21 minute read
Member News
CIBT Expands Document Services Capabilities with Acquisition of Blair Consular Services CIBT Partners with Tripkicks, Simplifies Visas for International Business Travel
CIBT, the global leader for travel visas, immigration and document services, operating under the CIBTvisas and Newland Chase brands, has acquired Blair Consular Services Ltd (“Blair”). Formed in 1967, Blair is Europe’s oldest and largest export documentation provider, headquartered in London with additional offices in the Netherlands and the United States.
Today CIBT offers fast, easy, and secure document legalization, apostille, translation, and notarization services, including: • Export documents, such as certificates of origin and commercial invoices • Legal, corporate and IP, including patent and trademark, documentation • Legalizations for the pharma, healthcare, food and agriculture industries • Documents required for relocation, such as marriage or birth certificates and employment contracts • Letter of Credit documentation service, including preparing the documentation and bank presentation
Through this acquisition, we welcome more than 60 new team members to the CIBT organization. Adding Blair’s document services capabilities to our own will further position the Company as a leader in legalizations, export trade, and document services. With 16 years’ Blair employment, CIBT is proud to announce that Vicky Jackson has stepped into the role of Senior Director of Sales and Operations and will be leading the Blair business.
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Partnership Increases Visibility of Visa Requirements During Booking Process
CIBT, the global leader for travel visas, immigration services, and legal document solutions, has partnered with business travel technology company Tripkicks. The result places vital travel visa information at the beginning of the booking journey where it belongs. An add-on to business travel programs, Tripkicks influences behavior and empowers travelers with the knowledge they need for a successful trip: knowledge that now includes CIBT visa intelligence. The integration alerts travelers to visa requirements from CIBT before they book. Now travelers know their travel document requirements in advance of booking so they plan correctly. Customers of the CIBT and Tripkicks partnership automatically link business travelers to a dedicated CIBT portal for in-depth visa and travel information. This functionality is now available within Tripkicks for companies using SAP Concur for their online booking tool.
“Business travel compliance has never been more complex. Visa requirements have shifted upstream in the travel booking process and are now at the forefront when considering business travel. We are thrilled to partner with Tripkicks enabling companies to maintain travel management compliance and enhance the employee travel experience.” – Eric Scheinerman, CIBT
CEO
Jeff Berk, Tripkicks CEO, said, “As organizations increase international travel, it is important to empower travelers with all the necessary information. We’re excited to partner with CIBT to connect their expertise to business travelers during the booking process so that travelers know exactly what to expect.”
Ukraine-Russia and Immigration: What You Need to Know Newland Chase Names Daniel Morris as Director and Counsel, Advisory Services
As the situation in Ukraine escalates, so too does the emerging immigration crisis for individuals fleeing the country and employers working to ensure the safety of employees and their families. Newland Chase has produced a number of resources that you can access here:
Webinars
On-Demand Webinar | Ukraine and Russia: Mobility and Immigration Impacts (11 March 2022) During this 30-minute live webinar, our panelists provide updates on immigration options for Ukrainian nationals and third-country nationals exiting Ukraine, a spotlight on the UK (immigration options for Ukrainian nationals outside of the UK), restrictions on Russian/Belarussian nationals and impact on businesses with operations in Ukraine.
On-Demand Webinar | Ukraine and Russia: Mobility and Immigration Impacts (4 March 2022) This 30-minute live webinar covers immigration situation for Ukrainian nationals, immigration situation for thirdcountry nationals legally resident in Ukraine trying to flee the conflict, impact on Russian nationals and impact on businesses with operations in Ukraine including remote work hubs.
Immigration Alerts and Updates
• EU Adopts Temporary Protection Directive for Ukrainian
Citizens, Initial Information Announced • In-Depth Alerts: United Kingdom Immigration Updates • EU Issues Operational Guidelines for Temporary
Protection Directive (TPD) (2001/55/EC)
Newland Chase is pleased to welcome Daniel Morris as Director and Counsel, Advisory Services. In his new role, Dan will advise multinational corporations on all aspects of employee global immigration and mobility and provide strategic guidance on how to achieve business objectives. Dan’s appointment sees him return to Newland Chase after a two-year hiatus.
