Each year, 200+ WERC members from around the world contribute their time and expertise to advance the talent mobility industry and support the mission of their industry association by volunteering to serve on one or more of our advisory councils, policy forums, or working groups. Service by mobility professionals is critical not only for the work of WERC but in enabling the industry overall to respond to evolving trends and issues impacting talent mobility.
Councils, Forums, Working Groups, Committees, and Leadership
Advisory Councils
Corporate Advisory Council
The purpose of the Corporate Advisory Council, comprised of senior industry leaders from within the industry, is to: 1) serve as a sounding board and provide subject matter expertise to WERC related to the deployment of WERC’s strategic plan and related deliverables; 2) liaise with WERC staff and board of directors to provide insights on key strategies, challenges, and needs to support WERC-related products and services, including membership acquisition, engagement, and retention; and 3) inform WERC about key trends and/or issues impacting the talent mobility industry.
EMEA Region Advisory Council
The purpose of the WERC EMEA Region Advisory Council is to: 1) Identify and provide insights to WERC on major topics/issues impacting the talent mobility industry as it pertains to the region, including recommendations on actions/engagement that WERC should consider to support the industry and providing subject matter expertise to support content/resource development; 2) support WERC in identifying content areas and potential speakers for events occurring in region; 3) serve as a sounding board and provide subject matter expertise to WERC related to the deployment of WERC’s strategic plan and related deliverables pertaining to the region; and 4) liaise with WERC staff and board of directors to provide insights on key strategies, challenges, and needs to support WERC-related products and services, including membership acquisition, engagement, and retention.
LATAM Region Advisory Council
The purpose of the WERC LATAM Region Advisory Council is to: 1) Identify and provide insights to WERC on major topics/issues impacting the talent mobility industry as it pertains to the region, including recommendations on actions/engagement that WERC should consider to support the industry and providing subject matter expertise to support content/resource development; 2) support WERC in identifying content areas and potential speakers for events occurring in region; 3) serve as a sounding board and provide subject matter expertise to WERC related to the deployment of WERC’s strategic plan and related deliverables pertaining to the region; and 4) liaise with WERC staff and board of directors to provide insights on key strategies, challenges, and needs to support WERC-related products and services, including membership acquisition, engagement, and retention.
Service Provider Advisory Council
The purpose of the Service Provider Advisory Council, comprised of senior leaders from within the industry, is to: 1) serve as a sounding board and provide subject matter expertise to WERC related to the deployment of WERC’s strategic plan and related deliverables; 2) liaise with WERC staff and board of directors to provide insights on key strategies, challenges, and needs to support WERC-related products and services, including membership acquisition, engagement, and retention; and 3) inform WERC about key trends and/or issues impacting the talent mobility industry.
Sustainability Advisory Council
The purpose of the Sustainability Advisory Council is to: 1) advise WERC on industry trends and practices related to environmental sustainability; 2) support development and implementation of industry-focused resources and content by both WERC and the Coalition for Greener Mobility to advance best practices across the talent mobility industry related to environmental sustainability; and 3) provide insights on the potential impact of regulatory changes pertaining to environmental sustainability and support development of WERC responses to regulatory actions.
Policy Forums
Compliance Forum
The relocation of employees around the world requires an awareness of the myriad laws, regulations, and requirements of the various countries in which WERC members operate. Understanding the legal and regulatory regimes of various governments is a critical component of a compliant mobility program. Employers, relocation management companies, and direct delivery providers all comprise a sophisticated system to ensure employees and their families along with their personal goods are properly relocated while adhering to local, national, and international laws and standards. The objective of the WERC Compliance Forum is to 1) inform our stakeholders of key current legal and regulatory issues which impact workforce mobility; and 2) engage in initiatives and educational actions to support the WERC membership on compliance matters.
Immigration Forum
The mission of the Immigration Forum is to educate the WERC on immigration policies important to workforce mobility and, as appropriate, to develop and present the position of WERC to influence that policy. Pursuant to the WERC “Business Immigration Policy Position Statement,” the ability of employers to move employees to different countries is the backbone of international talent mobility. Immigration policy is therefore a critical component of the public policy priorities of WERC members of our Immigration Forum represent a wide spectrum of multinational companies, startups, and leading legal and consultancy firms and include nationally recognized experts in areas of immigration law, policy, and mobility management.
