Latest News from Omni

OMNI is providing its members with financial vetting of shipping lines as part of its continuing compliance programme, providing additional confidence to corporate and Relocation Management Company (RMC) clients.

OMNI (Overseas Moving Network International) has become the first global network of mobility companies to provide financial vetting of the shipping lines its members use for transporting transferees’ household goods.  The move comes in the wake of the demise of the South Korean Hanjin shipping line in August that left an estimated $14billion of cargo stranded and provides increased confidence to OMNI members’ corporate and relocation management clients that transferees’ private possessions will be safe.

OMNI represents over 120 moving and relocation companies worldwide that are all market leaders in their own regions and specialise in handling household goods movements for many large corporations.  The crash of Hanjin highlighted the vulnerability of goods while they are in transit and OMNI has been quick to provide this vetting service, unique in the industry, to its member companies.

The information gathered by OMNI allows it to provide its members with a monthly ‘Freight Operators Financial Stress Review’ showing the comparative health of each shipping company’s finances.  Each member can then choose to use only those lines that are considered to be financially safe or advise clients of any potential risks in their chosen routing.

Ian Waters, General Manager of OMNI, said that the need to provide this new service had become obvious in recent weeks. “The Hanjin crash rocked the industry and caused considerable anxiety for corporations that are relocating employees around the world,” he said. “We felt that it was important for us to react quickly to help protect customers and their transferees and demonstrate that we always have their best interests at heart.”

This new move forms part of OMNI’s growing suite of ‘Risk and Compliance Solutions’ that have taken centre stage within the organisation.  OMNI recognised some years ago that providing corporations with absolute confidence of the integrity of its members – especially with regard to bribery, corruption and money laundering risks – was a key priority and has been working achieve this aim. 

“Compliance and risk management are of primary importance to our members’ customers,” said Ian.  “At OMNI it’s our job to make sure we provide the best possible commercial services to help members meet their customers’ needs.”

OMNI already vets its whole membership to identify potential compliance risks and is currently engaged in an ambitious project to allow all its members to demonstrate to their corporate clients that their whole supply chains are compliant and verified as such by a trusted third party. 

The project is due for completion early in 2017 and a further announcement is expected in January.

New survey for Graebel finds majority of Millennials are willing to relocate for a job, postpone life milestones to live and work in desired destinations 

Millennials are redefining the employment landscape and how domestic and global mobility factor into their lives and careers. A new survey of Millennials by Wakefield Research for Graebel, found 84% of Millennials are willing to relocate for a job, and 82% believe they will be required to relocate if they want to advance their careers. 

Moreover, the survey revealed that Millennials are willing to make significant sacrifices in order to live and work in their ‘dream’ cities in the U.S. and abroad. More than 80% would be willing to take a pay cut if necessary to relocate to a dream destination; 71% would be willing to postpone marriage and 72% would be willing to postpone having children. 

“Twenty years ago, a much smaller percentage of the workforce expected to need to relocate for career advancement,” said Bill Graebel, President and CEO of Graebel. “Now we’re seeing a significant shift toward younger employees relocating, sometimes internationally, and it’s changing how companies think about talent acquisition and retention, and how employees map their lives and careers. Millennials embrace the notion of relocating as a catalyst for achieving career goals.” 

Survey findings include: 

•Millennials on the move: Millennials have a global mindset when it comes to their careers. 84% are willing to relocate for a job, 72% domestically and 41% internationally. 

•Career building through mobility: 82% of Millennials believe eventual relocation will be necessary for career advancement, and 83% say they would give preference to a prospective employee who has worked abroad, if they were in charge of hiring. 

•Motivated by money: When it comes to relocation, Millennials are more motivated by money than by experience. 65% would move to a foreign country for higher income, compared to 35% who would relocate for the experience. 

•Life milestones at home and abroad: To live in their dream destination, 72% of childless Millennials would delay having kids and 71% of single respondents would postpone getting married. However, a large percentage of Millennials would be willing to build a life while working overseas—43% would buy a home, 47% would buy a car, 41% would get a pet and 34% would get married and have children. 

•Independent-minded: Although traditionally, employers not only pay for relocation expenses but also make the arrangements, 78% of Millennials would rather make all the travel and housing decisions themselves using a company stipend. This suggests Millennials are more willing to use web-based tools, social media and smartphones to be more independent transferees. 

•Dream cities: In the USA New York tops the list of dream cities for Millennials, followed by (in order) Los Angeles, Miami, Seattle and San Francisco. London is the most desired city outside the US, followed by Paris, Sydney, Tokyo and Berlin. 

Sonia Fernandes has recently been promoted within Global International Relocation in Portugal to become the company’s import manager.  She joined the company in 2009 as a move coordinator and was promoted to move manager in 2012.  As import manager she now runs the  import team ensuring clear communication with partner agents and a smooth service to clients.

Ana Gaspar has become the new export manager for Global International Relocations in Portugal.  Ana joined the GIR family in September 2013 as a move coordinator. The company said that over the years she has proven to be very capable of taking on greater challenges through her detailed approach and undivided attention to customer needs. As export manager she now runs the company’s export team.

