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EuRA Spring Summit Day 5: Sustainability

On the 14^th of May 2021, Relocation Africa’s CEO Rene Stegmann joined the European Relocation Association (EuRA) Spring Summit Day 5 as a panellist. The moderator, Ben Ivory, Senior Vice President, Global Initiatives was joined by panellists, Lloyd Townsend, Supply Chain Manager, EDF (Corporate), Rico Lopes – Graebel (Supply Chain Management) and Beverly King – Graebel (Business Development).

The topic of Day 5 of this summit continuing the conversation of sustainability and provide perspectives from a leading UK energy sector client professional, a progressive DSP provider and a global relocation management company. The presentation was set to present a level of understanding of sustainability/ Environmental, Social, and (Corporate) Governance, (ESG)/ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and establish a foundation for what is a multi-year or even multi-generational effort.

First on the agenda for discussion was the topic on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries. The vision for 2030 is setting a vision for a world free of poverty, hunger, disease. A world that elevates human social justice and human rights, and an accessible world to all regardless of background, race, gender and sexual orientation. Stegmann aptly states that we can no longer greenwash and pay lip service, that to achieve these 17 SGDs, we need to act and walk in the terms of sustainability in both our personal lives and business environment. She further to explains how Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is an appropriate model to include in the SDG goal, especially the SDG Gender Equality, or SDG 10 reduced inequality. The insertion of DEI will help stakeholders and humanity at all levels reach an understanding of the importance of these 17 goals. The world needs to understand these goals from the DEI root level, understanding its intricacies and complexities, and its intersections. When we understand from this point, we are able to operate from a place of consideration of differences.

Lloyd Townsend shared his sustainability EDF commitment, Helping Britain Achieve net-zero initiative which is made up of five pillars: net-zero environmental impact, increasing energy efficiency, the elimination of single-use enhanced social value and also innovation. Townsend states that taking a leading role in Britain’s race to net-zero will hopefully translate into other businesses and companies being equally honest with themselves to ensure they are contributing appropriately based on their business activities.

Townsend says, “I think businesses need to play a key part in this race as well. They need to create a diverse and inclusive environment which allows their employees to feel safe and to flourish being exactly who it is that they”.

Beverly King makes a remarkable point, stating that “Understanding the background of the organization their corporate strategy of sustainability and if DE&I really seem to be at the forefront. Then you can probably understand that there will be some of those initiatives that will help in the background drive, you know the pro the procurement process, the RFP process and be a factor that is included.” Soon, employees will measure a companies progressiveness based on their DEI and CSR initiative. Why? In recent times, companies are being held accountable and called into question about their contribution to eradicating social and environmental problems. It is almost necessary for companies to make a declaration or have policies in place as means of remaining accountable to the people and the planet.

Stegmann continues the sustainability conversation voicing that businesses need to self-examine the environment in which they operate and how business impact sustainability, and the balance of the triple bottom line approach of people and profit. She goes to speak on the #Payin30 initiative as a Small Medium Enterprise (SME) business. #Payin30 is an initiative aimed at helping SME suppliers become sustainable in the future. Stegmann has managed to reach an agreement with over 50 Relocation Africa clients, to pay Relocation Africa within 30 days. Stegmann has been a pivotal leader in driving the campaign across the corporate and SME sector, highlighting the importance of #Payin30 as an integral part of Corporate Sustainability (CS).

An important highlight that Stegmann makes, “We believe in working in partnership vertically horizontally with our competitors because we’re all working to the same goal.” Indeed, a collaborative approach towards a world we all share is needed. Using all our expertise and resources to combat a problem we all face saves time and the planet. She further highlights the need to make information on the broad topic of sustainability available such as making a library of articles available for your own network. King further augments this point by asserting the need for sustainability to become a way of life, a part of our everyday life. She aptly highlights the need to understand that we cannot operate outside the triple bottom line. “We have the responsibility of looking after the planet for the next generation”, Townsend adds.

One day a man was walking along the beach, when he noticed a boy hurriedly picking up and gently throwing things into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, “Young man, what are you doing?”

The boy replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up, and the tide is going out. If I do not throw them back, they’ll die.” The man laughed to himself and said, “Don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make any difference!”