“We are delighted to welcome Dan back to Newland Chase. He is an expert in his field, and we know his wealth of industry experience and proven track record of building client relationships will reinforce our position as a leading global immigration services provider.” – Steven Diehl, Executive Vice President, Newland Chase
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Newland Chase has announced Michael Du as Managing Director, China. In his new role, Michael leads the company’s corporate visa and immigration service delivery under the operating brand, Newland Chase-FSG, to its growing client base of foreign companies operating in China and Chinese companies expanding globally. Newland Chase-FSG is part of the strategic joint venture of our parent company CIBT and Shanghai Foreign Service (Group) Co., Ltd – the leading provider of human resources services in China.
“Newland Chase-FSG is excited to welcome Michael. His extensive industry experience in progressive leadership roles will serve our clients and our business well. I am confident his success will only continue, and his leadership will serve as a catalyst for even faster growth in the China market.” – Nicolas Derbyshire, Executive Vice President, Asia Pacific
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Seventh Annual Arpin Strong Golf Tournament raises over $22,000 for charity
The Arpin Charitable Fund announced today that its Seventh Annual Arpin Strong Golf Tournament / Bob Sullivan and Mark Dearborn Memorial has successfully raised $22,107 for charity. The Arpin Charitable Fund, also known as Arpin Strong, was formed to help those in need during natural disasters, or when unfortunate circumstances arise, by participating in community-based volunteer projects and fundraising events throughout the year. The organization’s board members were thrilled to host its largest fund-raising event of the year on 15 October after having to cancel in 2020 due to the pandemic. Although this year’s charity golf tournament was scaled back to ensure proper social distancing protocols could be followed, the event still garnered a full complement of golfers for the 9hole course. Overlooking beautiful Narragansett Bay, the Jamestown Golf Course, located in Jamestown, Rhode Island, is believed to be one of the oldest public courses in the United States. “Arpin Charitable Fund is enabling starving people across Haiti, Malawi, and the Philippines to grow nutritious food and organizations to get solar, storage, solar irrigation, and food drying equipment, such as the Ecogenesis outreach program in the Philippines, which is helping to increase farm yields, preserve food, and helping members of the community get access to electricity support in a community center,” said Timothy Maurer, President, the Global Institute For Transformation® (GIFT). Arpin International Group Raises $1,090 to Benefit Sarah’s Circle During the Worldwide ERC® Global Workforce Symposium
Arpin International Group is pleased to announce that its recent Virtual 5K Run raised $1,090 to benefit Sarah’s Circle, a Chicagobased nonprofit organization serving women who are homeless or in need of a safe space. Located in Chicago’s Uptown community, Sarah’s Circle has supported thousands of women since 1979.
Held 19-22 October to coincide with the Worldwide ERC® Global Workforce Symposium in Chicago, IL, this was the first time global mobility professionals gathered at a large-scale in-person industry event in almost two years. Even so, many of our colleagues were unable to attend due to covid travel restrictions; however, that did not stop them from participating virtually. Running enthusiasts throughout the world joined in the event locally and posted their time on social media. We congratulate and applaud all participants for their energy and passion for helping others.
At the close of the event, Arpin International Group’s VP of Business Development, Michael Hughes, and Director of Global Business Development, Curt Smigel, visited with Stephanie Nilson of Sarah’s Circle to deliver the donation personally. “It was an honor to contribute to the local community in Chicago and be a helping hand to Sarah’s Circle. They are doing phenomenal work building back the lives of so many homeless women.”
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Arpin International Group Honored with Sterling Lexicon Gold Award for Service Excellence
Arpin International Group’s GSA (General Services Administration) division was honored to receive the Gold Award for Service Excellence from Sterling Lexicon. This prestigious award recognizes supplier partners that demonstrate an unwavering commitment to customer service and quality.
“We are honored to once again receive recognition by Sterling Lexicon for our continued efforts to afford each customer with the best moving experience possible, said Mark Greene, Senior Vice President – GSA Division, Arpin International Group. “As a family-owned company with over 120+ years of experience, we’ve been successful by looking at each move from our customer’s perspective. We will continue to work hard to exceed every customer’s expectations by listening to and anticipating their needs.” Sterling Lexicon holds its annual Celebration of Suppliers’ ceremony to honor industry partners who have provided exceptional service to its clients. Arpin International Group is proud to partner with Sterling Lexicon to provide seamless execution of services to meet the U.S. Government’s strict regulatory requirements and advanced security protocols.
