2023 Worldwide ERC® Town Hall – Looking Toward the Future
Dear Friends:
On 2 March, Worldwide ERC® members were invited to attend our Town Hall, where we discussed how the organization is delivering for employee mobility professionals worldwide. Our industry has always been at the forefront of innovative workplace strategies to meet business objectives—both from the perspective of the employer and the employee. Today, our industry is catalyzing the transformation in the workplace like never before, and to do this, you need a strong partner in your professional trade association.
For nearly 60 years, Worldwide ERC has supported employee mobility professionals in the critical role they play in how, where and when work happens around the world. The world of work is constantly evolving, but the last few years have brought some of the most significant change to the workplace that we have seen over those six decades, from remote work to ESG mandates, strained supply chains, inflation and complicated compliance issues.
This change brings challenge, but it also opens the door to opportunity, and this is an exciting time to be in our industry. Only Worldwide ERC brings our industry together as one. We are uniquely positioned to support global mobility professionals by tracking relevant trends, providing the right tools, and building networks of influence and impact that empower a strong response to the ever-evolving needs of our industry.
For nearly 60 years, Worldwide ERC has supported employee mobility professionals in the critical role they play in how, where and when work happens around the world. The world of work is constantly evolving, but the last few years have brought some of the most significant change to the workplace that we have seen over those six decades, from remote work to ESG mandates, strained supply chains, inflation and complicated compliance issues.
This change brings challenge, but it also opens the door to opportunity, and this is an exciting time to be in our industry. Only Worldwide ERC brings our industry together as one. We are uniquely positioned to support global mobility professionals by tracking relevant trends, providing the right tools, and building networks of influence and impact that empower a strong response to the ever-evolving needs of our industry.
Developing Worldwide ERC’s Vision and Strategic Plan
It’s never been more important to rely on each other because none of us can be expected to have all the answers. Your 2023 Worldwide ERC Board of Directors is ready to meet the moment. With members of the board drawing from experiences across the full range of the mobility industry, we are confident that the board is well positioned to provide the leadership and expertise necessary for our members to succeed and our industry to thrive.
Worldwide ERC is looking toward the future. We recently held this year’s board strategic planning session, where we had a productive and engaging discussion to more fully develop Worldwide ERC’s vision, mission and strategic plan. We look forward to sharing additional information and having ongoing dialogue throughout the year.
These conversations are not happening in a vacuum. Even as the board continues to deliberate and plan for the future of our industry, we are eager to gain input and insight from our broader membership. I encourage you to reach out to Worldwide ERC to make your voices heard on how best we can support mobility professionals around the globe.
Membership Engagement Is Key
There will be several opportunities for members to engage this year. We would like to invite you all to take advantage of the many important, volunteer roles Worldwide ERC has to offer. Our volunteers provide invaluable knowledge and expertise and are critical in helping the board advance our strategic agenda.
As a membership association, we also rely on volunteer members to help us advance our strategic priorities. We are currently seeking to recruit subject matters experts to our policy forums, and we are also expanding our advisory councils and other working groups this year. Some of these volunteer opportunities will be by invitation, while others will be open to all interested members.
In particular, we are looking to expand opportunities for young professionals to have a voice by strategically embedding representatives within the other groups. From lending your expertise in our public policy forums to supporting the Foundation for Workforce Mobility, these roles provide our members with the chance to grow their relationships with others in the mobility community, while also supporting our industry through their time and talent.
Four Trends Driving the Industry in 2023
And it is exactly with that global mobility community in mind that we are reaffirming our commitment to our global membership with renewed programming and international events. Expanding our international reach is an important strategic priority this year. This will allow us to advocate more effectively for our existing members in different jurisdictions, while also providing opportunities to engage with a wider network of mobility professionals.
Drawing from the expertise of our new board of directors, our conversations with members, and the insightful discussions at GWS, we have identified the four trends that will drive the mobility industry throughout 2023: costs, compliance, supply chains, and environmental sustainability.
We are working to provide our members with up-to-date information on these and other topics affecting our industry today through curated editorial content on a variety of platforms that delivers the latest on all things mobility. I encourage you to check out Mobility magazine, our Mobility Minute e-newsletter, and our One Take conversations for more information.
We also look to offer our members key industry insights through in-depth research on the issues that matter most to mobility professionals. Our latest research is available on our website, and we encourage you to view the results of our newest report on remote work, “Self-Initiated, Short-Term Transfers: Volume & Cost.”
These tools are supported by a robust public policy advocacy agenda—one that is informed by the contributions of our volunteer-led public policy forums—as well as an ongoing series of events designed to facilitate conversations across our industry and the entire mobility community.
As part of these conversations and the broader push to reaffirm our commitment to our global membership, we are excited to reimagine our events portfolio to deliver innovative, best-in-class experiences both within the United States and throughout the world. Our efforts would not be possible without the work of a capable and agile team comprised of generous volunteers, industry partners around the world, and our dedicated Worldwide ERC professional staff.
Looking to the Future
Through the support of our new partnership with association management firm, Smithbucklin, we have been able to deliver more and better for our members. We have made significant progress on our goals as an organization, and additional details can be found on our most recent annual report available on our website.
As our organization prepares to celebrate our 60th anniversary in 2024, and with our eyes set on the next 60 years, we are excited to work with an extraordinary group of dedicated mobility leaders as we chart a course for the future of our industry.
Lynn Shotwell
Worldwide ERC® President and CEO
Anupam Singhal
Worldwide ERC® Chair