North American Real Estate and Mortgage Forum
A critical component of the successful relocation of employees involves moving from one home to another home and often includes the sale and/or purchase of personal property. Home sales are complicated transactions that are more complex when dealing with transferees and potentially employers and relocation management companies. The objective of the North American Real Estate and Mortgage Forum is to determine those aspects of real estate transactions important to talent mobility and educate the WERC membership on real estate related issues, compliance and tax issues related to mortgage lending and the conveyancing of real property, and, when appropriate, develop and present the position of WERC to influence real estate policies.
Tax Forum
Domestic and global deployment of employees, whether on assignment or by relocation, subject an individual and their employer to myriad varying tax codes and tax policies. These codes and policies can be an important determination of where companies locate operations as they both have a legal and financial impact to the employer’s as well as on the transferee’s/assignee’s related tax obligations. The objective of the Tax Forum is to monitor and educate the WERC membership on the significant tax law and regulation changes of relevance to talent mobility, and, as appropriate, influence tax policy specific to relocation through active support of advocacy efforts.
Working Groups
Content Working Group
The purpose of the Content Working Group is to: 1) serve as a sounding board and provide subject matter expertise to WERC related to the development and deployment of content resources; 2) inform WERC about key trends and/or issues impacting the talent mobility industry and recommend topics and/or persons to interview for WERC publications; and 3) support the creation of WERC content, as applicable and appropriate, by directly writing pieces for publication, serving as sources for WERC-written pieces, and/or connecting WERC staff to potential writers and/or subject matter experts on industry topics. Note: Final editorial decisions related to published content will be with WERC.
GWS Planning Committee
The purpose of the GWS Planning Committee is to: 1) advise WERC on trends and/or issues impacting the talent mobility industry and recommend topics to incorporate as part of the GWS content; 2) review and evaluate concurrent workshop proposals submitted as part of a general call for proposals and select slate of workshops from the proposal pool (in conjunction with WERC) for inclusion in the symposium programming; and 3) support WERC in identifying potential workshop speakers to fill out panels for selected concurrent workshop sessions, as necessary. The term of service for this group will associated with the 2024 GWS Symposium in National Harbor, Maryland.
Emerging Leaders (formerly Young Professionals) Taskforce
The WERC Emerging Leaders Taskforce supports and fosters emerging leaders within the talent mobility industry. This is done through opportunities for industry visibility and thought leadership, providing the ability to invest back in the industry through volunteer and philanthropic opportunities, facilitating connections between peers, and fostering ambassadors of WERC and the talent mobility industry. Members contribute insights, enhance visibility, and serve as key role in advancing the association’s mission and objectives.
Leadership
WERC Board of Directors
WERC Foundation Board of Trustees
Volunteer Requirements
To become a volunteer within a WERC volunteer group, individuals are expected to:
- Have a valid, active WERC membership, either through their company as a company member representative or as an individual. If selected to serve on an advisory council or working group, individuals must maintain their WERC membership for the duration of their service term.
- Possess subject-matter expertise related to the scope of the group, with particular emphasis on talent mobility trends and processes in the United States and/or around the world.
- For international regional advisory councils, one must be based in the region of focus.
- Have professional experience either directly within the talent mobility industry or an adjacent sector (such as, but not limited to, human resources, etc.).
- Be willing to be an active participant in the group throughout the year, which includes, but is not limited to, attending scheduled calls, providing substantive input into resources, materials, and/or events as necessary, and serving as a speaker/subject-matter expert on WERC member updates related to topics within the scope of the group as applicable and as permitted by their organization.
- Insight in to emerging markets and/or trends within the talent mobility industry and understanding of the needs and motivations of individuals and/or organizations within the industry as it may pertain to membership with the association, attendance at GWS or other WERC events, and/or beneficial products or services that would benefit the industry.
Note: Applications for volunteer positions will reopen in March 2025. Nominations for the WERC Board of Directors and the Foundation for Workforce Mobility Board of Trustees are not currently open. The nomination process for both will commence in May 2025.