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Arpin International Group promotes Ronnie Blanchard to general manager, GSA services
Arpin International Group is pleased to announce the promotion of Ronnie Blanchard from GSA supervisor to general manager, GSA services. In his new role, Blanchard will be responsible for daily operations, account management, overseeing domestic moves, managing claims, and assisting with the creation of internal templates—all while maintaining a highly-efficient and motivated operations team. He will also lead the effort to support GSA team members’ growth and professional development, provide leadership and training to coordinators to ensure Arpin’s standard operating procedures are adhered to, and educate staff on individual account needs. Blanchard will retain responsibilities as supervisor for high-profile moves while assisting the GSA division with establishing long-range plans. He has recently become a member of LACMA, FIDI39, and IAM Young Professionals’ clubs. “Ronnie has been an integral part of the GSA team’s continued growth within the industry and success of the GSA division at Arpin,” said Matthew Somweber, director of operations, GSA, Arpin International Group. “He leads by example and is dedicated to enhancing the culture and skill levels for all employees. I am looking forward to watching him excel in this new role while continuing to grow personally and professionally.” Blanchard joined Arpin International Group in 2014 as a coordinator and was promoted to team lead in 2018, supervisor in 2019,…
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Arpin International Group unveils its 2022 Moving For A Cause charitable campaign
Arpin International Group is pleased to unveil its newest charitable outreach campaign, “Moving For A Cause.” This latest CSR initiative is being spearheaded by the company’s non-profit arm, Arpin Strong. It aims to prove that there’s no limit to how we can collectively advance transformative solutions to the defining social and environmental issues of our time.
“To help us realize our vision of creating lasting change in the world, we’ve expanded our charitable outreach to include input from Arpin’s valued customers,” said Peter Arpin, President of Arpin International Group. “At Arpin, we believe in building meaningful and enduring relationships with our customers. The ‘Moving For A Cause’ campaign provides our customers with an opportunity to get involved with causes that they are passionate about.” The program works by allowing each customer to choose between five global charities upon the completion of their move. Arpin will then donate to that charity on behalf of the customer to say, “Thank You,” for affording us the privilege of servicing their move. The charities selected for the inaugural year are: Ocean Conservancy, Global Institute For Transformation, Habitat For Humanity, Wreaths Across America, and The Trevor Project. The program is open to Arpin’s corporate, military, and private-residential customers. We hope to donate a minimum of $35,000.00 to the selected charities based on customer engagement.
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Arpin International Group announces promotions
Arpin International Group is pleased to announce the promotions of Tracy Cole, Kevin Amatucci, and Karen Bannon. “Tracy, Kevin, and Karen all have a lot in common: hard work, smarts, willing to change, adapt, and always willing to help and nurture others. All three have been with Arpin for many years, and have made us a much better company. In their new roles, now, more than ever, they will guide AIG to what we believe is a very bright future,” said Peter Arpin, president of Arpin International Group.
Tracy Cole has been promoted to vice president of operations. Cole is a relocation professional who began her career in international household goods removals with Arpin International Group in 1999. As vice president of operations, she is responsible for daily operations, international supply chain management, and managing existing account relationships by providing client support services to Arpin’s key global accounts, as well as the company’s service teams managing the customer experience. …
Kevin Amatucci has been promoted to vice president of operations. He joined Arpin in 2013 and has over 29 years of experience in the household goods relocation industry. Amatucci is responsible for the day-to-day management and strategic oversight of international corporate relocations and its domestic FastPACSM program. This includes developing and implementing account management teams for Arpin’s top clients, setting staffing goals, training team leaders, and serving as a point of escalation for the operations team. …
Karen Bannon has been promoted to director of marketing and ESG. Bannon has nearly three decades of moving and storage industry experience. As director of marketing and ESG, Bannon is responsible for managing and reporting on sustainability initiatives to minimize the company’s environmental impacts and maximize its positive contributions to the world in close partnership with cross-functional global teams. …
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Gerson Relocation Welcomes Sarah Jones As Pricing And Vendor Manager
Sarah joins Gerson Relocation, the premier international removals, relocation, and assignment services company, at an exciting time following their recent rebranding and further expansion. Sarah brings with her a wealth of knowledge gained over 19 years in the relocation industry. With her experience Sarah is the ideal candidate to build positive and long-term relationships with the quality supply chain that supports Gerson Relocation. Tony Dullaghan-Stone, Director -
General Manager for Gerson Relocation commented “We are all excited by the growth of Gerson Relocation and we are delighted to welcome Sarah to the company at this pivotal time, we wish her every success in her new role.
