IERG Chairman’s Message

2021 Reflections

As IERG members and internationalists, we have had to cope during this very difficult and challenging pandemic while continuing to provide and support activity within IERG, to engage and help each other and network across the organization.

Even though we were deep in the pandemic, 2021 was a good year for our membership. We requested information from each other in record numbers either directly or by using the Requests list facility. We also provided information to each other such as notification of changed jobs or other information that we thought others would find interesting such as a trip report or topical summit using the FYI list. One of the key resources is that we have available is to share leads for positions in your organization or in general using the Leads list. These are just examples of some of the lists that members have access to. Please check your lists from your profile to see if you are subscribed to lists of interest.

We saw a move from purely virtual networking and educational meetings in 2020 to hybrid, this allowed greater access for our members to attend meetings outside of their geographic areas, and back to some in-person events.

I am sure you will agree that membership of IERG provides a forum for internationalists and ex-pats to access experiences and knowledge from various parts of the world.

Here are a few recent IERG highlights:

• IERG Member Services
  • Career Advancement Program (CAP): This structured Leadership course is a great membership benefit. CAP strives to help all members, including those in transition, with career advancement skills and tactics. Co-chairs Betty Flasch, Raji Ramanan and Simon Turner have added significant leadership content and restructuring to the CAP. If you have not engaged in the CAP, you likely are missing out.
  • The current course offering is broken down by chapters. The next offering is Chapter #2  - Building Your Personal Brand  (Jan 20, 2022) - Register to attend, or Registration: iergonline.org  (under section “Career Advancement Program”). 
  • IERG Global Leadership Series Webinar Program:  This program provides high-quality educational programming and is growing rapidly in attendance, reach, and notoriety as we bring in renowned global experts to speak on key topics in the world today, reinforcing IERG as a global thought leader.  If you have ideas for a topic and presenter, from any location – please contact Shay Coker
  • IERG Global Business leader Certification: Your IERG certification is a prized acknowledgment of your capabilities and achievements that increase your resume credentials and help you stand out in your job search. Please apply for Principal and Fellow levels of GBL Certification.
  • IERG Connect Newsletter: Shay Coker together with Ruth Bardos has done an exemplary job compiling, editing, and publishing the IERG Connect Newsletter. It has a wealth of information and is a great forum for you to introduce yourself to the rest of the membership. If you have compelling content to share, please contact Shay and Ruth.
• Chapters
  • One of the joys of IERG membership is to connect with other internationalists and discuss topics of interest. A key mechanism for social interaction is through our chapter network. There is likely a chapter close to you, if not, why not consider applying to start one. To do this please reach out to Fred Suarez, who has done a magnificent job of running the Florida chapter and the entire chapter council.
  • Walter Baker has been confirmed as Chair of the IERG Virtual Chapter. Walter is a seasoned leader, executive search, human capital consultant, and ‘connector’ and will bring that talent and passion to the Virtual Chapter meetings. Please reach out and welcome Walter.
  • There are many upcoming Chapter Events – Open to all members (see iergonline.org for details & registration)
  • If you have ideas for topics that members may enjoy or ideas for how to engage safely, please contact your chapter chair (or reach out to Fred Suarez).

As you can see, the IERG Board has worked quite hard for the membership, focusing on continuing to increase member value and enabling initiatives for education, networking, transition, career growth, global business leader certification, and professional development. You too can benefit by providing Leadership through mentoring, codifying and implementing best practices, authoring position papers, engaging, sharing knowledge, and working on initiatives.

We have done well this past year in spite of the challenges we faced. Our membership has remained engaged and is yearning to forget about social distancing. I am very excited about the future. The IERG has an incredibly important role to play to help our members succeed in our truly global world.

Our organization is only as strong as our membership. Please invite your colleagues to apply for IERG membership, so they too can enjoy the benefits and share their insights. Perhaps this time next, if we each recruit a single person, we all benefit by being twice the size.

Wishing you all a very happy and safe 2022.

Waseem Naqvi
President and Chair, IERG