such as the Shui On-invested HQ business centre. She then joined Regus, leading their operations teams throughout Asia. “I started in the relo business with Cendant (now


known as Cartus) in the capacity as their Asia Pacific managing director in HK in 2000; then joined Paragon as their MD Asia Pacific and relocated to Connecticut to take up their global business development role.” In 2008 she relocated to Beijing to join the Asian


Tigers China team, ultimately supporting the V&I and DSP business units under the Asian Tigers Mobility brand, which has subsequently been rebranded to Silk Relo in 2020. Her current capacity is CEO.


CHANGING NEEDS AND DEMANDS IN RELOCATION Kay and her team have seen a lot of assignees leave Hong Kong and she herself is planning to relocate to Singapore from Hong Kong where she has lived for 14 years. “There is still an exodus from Hong Kong although it


is not as high as the past three years and is showing signs of softening in comparison to last year,” she explains. While Covid had a huge impact on relocation and


business travel, she says the challenge now is to navigate the


increasingly complex regulations imposed by


countries and governments around visas, immigration, and the right to work. “The mindset around hiring and moving people has


changed,” she explains. “Companies are now assessing their


relocation budgets, the roles they are putting


people into, and whether a physical move is required. In a global context it is about having the right people in the right place, and increasingly reviewing the option to use remote workers as an alternative.” There are also complications around visas, how long


people intend to or need to stay, and whether they need to apply for a working visa, even on a short trip where perhaps previously they would have entered a country under a tourist visa.


FINDING THE RIGHT ASSIGNEE FOR THE RIGHT LOCATION She says there is also a shift in the underlying costs of a relocation, especially if the assignee and/or their family are going into serviced accommodation and will not need to send over all their furniture and household goods. This is why there is no standard relocation package, and that working with transferees requires both a clear understanding of the client’s aims and restrictions, and the needs of the transferee. Kay also believes that companies need to work backwards to think about which employees or workers are most suitable for an assignment and help them to skill up in preparation. The industry is likely to see further consolidation as


companies move towards using more technology and responding to the changing needs of clients. Overall, assignments are becoming shorter and companies are looking to cut costs. She says there is often a tension between what clients expect and what can realistically


59


be


delivered,


especially


in


terms of


technology


integration. Assignees are used to using tech for instant updates in their personal lives, but in many countries the existing technology infrastructure lags behind.


DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION CHALLENGES IN ASIA Kay is very proud of the efforts that her team has made in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion, particularly given the variety of jurisdictions within which they work. “In 2022 we were the world’s first, second and


third companies (Silk Relo Ltd, Silk Relo Singapore and Asian Tigers Singapore) to receive the D&I ISO 30415:2021 certified by HRSI (Human Resources Standards Institute),” she says.


“ DURING MY CAREER I HAVE HAD SOME WOMEN LEADERS WHO HAVE BEEN EXTRAORDINARY HUMAN BEINGS. YOU ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT PERSON WHO PROVIDES MENTORSHIP AND GIVES YOU A SENSE OF EMPOWERMENT.”


THINK WOMEN


GLOBAL MOBILITY


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