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Welcome to Lilia Mileva to the LuxRelo Team as Administrative Manager
As our focus remains on providing exceptional service to our clients, LuxRelo is delighted to welcome Lilia Mileva as LuxRelo Administrative Manager and Immigration Specialist. For the last 17 year Lilia worked in the hospitality industry including 13 years in Luxembourg. She brings her extensive experience in customer service and will help us to improve the quality of immigration & relocation services we are providing to expats relocating to Luxembourg. To read more click here
LuxRelo is happy to announce that David Soum has been promoted as Relocation Manager
LuxRelo one of the leading provider of relocation & immigration services in Luxembourg is pleased to announce the appointment of David Soum as Relocation Manager. “David brought us his experience of the hospitality industry, and will help us to continue improving our customer service and bring LuxRelo to the next level” explained Stéphane Compain, CEO & Co-Founder.
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The Region’s Leading Relocation Company Announces New Ownership
Dubai, 15th December 2021 – Executive Expatriate Relocations (EER) has just announced an exciting change in ownership. From 15.12.21 the company will be jointly spearheaded by its current Managing Director Marie O’Neill and its Operations Director, Aideen Hopkins. Founded in 2005, EER has established a reputation as the region’s leading relocation, immigration and corporate services company, much of which is down to the visionary work of O’Neill and Hopkins during their tenure as senior leaders. The evolution of their role to co-owners is expected to propel EER to even greater heights as they set forth with an ambitious framework of expansion in both service provisions and geographical reach. A Pedigree of Success Having worked with the company for eleven and nine years respectively, Marie and Aideen have already demonstrated their immeasurable skill at running a successful and stable organisation in their capacity as senior leaders and board members. Their transition to coowners appears to be somewhat of a natural progression given their obvious commitment to EER and its growth. Both women have shown an uncanny ability to adapt where necessary, make essential tough decisions and successfully implement transformational initiatives for the betterment of their clients all over the world. Given all this, it is no wonder that amongst their clients, team and industry insiders this news is being met with widespread applause and the consistent feedback that both Marie and Aideen represent the best possible future for EER. Simon Scott, Vice President at Altair Global, shared his excitement at the announcement, “Marie and Aideen have steered EER through the ups and downs of the last few years with thoughtful precision and insightful action, always ensuring that, as clients, we never experienced a dip in performance.
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Help AMS support children’s literacy in Africa
Africa Mobility Services (AMS) is marking its 10th year in operation with a new initiative aimed at helping children in Africa with their literacy studies.
The project, called ‘The Right to Write’, potentially involves the whole of the global mobility industry. It aims to collect 10,000 pens or pencils (1,000 for each year of AMS’s business), donated by companies at this year’s IMA, FIDI, Harmony and IAM conferences.
“Almost every company produces pens or pencils as giveaways,” said AMS CEO, Kim Becker. “We are asking our friends and partners to donate some of them for distribution to Africa’s children. They are simple, but vitally important items that really make a difference to the kids’ education.”
Charnel Francis, the company’s Business Development Manager has been collecting pens and pencils for Africa’s children for over six years and has seen the dramatic impact they can make. “Each child gets through around 10 pencils and 10 pens a year,” she explained. “The pens help their education, education contributes to employment, employment provides wellbeing for the families which leads to sustainable communities and economic benefits for everyone.”
So if you are attending these conferences, please take the trouble to take a few extra pens, whether they carry your company branding or not, for donation to the AMS campaign.
