Find out about the diverse and exciting international speakers who will share their insights and expertise with delegates at the UK’s first-ever Festival of Global Mobility Thinking.To be held on Friday 11 May, Relocate’s Festival of Global Mobility Thinking – the first event of its kind in the UK – has attracted an impressive array of speakers, all leading experts in their fields. We profile them below.Time is getting short, so book your places for this innovative and interactive event today! A 15 per cent discount is available on combined tickets for the Festival of Global Mobility Thinking and the Relocate Awards 2018 gala dinner and presentation ceremony, which takes place on the previous evening (Thursday 10 May) at the Underglobe, in Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, on London’s South Bank.

Phyllida Hancock, Olivier Mythodrama, keynote speaker

Phyllida Hancock worked as an actress and singer for 12 years, two of which she spent with the Royal Shakespeare Company and in other Shakespeare productions.In 1998, Phyllida began designing and delivering workshops in the UK public sector. This included leading race awareness and diversity courses across the Criminal Justice System.She later moved to the then Department of Trade and Industry as a consultant in its futurefocus@dti facility, covering scenario planning and project working. She also freelanced as a facilitator of leadership and organisational development programmes across sectors.Phyllida has been an Associate with Olivier Mythodrama since 2004, and leads its programmes for organisations across the private and public sectors.Following her keynote, there will be an exclusive opportunity for a group of delegates to join her for the remainder of the morning in a breakout workshop session, to explore leadership themes in more depth.

Dr Linda Holbeche, author, The Agile Organization

Dr Linda Holbeche is a consultant, developer, researcher and author in the fields of HR, leadership, strategy and change. Previously in director roles at the CIPD, the Work Foundation and Roffey Park, she is Visiting Professor at five UK universities, a member of several advisory boards, and a Fellow of the Institute for Employment Studies and of Roffey Park.Linda edits Croner’s Strategic Briefings series. Her latest book is Influencing Organizational Effectiveness: A Critical Take on the HRM Contribution (Routledge, 2017).Other recent books include: The Agile Organization: How to Build an Innovative, Sustainable and Resilient Business (Kogan Page, 2015, 2nd Edition July 2018); Organization Development: A Practitioner’s Guide for OD and HR, 2nd Edition (Kogan Page, 2015, with Dr Mee-Yan Cheung-Judge); Engaged: Unleashing the Potential of Your Organisation Through Employee Engagement (Wiley/Jossey-Bass, 2012, with Geoffrey Matthews); and People and Organizational Development (CIPD, 2012, co-edited with Professor H Francis and M Reddington).

Professor Dimitry Kochenov, Investment Migration Council, author, Henley and Partners – Kochenov Quality of Nationality Index

Professor Dimitry Kochenov holds a chair in EU Constitutional and Citizenship Law at the University of Groningen, in the Netherlands, and is Chairman of the Geneva-based Investment Migration Council.His university research focuses on European citizenship and the principles of European Union law, with an emphasis on justice, democracy and the rule of law. His latest books include EU Citizenship and Federalism: The Role of Rights, and his recent research is available on the Social Science Research Network (SSRN). During the 2015/16 academic year, Dimitry served as a Visiting Professor and LAPA (Program in Law and Public Affairs) Fellow in Residence at Princeton University, lecturing on citizenship.Dimitry is author of the Henley and Partners – Kochenov Quality of Nationality Index (3rd Edition 2017). 

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Festival of Global Mobility Thinking articles:

• Embracing diversity across global mobility
• How the digital revolution will affect the future workforce
• Why agile organisations great and small gain the advantage

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Dr Sue Shortland, Professor Emerita, London Metropolitan University 

Dr Sue Shortland is Professor Emerita at Guildhall Business & Law at London Metropolitan University and a Senior Lecturer in HRM at the University of Westminster. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD). She holds masters’ degrees in Geography and Higher Education from Cambridge and Westminster Universities respectively. In 2012, Sue gained her PhD for Women’s Participation in Expatriation: The Contribution of Organisational Policy and Practice – A Case Study of the Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Sector. A series of peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters drawing on this thesis are in press and in progress. Sue is also the author of five books in the field of HRM.Prior to working in higher education, Sue worked in a managerial consultancy role in international HRM at KPMG, managed the CBI Employee Relocation Council, and carried out HR research writing for Incomes Data Services and Industrial Relations Services. 