The Suddath Companies has announced a key addition to its Global Moving Services with the appointment of Christopher Jenkins as director of international business development.

Chris has over 12 years of experience in sales management within the international relocation industry, including nine previous years at Suddath® from 2005 to 2014, where he held various roles in B2C and B2B sales. In his new role, Chris will direct and manage the international relocation sales team as well as focus on maximising partnerships with the company’s overseas agent network to offer the strongest possible international programme. 

“Chris brings a wealth of knowledge and a long history of great success in the international space,” said Larry Goldman, Vice President of Global Residential Sales.  “His energy and enthusiasm is contagious and Suddath is very fortunate to have him back to lead our aggressive efforts in this business unit.”

“As consumers’ buying habits evolve and the need for even greater efficiencies and value are expected, I am pleased to bring my knowledge and experience back to Suddath to help meet these needs,” said Chris.  “I look forward to driving the organisation forward and making Suddath a household name in the international moving arena.”

Photo:  Christopher Jenkins  

Fermont in Germany has helped raise €89,000 for the German Multiple Sclerosis Association (DMSG) by providing logistics services to the 13th Pfennigbazar (Penny Bazaar) held on 7 September at the Frankfurt Dominican Monastery.  

The revenues of the two-day sale in the popular second-hand charity warehouse are mainly intended to benefit the DMSG in Hesse that provides consulting and therapeutic services for multiple sclerosis sufferers as well as new projects focusing on young multiple sclerosis patients.

Susie von Verschuer-Bär, CEO of Fermont and co-initiator and highly engaged member of the DMSG in Hesse, was delighted with the result at the end of the sale.  “We earned EUR 89,000.00 in two days,” she said. “We are very satisfied with this.” Susie and her team have been the organisational backbone of the Pfennigbazar since it started in 2004. “The donations which were sorted by the volunteer helpers on seven collective appointments filled over 1,700 moving boxes.”  Susie also explained that she had expected money to be harder to raise this year because of the support for refugees, but people had continued to be very generous. 

 “The Pfennigbazar is not only an important source of income, but it serves as a platform to inform about multiple sclerosis in general, to put a focus on our self-help organization and to inform about our various offers,” said Bernd Crusius, Managing Director of DMSG in Hesse. “A lot has actual happened to address young multiple sclerosis patients. One example is the online platform MS-Connect on which young multiple sclerosis patients can share their experiences in a protected space.”

The PfennigBazaar is popular for its low-priced designer clothes, exclusive evening dresses and elegant suits. Visitors could be sure to find something amongst the huge choice of high quality women’s, men’s and children’s clothes, household goods, art objects, bric-à-brac and toys in good condition.  

Over 300 volunteer helpers had been in action for two days and had even started with the Pfennigbazar’s installation Monday before. They unpacked the goods, gave assistance to the clients and wrapped fragile items. 

The DMSG in Hesse thanks sponsor Galeria Kaufhof, caterers JP-Ela Gourmet-Service and Evangelical Regional Association (which has provided the rooms of the Dominican Monastery) for their support and help. The DMSG in Hesse gets three quarters of the revenues and one quarter goes to the Hospice Association St. Katharina. Anything that has not been sold was given to other non-profit organisations that care for families in need or homeless people.

Photo:  Susanne Freifrau von Verschuer, CEO Fermont; Renate von Metzler, Honorary Chairman DMSG; and Bernd Crusius, Managing Director DMSG.

Martin Brock from Fermont has become Germany’s best apprentice as a specialist in furniture, kitchen and removal services.  Together with his training manager from Fermont, Veronika Acker, he travelled to Berlin and was honoured by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry at a celebratory gathering, which was anchored by the very popular German entertainer Barbara Schöneberger.

The Chamber of Commerce in Frankfurt on the Main honoured Martin for his outstanding results in the Hessian final exams. Susanne Freifrau von Verschuer, the CEO of Fermont was very proud and accompanied him on this special day.

A few weeks later, it was clear that he was not only the best apprentice in the Hessian exams, but he has also the best results compared with the results from all other German federal states. Martin Brock is still with Fermont and started a second apprenticeship as an office clerk in the Frankfurt Office.

Photo: Veronika Acker, Martin Brock, Susanne Freifrau von Verschuer

Photo credit: Stephan Krutsch Photographie

AIReS has recently announced two new pieces of technology designed to help clients: PuzzlePack and AIReSChatter.

PuzzlePack is a mobile puzzle game that’s designed to engage the children of relocating families, but it is fun and challenging for kids of all ages. The game challenges the player to fill a moving truck quickly to earn the most points and move on to the next level (twenty levels in total). Players earn bonus points for answering the mid-level trivia correctly and will want to play again and again to earn the most points and all the rewards. PuzzlePack was designed by AIReS in conjunction with Sword & Spirit Software and is available for download for free on Apple App Store for iOS and Google Play for Android. 

AIReSChatter is a new client forum allows corporate mobility professionals and AIReS’ clients to share ideas and information with each other and allows them to ask and answer questions in an open forum. Additionally, the AIReS Consulting Services team will post key information from surveys, white papers, and articles of interest and benefit to clients.

Image:  PuzzlePack