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said,

“I made a difference to that one.” –

As the session ends, Ben Ivory makes an important point. He says, to tackle the topic of sustainability, the first step is making it a topic on your agenda. The following step is to be critical of yourself, making the journey to being sustainable a measurable one by placing real objectives in place. Let us all remember the story of the starfish. In our capacity, we have the power to make a difference.

Worldwide

Relocation Africa’s EuRA Munich 2019 Key Takeaways

This article was written by our Director, Rene Stegmann, after her return from EuRA’s 2019 Conference in Munich.

Travel to Europe

Over time, with all the international business travel I have done, I have come to realise that Europe is a long way away from home, and each time I prepare to go, I pack way too much. So, on this trip I wanted to see why I overpacked, and I came to the following conclusions:

• I am so far away from home I don’t want to leave anything behind
• I like options, and my own wine
• The weather overseas ranged from 2 degrees to 22 degrees Celsius
• I took a large suitcase, which out of habit just needed to be filled

So next trip (note to self), take a smaller suitcase and realise that Europe’s 2 degrees and a conference means you don’t leave the hotel. You taxi to restaurants, thereby not requiring that big coat! Oh, and I guess drink the local wine!

I did also realise that most of the other conference attendees coming from Europe fly in last-minute and leave as soon as the conference is over. I think because a few of us travel from so far away, we certainly like to make more of a meal of our travels and include the “pudding”.

Berlin (The Pudding)

As has become customary, we have a diverse global “bubbles group” of four ladies, who travel from Australia, South Africa, Dubai and Ireland, and meet before the EuRA Conference at a new city that we’ve not visited before. This year that city was Berlin.

We absolutely loved Berlin, with its eclectic and authentic charm, which is lost in so many modern, Westernised cities that have a McDonalds and a Starbucks on almost every corner. Not to say Berlin did not have these, but it seemed to somehow be more supportive of the local business community, with made-in-Berlin items seeming to have a strong presence in the areas in which we travelled. It is a fairly spread-out city, and while I certainly felt we saw so much that Berlin has to offer, I would definitely go back to experience even more of the city’s authenticity and culture.

It was lovely to change the pace of work at home and laugh with friends in our industry who just enjoy life (and “pudding”).

TIRA (The International Relocation Associates)

We then made our way on EasyJet to Munich. These low-cost airlines really do offer no frills at all. But then again, that’s what you’re paying for, so they live up to their names.

We then enjoyed a day of education on “Scaling Up”, which is a fantastic approach for the TIRA members to start looking at their own businesses, and to see if and how we can scale our businesses. I certainly had many takeaways from this workshop – my main one being simply the four things we should all focus on to maintain a successful business; strategy, implementation, people, and cash. I know it this is easier said than done, but I keep coming back to these basic principles at Relocation Africa, and I am hoping to scale based on having these four principles top of mind.

We also hosted our TIRA annual general meeting. This year, I am stepping down as TIRA President, and will play a more supportive role as Immediate Past President for the next year or two. We believe in developing and diversifying the board at TIRA, and keeping ideas fresh, and this requires a roll-over of the board every few years. We now have a new board and great goals for the future, with the plan being to announce the new president at the next board meeting, at the end of May. For more information about TIRA, feel free to visit our new website here.

EuRA Conference

I started out at the EuRA Conference feeling motivated as a result of the inspiring Scaling Up workshop the day before, and was ready to hit the ground running. We attendees all probably over-book our calendars at the EuRA Conferences, feeling the need to see as many people as possible. After so many years of doing business, you’d think we would have other, more holistic strategies for these conferences, but sadly it seems we need to fill every gap in our diaries to make the most of the opportunity to engage with as many of the EuRA participants as possible. We certainly did so, and this year we also managed to fit a couple of educational sessions in, to learn about some of the trends in the relocation industry. Like most industries, ours is rapidly changing, and we consistently need to ensure that our business is nimble enough to alter course if necessary, as opposed to being too stuck in its ways. It’s about balancing the traditions that have allowed us to get to where we are, with being open to necessary changes in order to keep up with our ever-evolving industry. And it’s a balance I think we’ve achieved at our business.

I would say our biggest takeaway from the Conference relates to the assignee (customer) experience (CX), and the methods we can use to ensure that the journey of relocating using our services is one that creates a positive and powerful individual experience. Emphasis on the individual, as each relocation is unique, and therefore requires an individualized approach from our side.

