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From tech-driven skill development to purpose-led cultures, the discussions revealed how organisations are attracting, retaining, and developing talent in an increasingly borderless world. Umairah Nasir reports.
As organisations navigate an increasingly borderless workforce, the way talent moves across regions is being redefined. On Wednesday, 4 March, close to 100 HR leaders gathered alongside 22 speakers at Talent Mobility 2026, hosted by Human Resources Online. Guided by the theme Smart Moves. Local Impact. Meaningful Mobility., the event explored how organisations can rethink mobility strategies to develop talent, enable global capabilities, and create meaningful employee experiences.
This 12th edition showcased practical strategies for deploying talent while balancing business objectives with employee experience and leveraging hybrid mobility models, from traditional relocation to virtual and local-plus approaches. Discussions covered international assignments, internal mobility, skills-based ecosystems, and fostering adaptability and engagement across diverse teams.
Through real-world examples and actionable insights, speakers highlighted how HR can turn talent mobility into a competitive advantage, enabling organisations to build agile, resilient, and future-ready workforces.
Umairah Nasir distils highlights of the sessions that took place across the day.
Rethinking mobility beyond relocation
Opening the event, Joel Leong, Head of Talent and Performance Management at OCBC, explained how organisations are redesigning mobility frameworks to meet modern workforce realities. Models such as local-plus and core-flex balance cost control with employee empowerment, while international assignments support business expansion, knowledge transfer, leadership development, and talent retention. The rise of digital nomadism and remote work is also reshaping mobility, making the focus less on where employees work and more on what they do, with virtual deployments allowing skills and capabilities to move across borders.
Joel highlighted that mobility success hinges on the human side. HR must provide empathy, flexibility, and support, recognising that personal and family factors can affect assignment outcomes. Organisations are shifting from cost-focused metrics to value-driven measures, ensuring speed, minimal friction, and care for employees in a volatile, skills-first global landscape.
Using data and technology to shape mobility
Taking the stage next, Rob Line, Vice President, Global Consulting & Product Strategy, Cartus, presented findings from the 2026 Global Talent Mobility Survey, underlining the role of data in shaping mobility strategies. He noted that while operational efficiency remains critical, many organisations overlook the long-term impact of mobility on talent development, retention, and engagement.
Rob highlighted several key areas where data can support mobility decisions. Pre-departure support, cultural coaching, and career growth were identified as crucial elements for successful assignments. He also discussed how AI and analytics platforms can track employee skills, match individuals with suitable assignments, and anticipate risks before relocation occurs.
Such technology, he said, not only optimises operational efficiency but also enhances employee experience, enabling organisations to plan workforce movements strategically while supporting individual career growth.
Compliance as a business enabler
Our third session of the day was a panel moderated by Andrew Sam, Global Talent Acquisition Director at Jabil, where leaders discussed how organisations can integrate compliance and localisation into mobility strategies:
- Audrey Ng, Head of People & Organisation (Global), Anglo American
- Jo-Lynn Wee, Senior Director, Global Talent Mobility, Cartus
- Seah Lee Mui, Director, New Operations Division, Workforce Singapore (WSG)
The panel highlighted that compliance should not be viewed as a constraint, but rather as a framework to enhance both employee and business outcomes. They noted that localisation helps organisations better understand workforce dynamics and plan for long-term talent needs. At the same time, balancing regulatory requirements with employee experience is key to making mobility attractive while meeting obligations.
National workforce policies, the panellists added, can also guide mobility strategies while supporting broader business growth.
Flexible assignments for a global workforce
In our first post-noon session, Murray Sarelius, Head of Personal Tax & Global Mobility Services and Garren Lam, Principal Advisor, KPMG in Singapore explored the rise of flexible mobility, including short-term assignments, remote projects, and hybrid roles. They noted that traditional expatriate programmes are evolving to meet the needs of a globally dispersed workforce.
As shared by the speakers, mobility teams now need to manage complex regulations, taxes, and operational requirements while enabling employees to work across different locations. Technology supports this by providing real-time insights and streamlining processes. At the same time, flexible assignments allow organisations to deploy specialised skills where they are most needed while giving employees diverse experiences that build a global mindset and prepare them for leadership roles.