The campaign works ‘hand in hand’ with the AMS ‘Hockey Dreams’ program that focuses on education, coaching, mentorship and development for rural African communities. NYC Navigator launched a partnership with PiVT to support employee social wellbeing
Pivt and NYC Navigator have entered into a strategic partnership to improve social support for relocated employees and their families. Pivt is the first mobility-focused social networking app provided to relocated employees as a wellness benefit, designed to improve the social well-being of employees on the move, increase retention, and help usher in the era of business without borders. Within the app, users can connect with other relocated individuals and their families, as well as gain access to community experts for local resources and recommendations. With Pivt, individuals and families are able to prepare, plan, and be welcomed into their new community long before, during, and after relocating – because no one should feel alone in a place they call home. NYC Navigator supports relocation needs for employees living, working, and thriving in the New York City Metro area. Much like Pivt, NYC Navigator serves as an advocate to “Recreate Home,” which they do through high touch destination services, social events, and partnering with innovative solutions like Pivt. Both companies aim to provide a fluid transition to relocated individuals, while also offering an all-in-one digital space from the time they begin their move to when they’ve transitioned to their new home. “We are so excited to be partnering with Brenda and NYC Navigator," notes Pivt CEO Lynn Greenberg."They do such a fantastic job of cultivating community and recreating the feeling of home for employees and their families. We look forward to partnering with them to add a digital component to this.” Brenda Levis, President of NYC Navigator, agrees, saying, “NYC Navigator is thrilled to be forming an innovative, collaborative partnership with Lynn and her brilliant team at Pivt! By combining our live social events, and Pivt’s digital community, we will be offering unprecedented social support for relocating employees and their families, creating a tremendous benefit for both the employee and employer.” By combining Pivt and NYC Navigator, the industry is getting one step closer towards supporting more employees’ mental and social health during what can be an incredibly stressful life event - relocating.
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OWL Technology is Transforming the Future of Temporary Housing Procurement
OWL’s mission is to revolutionize the sourcing and procurement of Serviced Apartments globally. Its vision is to be an easy and fast sourcing software, saving suppliers and clients’ money by eliminating the layering of costs-allowing them to source local providers in the market
Founded in 2020, OWL provides industry-changing temporary housing sourcing technology, allowing RMCs, corporate clients, and global temporary housing suppliers to connect directly with the inventory holder. In addition, complimentary access enables you to connect directly with a local provider in the city you want to book accommodations. This state-of-the-art marketplace housing solution creates a new level of ease of doing business, eliminating the layering of costs and daily fees that have become the standard in the mobility industry today.
OWL’s mission is to revolutionize the sourcing and procurement of Serviced Apartments globally. Its vision is to be an easy and fast sourcing software, saving suppliers and clients’ money by eliminating the layering of costs-allowing them to source local providers in the market. It also increases a client’s ability to obtain higher referral fees or achieve significant costs savings for their clients. As a result, the OWL team has created a “Best-in-Class” product for the mobility industry.
The current temporary housing procurement process is cumbersome, with excess paperwork and frequent miscommunication between middlemen and third parties. OWL’s breakthrough technology answers suppliers and relocation management companies’ key pain points with traditional sourcing “platforms.” Old methods are hindering, not helping. The problem was important to solve because suppliers and clients were paying way more than they should, and costs were passed onto the guest or their company.
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Ascott Upgrades Loyalty Programme to Offer more Rewards for Members’ Bookings via Direct Channels
In celebration of Ascott Star Rewards’ third anniversary, members can score up to 35% more points, receive up to 10 million bonus points and fast-track membership upgrade to Platinum tier
CapitaLand Investment Limited’s (CLI) wholly owned lodging business unit, The Ascott Limited (Ascott) has upgraded its loyalty programme, Ascott Star Rewards (ASR), to offer more rewards for members’ bookings made via its direct channels1. In celebration of ASR’s third anniversary in April, ASR members can now earn points on qualifying bookings through Ascott’s reservation offices2 via email, phone call and WeChat as well as authorised travel agents via Ascott’s Global Distribution System. Members can also earn points for walk-in bookings at more than 400 ASR participating properties in over 130 cities across more than 30 countries. These channels are in addition to Ascott’s booking website discoverasr.com and the Discover ASR mobile app.
ASR has also been expanded to include more exclusive benefits3. ASR members can enjoy priority check-ins, birthday discount e-vouchers and look forward to brandspecific arrival experiences and welcome amenities or signature gifts that are customised for each of Ascott’s 14 award-winning brands.
Ms Tan Bee Leng, Ascott’s Managing Director for Brand & Marketing, said: “Three years on, Ascott remains steadfast in our commitment to uphold ASR as one of the most flexible loyalty programmes in the hospitality industry. There is no cap to ASR points earned, no minimum points redemption and no blackout dates for redemption. Our ASR members enjoy maximum flexibility and convenience when using their points. Even when travel was most hardhit during COVID-19, our ASR members have stood by us and remained loyal guests of Ascott. Since its launch in 2019, ASR membership has been increasing by 40% annually. ASR members continue to find value with Ascott, contributing about 90% of Ascott’s direct bookings online and about 50% of ASR members are repeat guests.”
