mobility professionals. Global workforce mobility has maintained growth even in a sluggish economy, and he is looking forward to the role he and others will play in the industry in coming years.
Blumenberg notes that moving today’s families is a far more complex issue than it was even five years ago. It is a different world, and Worldwide ERC® is prepared to meet its needs.
And Speaking of Families
Thirty-three years of marriage and he and Debbie are still going strong. Theirs is the type of relationship marked by the ability to finish each other’s sentences; where a knowing glance can communicate thousands of words. The couple has two children, Benjamin, 31, and Bradley, 26. Benjamin is engaged recently, and the Blumenbergs are now looking forward to adding his fiancé, Emily, to the family this May.
Aside from the support Debbie provides at home, she has a significant responsibility of her own. As co-owner with her sister of a structural steel concrete construction company that lays foundations for commercial and industrial sturctures, Debbie is a knowledgable professional with a strong appreciation for well-run businesses and a deep understanding of Blumenberg’s work.
The Blumenbergs have been active with Lions Clubs International, the world’s largest secular service organization, since 1983. It has more than 44,500 clubs, in excess of 1.4 million members, and has a presence in 202 countries. It is a large part of both their lives because Blumenberg says it affords them the opportunity to give back by helping the less fortunate.
Akin to the culture at Worldwide ERC®, at every level of the organization, Lions Club members epitomize the organization’s motto, “We Serve.” The clubs focus on environmental issues, diabetes awareness, youth outreach, international relations, and other programs that support the communities in which they are located.
One of the strongest themes for Lions Club International is the fight against preventable blindness. This stems from a speech delivered by Helen Keller on June 30, 1925, to attendees of the Lions Club International Convention. Keller, speaking for the then four-year-old American Foundation of the Blind, challenged attendees to foster and sponsor the work of the Foundation.
“Will you not help me hasten the day when there shall be no preventable blindness; no little deaf, blind child untaught; no blind man or woman unaided?” she asked. “I appeal to you Lions, you who have your sight, your hearing, you who are strong and brave and kind. Will you not constitute yourselves Knights of the Blind in this crusade against darkness?
Much of Blumenberg’s work with the Lions echoes this request. The Missouri Lions are involved with screening for Amblyopia. Commonly referred to as “lazy eye,” Amblyopia is a disorder of the visual system characterized by poor vision in an eye that is otherwise physically normal. Their equipment is capable of testing children between 6 months and 6 years old, and can identify an issue to be corrected before it becomes a more severe problem later in life, such as the need for cataract surgery.
Blumenberg said that when you begin to get into charity of this nature, where knowing that the money you helped raise leads to the enrichment of another’s life, it is amazing to understand that you are making a difference.
The Lions Club also has offered this life-long Missourian the opportunity to see and experience many other cultures; he has traveled to Thailand, Ireland, United Kingdom, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Canada, Mexico, and all over the United States. This has given him a chance to pursue his other personal passion as amateur photographer. As someone who loves to take pictures, especially landscapes, his humility is present when he says every once in a while he manages a decent shot.
It is said that Lions Club members are ardent in their development of leadership skills, and they have an extensive program to achieve this end, including an online learning center and numerous leadership institutes. Blumenberg is a great example of this ethos; he was president of the local club by 1990 and also has served as district governor, council chairperson, and state leadership chair.
He just completed a three-year commitment for an international program, “Campaign SightFirst II,” which raised over $200 million for the purpose of eradicating preventable blindness around the world. His leadership skills extend beyond the sphere of the Lions Club. He also became a scout master when his oldest son took an interest in the Boy Scouts and, as a result, both of his boys are Eagle Scouts. He now offers his leadership skills to Worldwide ERC®.
Worldwide ERC®
Blumenberg has two words of advice for those just cutting their teeth on relocation; “Get involved.” His own involvement came by way of his boss at Anheuser-Busch requesting him to attend a Worldwide ERC® conference 12 years ago. What he encountered was a group of professionals who knew what they were talking about and willing to share ideas and experiences. He said that alone was worth the price of admission.
To this day he remains amazed at the openness of the members and their willingness to help solve problems against the backdrop of competition; competitive borders normally do not lend themselves to this type of candidness, especially in the corporate arena. Because you do not have to reinvent the wheel, Blumenberg feels you save an enormous amount of time, energy, and frustration.
There is what he refers to as the “family aspect,” too. He remains awed at the fact that it is like a family reunion each time you see other Worldwide ERC® members, which in many cases is only two or three times a year.
In the fall of 2004, Blumenberg was approached about an opportunity to sit on the Worldwide ERC® board of directors, and attended his first board meeting as an unofficial member in Chicago, Illinois.
He recalled a retiring board member read aloud a letter from the vice president of HR from her company that discussed how much this person had appreciated what Worldwide ERC® had done for the director, how she had grown personally as a result of serving on the board. Sitting taking notes, he realized that the opportunity to sit on the board was both a privilege and learning adventure.
Blumenberg said that it is truly incredible to be selected by your peers to begin taking executive board positions—first as secretary-treasurer, then vice-president, and now president in 2009.
As president, he feels it is critical to listen to all 13,000 members to whom the organization belongs, and hopes to help Worldwide ERC® members understand and appreciate why it is important for them to belong to the association.
Goals
Blumenberg has a number of objectives for 2009, he says, “because these are uncommon times and call for uncommon measures.” The change in leadership, the current economy, and the desire to demonstrate the value of Worldwide ERC® membership have prompted these objectives:
- To champion an effective transition to the association’s new CEO, Lynn Bragg.
- To develop tools and programs to help Worldwide ERC® members through the economic downturn.
- To amalgamate Worldwide ERC® research and offer members a quick, consistent continuing look at major industry statistics online and in MOBILITY.
- To revise funding for the Worldwide ERC® Coalition—Center for Governmental Issues so that all members have a stake in our tax and legal research and safeguarding the industry.
- To conduct a campaign to promote the special knowledge and skills required for cost-effective and efficient workforce mobility, and to recruit additional employer members who will help raise the bar on workforce mobility excellence.
Al Blumenberg has been helping people his entire life. Through his involvement in the Army, the HR profession, the Lions Club, and Worldwide ERC®, he always has had a special connection with people and comfortably fills positions of leadership.
Blumenberg is a personable fellow who loves to chit-chat. He enjoys hearing about other peoples’ lives and cherishes the relationships that he has nurtured throughout his career. As he told MOBILITY in Washington, DC, at the Global Workforce Symposium, “I don’t know everyone, but I’m looking forward to meeting the rest!”
Frank Mauck is managing editor of MOBILITY. He can be reached at +1 703 842 3432 or fmauck@worldwideerc.org.