Global Connection Global Connection is turning twenty this year – a perfect opportunity to reflect on how far expat partner support has come over the last two decades. What started as a contact point for information exchange has grown into a powerful partner hub, offering various forms of customised support. Text Henk Dam
“T
he better things go for partners, the greater the chance that overseas postings will be a success.” Spoken by Ingeborg Hooft Graafland, the wife of Heineken’s current CFO, those words form part of the preface to Global Connection’s Expat & Partner Guide. This year looks back at the founding of Global Connection twenty years ago – or rather, the founding of its predecessor, the Heineken Partner Network.
‘Companies have a direct interest in ensuring the well-being of accompanying partners’ That first organisation came about thanks to the work of Ingeborg who, after living in Zaire, realised how important it was for multinationals not only to offer support to their expatriated employees, but also to their partners. And she managed to convince the top brass at Heineken that she was right. After all, it makes perfect sense: companies have a direct interest in ensuring the well-being of accompanying partners. Today, that idea has become such common currency that the last Global Relocation Trends Report (2012), conducted by Brookfield GRS, reported that 92 per cent of multinationals now offer some form of partner support.
60
Global Connection | June 2013
Lounging around the pool That’s quite a change from twenty years ago! The prevailing view of multinationals back then was that the partners of expatriated employees (the majority of whom were women) should be grateful for the chance to lead a ‘luxurious life’ overseas. Spouses spending their days playing tennis or lounging by the pool were among the plethora of clichés. Today, the social developments that have taken place over the past two decades have undermined the image of the spoiled expat partner. And the evolution of partner support has kept brisk pace with those developments. In the beginning, the Heineken Partner Network started out mainly as a contact point where expat partners could exchange telephone numbers, helping them connect to each other and share experiences. In addition, a newsletter was sent around a couple of times a year. That newsletter grew into the magazine you are familiar with today. And the number of companies and organisations joining our ranks has also grown.
Working hard for partners And just look where we are today! We’re now much more than just a network and a magazine. Global Connection has grown into a one-stop shop for support, providing partners with targeted solutions that are tailored to their personal needs. We work hard to make sure living abroad is a more enjoyable, and most importantly, more personally fulfilling experience for all expat partners.
Life as a ‘serial expat’ Twenty years ago, when Global Connection was just starting up, Irish native Mary Kinane moved to Vietnam with her husband Hein van Dort. It was the beginning of an expat adventure that would take her to seven countries, and one that she still doesn’t want to end.
M
aria is a perfect example of what you might call a ‘serial expat’. After moving to the Netherlands in 1991, she travelled to Vietnam two years later together with her husband, who works for Heineken. The postings that followed would take them to St. Lucia, Hainan Island, Papua New Guinea, back to the Netherlands, Russia and, finally, Singapore, where they’ve lived since 2011. And no, she would not object to adding to that already impressive list of countries. “I think expat life is wonderful.
‘The longer you live abroad, the less you want to move back home’ There’s always something happening, you meet amazing people, you have the chance to get to know other cultures. In my experience, the longer you live abroad, the less you want to move back home.” This could be because Mary now adjusts quickly to life in a new country. “When we first moved to Vietnam, I didn’t know what to do. Now it’s a lot easier. I have more confidence and know that it’s up to me to take the necessary steps to shape my life the way I want it. The longer you live life as an expat, the easier that gets.”
Their own career When asked whether she sees differences in the attitudes of expat partners today compared to twenty years ago, she explains: “Maybe it has more to do with our current posting, but I see more and more young female expat partners who want their own career. A lot of partners now work in
Singapore. That wasn’t the case in our earlier postings.” And more generally speaking: “Back then, you just followed your husband. Now I often hear that women are no longer so willing to give up their careers. Accompanying partners want to do more with their lives. A lot of people are studying for a degree, for example. It’s good that those partners receive support. Multinationals are realising more and more how important it is to ensure that partners are happy.” Does Maria see any drawbacks to life as a global citizen? “One disadvantage is that you have no continuity in your friendships. When you move away, you always have to say goodbye to friends. The older I get, the more difficult that is. And, of course, you also miss out on all the highlights in the lives of the family members you left behind.”
A changed woman But, as she’s already said, Maria sees a lot of positives that balance out the equation. She feels that the experiences she’s gained as an expat have changed her. “You become more easy-going. You’re less easily frustrated. And you gain more respect for other cultures.” That respect is echoed in one of her tips to novice expat partners: “Never forget that you are a guest in your host country.” And she adds: “Learn the local language. It will help you to integrate faster.” But above all she advises: “Maintain a positive attitude!”
Global Connection | June 2013
61