Global Workforce Symposium

Karen Cygal is Senior Vice President, Product Strategy and Development for Worldwide ERC®. She has over 20-years in the industry as a mobility leader whose expertise includes consulting, product and business development, data and analytics. Prior to joining Worldwide ERC® she was with Mercer, where in her most recent position as Global Product Leader for Talent Mobility, she led all mobility data product groups. In this capacity, she also chaired the overall mobility practice, which included technology and product development. Earlier positions in the company grew her experience in tax and economic research and mobility consulting. Before Mercer, Karen held positions with ORC Worldwide as Senior Consultant and Director of Economic Research. Karen holds a Master of Arts in Economics from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematical Economics and Political Science from St. Peter's University.

Ed Hannibal is an advisor and leader of mobility and talent transformation projects around the globe, with two decades of experience. Ed consults with clients on international pay practices as well as international HR issues. He led the global mobility compensation business for a large HR consultancy.

Ed has worked with clients in over 13 countries and in many industries including: Automotive, Financial Services, High Tech, Pharma, Consumer Goods, Professional Services, and Engineering and Construction. He has spoken at many industry forums, and is quoted frequently in the media on global human resource issues.

Ed holds a Master of Science in Industrial Relations in Global HR Management; a Bachelor of Economics and the Worldwide ERC® Global Mobility Specialist designation.

Lynn Shotwell is President and CEO of Worldwide ERC, the world’s leading association for professionals engaged in global talent mobility. She is a mission-focused, visionary leader with unique expertise in the intersection of international employment law, global talent mobility and corporate social responsibility. For over two decades, Lynn has helped top organizations create global workforces by developing education and networking programs for HR, immigration and mobility professionals, as well as advancing public policy by building coalitions with key stakeholders in the U.S. and abroad.

Prior to joining Worldwide ERC, Shotwell served as Senior Vice President, Global Outreach and Operations for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the world’s largest HR professional society. Earlier in her career, Lynn served as Executive Director at the Council for Global Immigration (CFGI)/American Council on International Personnel (ACIP), where she drove significant growth and led the organization’s merger with SHRM in 2018.

Shotwell currently serves as co-chair of the Business Migration Advisory Group to the Global Forum on Migration and Development, and as chair-elect of World Education Services.  Lynn received her JD from the University of Michigan and BA from Michigan State University and holds GMS and SHRM-SCP certifications.

Prior to joining Worldwide ERC^®, Peters led workplace immigration policy strategy for nearly eight years at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). While at SHRM, she served on the CEO’s Culture Club and was a member of the organization’s senior management team. Before SHRM, Peters was the Director of Government Affairs at the Council for Global Immigration, leading its public policy efforts and the Board’s policy committee for many years. She has also served as a policy chair for the U.S. immigration advocacy coalition Compete America and SHRM’s employer immigration compliance coalition. Earlier in her career, Peters practiced immigration law at a Washington D.C.- based law firm and served as an attorney and policy analyst at the U.S. Department of Justice’s legacy Immigration and Naturalization Service. She was a Presidential Management Fellow and received her J.D. and M.P.A. from Syracuse University’s College of Law and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, respectively. Peters also currently serves on the Women in Government Relations leadership team as chair of its membership and engagement committee.

Nino Nelissen is managing director with EMG, Executive Mobility Group, based at Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands. Nino is a tax lawyer that graduated from Maastricht University, and worked as an expatriate tax lawyer for the past 27 years in the Netherlands, Washington DC and Tokyo, Japan. Nino started his career in the Big 4 environment, and resigned as a partner in one of the Big 4 firms to found EMG, a business that integrates Tax services, Immigration services, Destination services, HR consulting services and Move manager services. In addition, Nino is a partner in Vydenz, a company offering expansion services to companies wishing to expand in Europe.

Dale Collins, Chief Strategy Officer and EMEA Managing Director, returned to Graebel in 2015 to drive leading-edge ideas that are inspired by clients. He previously held leadership roles at Graebel from 2000 until 2007.

Mr. Collins’ past experience includes serving as the Chief Executive Officer at Santa Fe Relocation in the EMEA region, and Chief Executive Officer at Interdean Relocation Services. He’s lived and worked in the UK, Italy, St. Thomas, France, Cote d’Ivoire, and the US.

Mr. Collins is a Senior Certified Relocation Professional (SCRP), and has his Global Mobility Specialist (GMS) Worldwide ERC certifications. He earned his MBA from Regent University and a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Mathematics from Texas A&M University.

Additionally, Collins has been an adjunct professor of business at Saint Xavier University, previously served as president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Abidjan, and in 2016 served as the Chairman of the Board at Worldwide ERC.

Jurga has been practising international immigration law for 15 years. She has significant experience in servicing international clients dealing with global scale corporate immigration advice and strategy. Jurga deals with all immigration matters including highly complex corporate and personal immigration matters. She gives strategic business advice to international clients, develops innovative services, regularly engages with the UK Government, the European Commission, and the Mayor of London, advises think tanks and is a frequent voice in the media as an immigration expert. Jurga is also highly experienced when it comes to business evacuation and continuity issues. Jurga was recently awarded Editor Choice at the City Wealth Power Women Awards and is continuously recognised in Who’s Who as ‘’a commercially astute practitioner known for her efficient handling of global immigration cases’’.

Azmina Aboobaker manages the US immigration program at Facebook. Prior to moving in-house, she practiced immigration law for 10+ years and covered a full range of complex corporate and family immigration matters. In addition, she has extensive experience advising multinational corporations and high-growth start-ups on the development and management of highly-scalable immigration policies and programs, compliance matters, and due diligence.