Emphasis was not on the technology component of the Conference as much as it was in previous years, but rather on finding ways to humanize our processes, ensuring our effort is focused on customer experience. The rest of the technology and processes will then follow suit. That’s what we believe, at least.

Luckily I managed to have a sightseeing day in Munich, during which I had a chance to absorb the English Gardens, the Town Hall, and the view of the city from the 90-odd stairs up St Peter’s Church, as well as enjoying great food, a museum, and of course, pudding at Café Luitpold.

We also had a lovely evening at a brauhaus, and even rented outfits to experience more of the local culture.

Below is a gallery of some of the beautiful sights in Munich, so you can share in the environment that I was fortunate enough to enjoy during my trip.

Here’s to a prosperous second half of 2019, until the next conference has us packing and jetting off once again!

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7].

South Africa, Worldwide

Our Key Takeaways From EuRA’s 2018 Conference in Croatia

Last month, we attended EuRA’s 2018 Conference in Dubrovnik, and beyond having a great opportunity to connect with those in the industry, we attended a number of talks and workshops. Below, we have summarized our key takeaways.

Eura Conference – Croatia 2018 – by René Stegmann

Attending the EuRA conference in such a picturesque location, with the sunshine all day everyday, made for a pleasant business experience. On our way to Dubrovnik, Croatia, we managed a slight detour to experience some culture and wine in Kotor, Montenegro. Learning some of the history and meeting the locals, sampling their food and wine all made for a good start to the conference. We were guided by a local guide to get the full picture of their more recent history.

The conference venue was a resort outside Dubrovnik itself. We arrived early to represent Relocation Africa at the TIRA Day, which was an opportunity for all the TIRA members to benchmark, share knowledge, and ensure we are leaders of best practices in our businesses. It was a great day, and ended with a beautiful boat trip and dinner in Dubrovnik itself.

The next day was filled with Supplier – or as I prefer to refer to them, partner – meetings of which there were many, all with their unique delivery of sharing what each of their businesses are seeing as trends, and how their businesses are adapting.
There are a number of trends which are similar across all partners, and generally in certain locations, volumes are lower, however, in other locations, volumes are good. There seems to be a fair amount of consolidation in the industry as Lexicon has acquired Sterling, Weichert has acquired The MI Group, Madison Dearborn Partners has acquired Sirva, and K2 Mobility has acquired Harbour HR.

There were big talks on GDPR and the impact on our businesses, with the new regulations having just been implemented as at 25th May 2018. As a South African/African business that operates Globally, it is important to ensure we are compliant, in order not to contravene the new legislation.

It seems the discussion between the DSPs (Destination Services Providers) and the RMCs (Relocation Management Companies) has been managed in a palatable fashion. However, there was a feeling that some of the questions were not answered fully. I am sure this will be taken up by those that need to, as it is an opportunity to raise concerns, however, the view is that you don’t want to be offering opinions that will possibly impact your business – even if it is for the improvement of the industry as a whole. During this session, questions were also asked as to why RMCs are now requesting commission from their partners, as traditionally RMCs request a management fee from their clients to cover these fees. There was a feeling that, should these be disclosed and as a DSP we are able to account for them in our fees, it would be appropriate. But note that this is a deviation from the norm of business over the past 25 years Relocation Africa has been in business.

The continuation of driving costs down and improving service delivery is on the top of each RMC’s mind’ and we as a consolidated group need to review how we can do this.

Essentially both the RMC and the DSP need to collaborate better to build partnerships with their clients, and have a direct impact on cost efficiencies and value creation. However, I noted that we as a DSP in Africa, and all the others are often referred to as suppliers. Without us as partners, the RMC could not service the client, and we should therefore never be referred to as suppliers, but only as partners. As you can tell I am pretty passionate about this particular point, but I believe when we are treated as partners, the value creation and cost efficiencies will ultimately be identified to the benefit of the client.

We had many meetings with RMCs, DSP partners, and others who were attending the conference, which allowed our business to appropriately benchmark and remain current in the industry.

We also attended a farewell to Beverly Mayhew, who has been a leader in our industry, carving a groove for many of us to follow. She recently sold her business, and although she has officially retired, she wants to remain involved in the industry.

The next EuRA conference we will attend will take place in Munich, Germany, from 30 April to 3rd May 2019. To learn more, click here.

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, and Remuneration needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1]. Image sources: Dominic Tidey [1], [2]; Sorin Cicos on Unsplash [3].