Home Away from Home: Employees on Global Assignments

Employers who currently send employees abroad for expatriate assignments, or are considering doing so, will want to attend this interactive panel discussion on the issues and challenges of such assignments. The discussion will cover such matters as employment, benefits, tax, health and safety, and emergency situations.

A panel of professionals with significant experience in expatriate and global employment matters discussed best practices for expatriate assignments as well as steps employers need to know before beginning these assignments.

Thursday, September 19, 2013
The Rittenhouse Hotel
210 West Rittenhouse Square
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Panel Discussion: 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Topics covered included:

Creating expatriate assignment terms, letters and other documents
Employee benefits for the global worker
Tax treatment for employees on international assignments
How to respond to emergency and medical issues for employees on international assignments
Talent management and personal development considerations for expatriates
Assistance for employees and their families in adjusting to working in a different country
Special challenges for employers with expatriates: performance issues, restructures, return to the home country
Other employment-related considerations of sending workers abroad

Executives, business leaders, HR professionals, in-house legal, and finance and benefits professionals and those who handle strategic and/or tactical aspects of expatriate assignments will benefit from attending this session.

This program was approved by the HR Certification Institute.

Our panel featured the following speakers:

Moderator:

Mariette Mooyman, Associate General Counsel; Airgas, Inc.

Mariette Mooyman is an Associate General Counsel of Airgas, Inc., a growth-oriented Fortune 500 corporation that is the leading distributor and producer of packaged gases, welding hard goods and safety supplies. Ms. Mooyman previously worked as Senior Counsel for a global health services organization, providing strategic employment law advice both nationally and internationally and training on compliance issues. Ms. Mooyman began her legal career in Philadelphia and served as a Stagiere in the Directorate-General for External Economic Relations handling predatory pricing and anti-dumping complaints at the European Community in Brussels, Belgium.

Speakers:

Suzanne Garber, Chief Networking Officer; International SOS

Suzanne Garber is the Chief Networking Officer for International SOS. She has spoken at universities and professional association conferences around the world on topics ranging from traveler safety and emergency response plans to international security, risk mitigation, and global mobility. Ms. Garber received the 2013 Executive Management Award from SmartCEO Magazine and was named one of Women in International Trade’s “International Business Women of the Year” in 2005. A dual U.S./Italian citizen, Ms. Garber is an honors graduate from Rutgers University with a degree in foreign languages and a Master’s degree recipient with honors from the University of Pennsylvania. Reared in Spain, Mexico, Algeria, Egypt, the Dominican Republic and various US states, she is fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese and is recognized as an international expert in the area of Duty of Care.

Jennifer Lee, Global Mobility Manager; Cigna Corporation

Jennifer Lee joined Cigna Corporation as the Global Mobility Manager early this year, with a focus on utilizing the Company’s mobility policies to further both business and talent development. She has more than 15 years of experience in the global mobility and tax fields, having worked with large multinational organizations throughout her career. Ms. Lee joined Cigna from Goldman, Sachs & Company where, in her six years there, she worked in the mobility area, also completing assignments in Hong Kong and Japan. She began her career as a tax associate with Ernst & Young before moving on to Bristol-Myers Squibb, where she spent five years working with assignees and developing mobility policies and processes. Ms. Lee has a degree in Economics and Political Science from Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Mikaele Racine, Director of HR; The Dow Chemical Company

Mikaele Racine is the Director of HR for Dow Advanced Materials, part of The Dow Chemical Company. She has been with the company for 22 years, starting with roles in business and corporate HR and Information Technology, including Sales and Marketing Excellence, Corporate Relocation, Recruiting and Expatriate Services, and Information Technology Management. Most recently, Ms. Racine has been responsible for driving global HR initiatives tied to goal alignment, employee engagement, performance management, talent management, global compensation and rewards, organizational design and development. She was previously employed by Marriott Corporation, Andersen Consulting, and The Gap. Ms. Racine earned her BA in Economics and Political Science from Chatham College, and holds an MS Management and Policy Analysis from Carnegie Mellon University.

Mary Lou Stockton, Managing Director; Global Tax Network Mid-Atlantic

Mary Lou Stockton is the Managing Director of Global Tax Network’s MidAtlantic office, where she thrives on the technical rigor and variety of client global mobility programs. One of her core specializations is research and calculation of multijurisdictional reporting and withholding on regular and equity compensation. Ms. Stockton is a former Director of Tax with a national U.S. retailer and former Senior Tax Manager with Ernst & Young, where she provided expatriate tax services for 15 years. She received her undergraduate degree from Bryn Mawr College, and holds a Master of Science degree in business administration from Temple University. Ms. Stockton is also a CPA, and a member of the Penjerdel Employee Benefits and Compensation Association, the Delaware Valley Relocation Council, the American Institute for Certified Public Accountants, the Philadelphia Chapter of the Pennsylvania Society of Public Accountants and the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals.

This program was sponsored by Fisher & Phillips LLP.