A quarter-century of partner support is a very good reason to celebrate. And so we did! On 31 May, Global Connection organised a symposium hosted by HEINEKEN. The above picture shows our ‘debriefing at the bar’.
A joint effort
Reaching this milestone anniversary has been a joint effort of 10 years of HEINEKEN Partner Network (HPN), and 15 years of Global Connection. I was therefore very happy and proud that Ingeborg Hooft Graafland, the founding mother of HPN, could join us on the day.
Personal experience
I will always remember how I personally benefited from the HPN when I prepared for our move to St. Lucia, in the Caribbean. HPN connected me with partners who had ‘been there and done it’. Their support made a huge difference. It gave me a flying start. And it also made me realise how valuable it is for companies to pay attention to their expat partners.
From HPN to Global Connection
In 2003, Global Connection took over the tasks of HPN, working for multiple organisations and multinationals. Our goal remained the same: to inform, inspire and support expat partners in order to contribute to their well-being, which is the short-term goal, and their mobility, the long-term goal. At the same time, our support services have evolved significantly. While still offering our unique ‘self support package’ (media and network) our emphasis is on providing ‘personalised support’ (consultancy, coaching, training) to help partners find a fulfilling occupation at their new location.
Continuous improvement
Over the years, we’ve grown strong relationships with many HR/Global Mobility professionals. During the symposium, some of them gave us a peek into the journey they have made in recent years. Each one followed the roadmap for structural improvement of partner support programmes, which we presented five years ago during our 20th anniversary year celebration. In this newsletter, we report on their stories.
What moves us
I am proud that so many multinationals outsource their entire support programmes to us, trusting us to work closely with ‘their’ expat partners. Today, our experienced, dedicated team supports thousands of expat partners in more than 140 countries, representing over 90 nationalities. Of course, we are delighted with these numbers, but we prefer to look at the people behind them. Supporting every individual in their unique circumstances and with their individual needs is our ‘fulfilling occupation’. It still gives us goosebumps to see how we make a difference in the lives of so many expat partners.