Andrea Piacentini, Head of Reward, Standard Life, and founding partner, RES Forum

Andrea Piacentini is a senior international HR professional with 18 years’ experience in the fields of international mobility and expat management, international compensation and benefits, employee taxation and HR consultancy. He is trilingual (English, Italian and French), and has lived and worked in Italy and France as well as the UK. Currently, Andrea works in Edinburgh as Head of Reward for the Life Savings division of Standard Life Aberdeen. During his career, he has worked for market-leading multinationals, including Procter & Gamble, PwC, RBS, Life Technologies and Howden.Andrea is a founding partner of the RES Forum, an independent networking community of international HR and global mobility professionals that has over 1,600 members from around 740 companies in 41 countries.The RES Forum facilitates information exchange, policy benchmarking and analytics among its members, and works with partners at universities in the UK and Germany on academic research into global HR management. It also provides training, learning and consultancy, and holds events around the globe.To find out how to join (at no charge), visit www.theresforum.com 

Michael Grover, Senior Global Mobility Consultant, Mercer

Michael Grover is a Senior Associate in Mercer's Career practice, with more than ten years’ global mobility operations and consultancy experience. He joined Mercer from EY, where he supported and advised on clients’ mobility programmes across a range of industry sectors and markets.In his current role, Michael manages a portfolio of clients, providing guidance and support in expatriate compensation, global mobility policy and programme design, and talent management. He also delivers Mercer’s programme of global mobility trainings across Europe.Michael’s in-house experience includes working in the mobility teams at Electrolux and Lloyds Banking Group. His advisory experience includes auditing a large automotive manufacturer’s global mobility programme, extensive assignment programme and policy design, benchmarking, expatriate compensation modelling and stakeholder surveys.Michael holds a bachelor’s degree in European Politics and Spanish from Cardiff University. Now based in London, he has lived and worked in Austria, Germany, Sweden and Spain. In addition to Spanish, he speaks German, Portuguese and French.

Karen Smart, Head of Consultancy, AoEC, Facilitator

Karen Smart is a warm and empathetic facilitator and Executive Coach as well as a member of the AoEC’s faculty team. She has an inclusive, supportive and appropriately challenging style, to help everyone to give the best of themselves.Karen enjoys using a coaching style as a facilitator and likes to use creativity and humour. She relishes using her skills across multiple sectors; banking and finance, entertainment, manufacturing, services, utilities etc.Prior to joining the AoEC Karen enjoyed a successful career in international marketing and sales in the pharmaceutical industry. She brings her training skills to complex multi-cultural matrix teams. For two years she lived and worked in Mexico City giving her insight into working and living in a host country.

David Kesby, chief consultant coach, AoEC, Facilitator

David Kesby is an experienced organisational development consultant, facilitator, executive and team coach who has helped improve the performance of hundreds of managers across dozens of organisations for many years.He offers a range of development approaches from experiential courses, pure facilitation, coaching individuals and team coaching. He has an excellent track record in drawing out the best of people, working and shaping that to support their individual development objectives. He is known for his ability to provide insightful feedback that can often lead to breakthroughs in perspectives and new approaches towards development goals. David spent his first career in The Parachute Regiment before progressing into business, majoring in management development. Initially he worked with Cable and Wireless before joining a leadership development consultancy which merged with Mercer. Over the last 10 years he has developed senior managers and executives in a multitude of organisations including transport, engineering, construction, Manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, telecommunications, defence, government and not-for-profit sectors.

Danny Taggart, director, Tax, Deloitte

Danny Taggart is a Director in Deloitte’s Global Workforce team, focusing on global mobility technology consulting projects, incorporating technology strategy, data analytics and digital innovation. 

Danny has 30 years’ experience in the global mobility technology and analytics field, and has worked with clients across all market sectors advising, developing and delivering innovative technology solutions.  He has written and presented on various global mobility related topics, and as a former international assignee and a frequent business traveller is well versed in this area.

Danny is based at the Deloitte London office but works throughout the EMEA region.

Rumi Das, director, Global Employer Services, Tax, Deloitte

Rumi Das leads the Global Workforce Transformation offering and has extensive experience assisting companies to transform their global mobility, talent and reward programmes across multiple industries and geographies.She has deep experience managing complex, large-scale projects, including mobility strategy, current state and risk assessment, service delivery model design and implementation, executive strategy, policy and process design, talent management, and change management.Rumi has published numerous articles and is a regular speaker at conferences and events worldwide on the topic of global workforce.

School panel speakers

• Charlotte Avery Girls' Schools Association
• Kieren Earley, CEO and principal, The British School in the Netherlands

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Join us on 11 May for the Relocate Festival of Global Mobility Thinking at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London where our unique interactive conference will explore the themes of innovation, agility and leadership. Buy your tickets here

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For related news and features, visit our Mobility Industry section. Find out more about our upcoming Relocate Awards. Relocate’s new Global Mobility Toolkit provides free information, practical advice and support for HR, global mobility managers and global teams operating overseas.Access hundreds of global services and suppliers in our Online Directory 

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