Internal mobility as a strategic retention tool
A panel moderated by Balakarthikeyan Nagarajan, APAC People Operations Leader, GE Vernova focused on internal mobility, highlighting its role in engagement and retention. The session featured the following panellists:
- Bamidele Aremu, Director, Total Rewards – AMEA, Barry Callebaut
- Genie Chua, Talent Mobility Manager, Mott MacDonald
- Sean Lim, Chief Human Resource Officer, NTUC LearningHub
They shared experiences of changing roles within and across countries, short-term project assignments, and cross-functional moves, highlighting how such opportunities build adaptability, support skill development, and strengthen confidence. Internal mobility, they noted, allows employees to explore different functions, develop new capabilities, and prepare for future roles, supporting both retention and career progression.
The panel also emphasised the importance of fairness and transparency – affirming that clear job descriptions, defined selection criteria, skill-based profiles, and visible opportunities help ensure equal access. Similarly, structured pathways, mentoring, and support for reporting officers can further help employees navigate transitions successfully.
Leaders who adopt an enterprise-first mindset, provide feedback, and guide employees through change can strengthen engagement, reduce turnover, and build a workforce that is ready for evolving business needs.
Redefining global talent deployment
Closing the day with a keynote, Yee Ling Lee VP, Group People Development, Certis, highlighted a shift in talent mobility from relocation towards enabling capability wherever it is needed. Organisations are increasingly prioritising access to skills, leadership, and capabilities over traditional moves, using hybrid strategies such as local-plus and virtual deployment to maximise business impact, while recognising when physical relocation adds unique value.
At Certis, employees are encouraged to build their own skills profiles, indicate roles of interest, and design learning journeys, with AI guiding possible career paths. Programmes such as the Design Innovation Programme also strengthen business acumen through operational design thinking.
At the same time, the speaker acknowledged that physical relocation remains important for developing cultural fluency, commercial acumen, and leadership depth, with success stories motivating others to take on overseas assignments.
Interactive discussions on key mobility topics
The day was interspersed with interactive discussions on the following topics:
- The borderless workforce: Unlocking global capability through flexible talent ecosystems
- Charting what’s next: Navigating the new reality of global mobility
- Making the business case: Articulating the ROI of employee mobility
A special thank you to our zone hosts for facilitating these engaging conversations:
- Jackson Teng, Senior Director, Asia Talent Acquisition & Workforce Development, Micron Technology
- Sundara Srinivas, Global HR Innovation & Strategy and AI Catalyst, Bayer
- Dean Bennetts, Vice President Business Development APAC, Sirva
- Kelly Cheong, Regional Business Development Director, Sirva
- Daria Chang, Manager, International Mobility, Seatrium
- Justin Kwok, International Mobility Partner, APAC, Philips
- Elodie Marques, Global Consulting Leader, APAC, Cartus
- Paul Franco, Director, Strategic Business Solutions, Cartus
- Rob Line, Vice President, Global Consulting & Product Strategy, Cartus
Enabling strategic talent mobility
Across the sessions, a clear theme emerged: HR’s role in mobility is expanding beyond administration to strategic talent management. In order to build agile, future-ready teams, organisations must therefore look into internal mobility, global capability deployment, and skill development, while leveraging technology and fostering adaptability.
Catch up on more discussions and event updates on our LinkedIn via the hashtag #TalentMobility2026. See you in our next conference!
Human Resources Online would like to thank all speakers, moderators, interactive zone hosts, panellists, and attendees for being valuable contributors to this event.
We would also like to extend our gratitude to our sponsors & partners for making this conference possible:
PLATINUM SPONSOR
Cartus
GOLD SPONSOR
KPMG
SILVER SPONSORS
- NTUC LearningHub
- Sirva
- Workforce Singapore (WSG)
EXHIBITORS
- AIRINC
- Careerminds
- Cornerstone
- Qxstate Asia
- Workia
EVENT PARTNER
Pigeonhole Live
Photos / HRO
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