THINK GLOBAL WOMEN
GLOBAL MOBILITY
employees were British, 75 per cent of their sales were outside the UK,” she says. So they needed to develop a more global mindset.” For many years ICI was the largest manufacturer in
Britain, and it was based at Millbank in London. It was a major British business and employer and was a constituent of the FT 30 and later the FTSE 100 indices. It was taken over by AkzoNobel in January 2008 and Elaine’s division of ICI became Astra Zeneca when the remainder of the business was sold to Akzo Chemicals.
CULTURE SHOCK & CAREER DILEMMAS After 14 years at ICI, Elaine was living in Barcelona, fluent in Spanish but suddenly out of a job, having decided not to return to the UK after her assignment. “When I was sent out on the original posting, it was
really serendipity thing, because I stood in for someone who was ill,” she explains. “After that year, I was supposed to go back to the UK, and I didn't want to go back.” After 14 years with ICI, this marked the end of her
long-standing relationship with the company. When asked if ICI had tried to keep her on board, Elaine recalls, “Yes they tried very hard, and they offered me options in other countries. Frankfurt was one, but my decision was no longer purely professional. “I had met
the person who was going to be my
husband, and I decided that really, I wanted to stay in Spain,” she says. “I was really sad to leave, but in those days the office in Spain was really small and there was not an option for me to stay.” That decision, though difficult, set in motion a
chain of events that eventually led her into the world of global relocation – a field where she would go on to make her mark.
AN ACCIDENTAL ENTREPRENEUR The turning point came from a failed job interview, when Elaine applied for a role at General Electric, didn’t get it, but during the interview, learned they were relocating employees from the US to Barcelona. Sensing an opportunity, Elaine approached their
HR team. “I said, ‘I can help these people – find them houses, set up utilities, get their kids into schools.’ And they said, ‘Yes, please.’ “At first, it was just me, trying to do everything – selling
the service, providing it, and explaining what relocation even was, because at that time, no one knew.” It was exhausting and, at times, demoralising, not helped by the fact that at the time there was no internet, so everything had to be done by phone, letter or in person. The business really started to take off when she won
Hewlett-Packard as a new customer. “Hewlett-Packard was moving a large number of
employees to Barcelona. Unlike General Electric, which was a short-term project, this was long-term.” Elaine’s small, one-woman operation suddenly had a
major corporate contract. “I had no idea how I was going to do it. But I said, ‘Yes, absolutely, we can handle it.’” And then, she set about building a team and providing a first class service on the ground in Barcelona.
BUILDING AN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS, PRE-GOOGLE & THE INTERNET This was the mid-90s and there were no mobile phones, no internet. Home-finding meant getting a newspaper on Sunday, circling listings, and calling estate agents on a landline. Elaine had also learned that moving internationally
was about families as well as logistics. “I always had a strong focus on the children,” she says. “They are the ones with no say in the move, yet it affects their futures the most. That’s something I’ve never lost sight of.” Elaine didn’t plan to become an entrepreneur, but her
business has now helped thousands of people move their possessions and their families and Eres Relocation has been with them through each step of the relocation process.
A GROWING BUSINESS ACROSS BORDERS Today, Elaine and José’s company has expanded across seven countries. “We have just announced our latest country – eres Czech Republic,” she says. “That brings us to 102 employees.” One of the biggest shifts in recent years has been the
adoption of remote teams. “We realized after Covid that you don’t always need to be physically present to provide great service,” she says. “Of course, we still have local field consultants on the ground, but our core teams can work remotely. In fact, in Barcelona, it’s actually easier to find Italian or German speakers than in Milan or Berlin.” For Elaine, recruitment is at the heart of their success.
“We are a service company, and that means we are our people. Finding and developing the right talent is one of the most important things we do,” she explains.
A LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY ROOTED IN TRUST & SUPPORT Elaine describes her leadership style as intuitive and supportive. “I like to give people space to do their work independently while knowing they can always turn to me,” she says. “I set clear goals, explain the context, and then let them take off and find their own way.” She emphasises that leadership comes in many forms.
“You don’t have to be loud or extroverted to be a great leader. You can be quiet, analytical, and still lead effectively,” she says. “The key is knowing what you’re good at and surrounding yourself with people who complement your skills. That’s how you build a strong team.” Having spent 35 years in
the industry, Elaine values the lessons learned from experience. “This business is all about experience. You need to have made
mistakes, faced
challenges, and found solutions,” she says.
Below: Elaine speaking at the 2025 Think Global Women event
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