or Switzerland, making the most of every opportunity to immerse herself in different environments. Straight out of university, Gill joined Ford Motor


Company in industrial relations. The industrial climate at the time was tough – strikes, disputes, and challenging negotiations were the norm. “I went into it determined to build bridges – to create


better dialogue between management and employees, and to foster a more positive working environment. That goal has stayed with me throughout my career,” she says.


THE ADVENT OF DIVERSITY & INCLUSION After five years at Ford, she moved to Schlumberger (SLB), a far more global company, where she was able to move into HR roles that took her across Europe and the United States. Over the years, she was involved in everything from talent


recruitment and


development, large acquisitions and divestitures, and major reorganisations, to complex negotiations with trade unions. Some of the hardest moments came when handling layoffs – sometimes in the hundreds or thousands. But she was determined to ensure the process was done in the best possible way – with transparency, respect, and support. Global mobility and interacting with people of many nationalities was part of every role she did in SLB and was something she loved. During her career she has been HR Director for the


global seismic business, WesternGeco, Director Executive Compensation for Schlumberger, and HR Director for the global R&D population. She played a key role in setting up and developing a shared services organisation for the HR function in Europe, Caspian and Africa and was also HR Director for a global electricity and gas utilities business. “Schlumberger was also a very technical company, and


when I joined, it wasn’t as diverse as it is today,” she says. “Then in the early 1990s, Schlumberger’s visionary CEO decided to take real action on diversity – both in terms of nationality and gender. A task force was set up, made up of board members and senior executives, to develop recommendations. I was asked to support them, gathering data and helping to shape an action plan. “At a management meeting in Atlanta in 1994, the plan was presented and approved. That was the real start of a concerted effort to increase gender diversity, with recruitment goals, development programmes, and tracking of retention rates. The momentum continued, and by the early 2000s, I was leading initiatives to support dual-career families.” In 2000, while based in Paris, Gill became president


of a not-for-profit organisation, Partnerjob.com, which had been set up by Schlumberger and other companies in Paris to help find employment for the partners of relocated employees – who were, at that time, mostly women. “We soon realised that finding jobs wasn’t enough,


and that work permits were often the real barrier,” Gill explains. “Even if someone had an offer, if they couldn’t get a permit, they couldn’t work. “At that point, I got a call from Kathleen Van der


Wilk at Shell, who was dealing with similar challenges. She invited me to The Hague for a meeting with other companies experiencing the same struggles. That led to the creation of the Permits Foundation in 2001, which I


joined as one of the founding board members. The goal was clear: to persuade governments to enable work permits for the partners of highly skilled mobile employees.” Over the past two decades, the Permits Foundation


has evolved, and while in the beginning it focused solely on spouses, it now advocates for married and unmarried partners, same-sex couples, and working-age children – typically up to 21 – who want to move with the family.


THE POWER OF INFLUENCE Relationships, influence, and persuasion are at the core of Gill’s success. Changing minds – especially in government – requires a deep understanding of where people are coming from and what their concerns are. The same logic applies to companies. If they want


to attract and retain the best people, they need to consider the whole family’s experience. The number one reason international assignments fail is because the partner can’t work. If they feel isolated, undervalued, or unable to continue their career, the chances of an assignment being cut short – or never happening at all – go up dramatically. “That’s why we don’t just focus on new policy wins –


we also fight to protect the rights we’ve already secured,” she says. “Political environments shift. We’ve seen it in the US, the UK, and elsewhere. Governments sometimes try to roll back policies that took years to put in place. A big part of our role is making sure those doors stay open.”


LOOKING TO THE FUTURE OF DUAL CAREER PERMITS Right now, the US is still the number one priority. There are several visa types where partner work rights aren’t automatic and fixing that is a top concern for many of the companies Gills works with. Beyond that, Permits Foundation is also focused on South Africa, Singapore, India, and Japan – countries where change could have a major impact. “Another emerging issue is hybrid and remote work.


With more people working remotely, there’s potential for partners to keep their jobs even when they relocate. But legal frameworks around remote work visas are still evolving, and that’s an area we’re keeping a close eye on.”


SUPPORTING WOMEN IN GLOBAL CAREERS “I always encourage women to be ambitious and not to be discouraged by obstacles,” Gill says. “While balancing career, family, and mobility can be tough, we are seeing more women rise to top leadership positions in STEM, business, and government. A couple of my former colleagues have gone on to become CEOs of major companies, which is incredible.” One of the most important things we can do to help


young women advance in their careers is to encourage them – to help them build confidence and push themselves beyond what feels comfortable, Gill says. “Mentorship plays a huge role in this. Having someone


you trust, who you can talk to openly about your concerns and challenges, can make all the difference. I strongly encourage both men and women to become mentors to young people where they can, so that we can see diversity in the workforce continue to grow.”


17


THINK GLOBAL WOMEN


GLOBAL MOBILITY


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20