Best research contribution

Winner: Santa Fe Relocation

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This article is taken from the 2025 Awards supplement in the Summer 2025 issue of Think Global People magazine

Click on the cover to access the digital edition.

View your copy of the Summer 2025 issue of Think Global People magazine.

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“‘Taking Care of Global Mobility Professionals’ is extremely well-researched, crafted, comprehensive and valuable report. The research provides real insights into the changing role of global mobility and how global mobility professionals need to adapt as individuals, as teams and develop their relationships with key stakeholders”. Category Judges

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This award recognises a deeply insightful and practical research report ‘Taking Care of Global Mobility Professionals’ undertaken by Santa Fe Relocation.

Their research assessed why global mobility (GM) teams are considerably overstretched and, in many cases, facing business expectations that global relocations can be executed ‘at the flick of a switch’.

Collaborative approach to research

They developed a detailed questionnaire to determine where global mobility/human resources (HR) professionals spend/should be spending their time, together with identifying key challenges across their global mobility work continuum and their business and leadership stakeholder interactions.

The GM 'Maturity' framework created enables GM and HR professionals to assess what they currently deliver and presents options to transform their function. They shared the findings and insights with 500+ global mobility and HR professionals.

An overview slide submitted as part of their entry, encapsulates the levels of activity within global mobility functions and graphically plots tactical/administrative; risk and cost management and the global strategic business partner, highlighting mindset, operations and skills. These three dimensions illustrate the reflections global mobility professionals need to have on where they are today, where do they want to go in the future and how you can plot your journey. There is an urgent call for action on mindset, operations and skills to create a brighter future and the way forward for global mobility.

Insights shaping the future

The judges said, "This award recognises a deeply insightful and practical research report, 'Taking Care of Global Mobility and HR Professionals.' With a strong research culture and practitioner-led approach, this firm is shaping the future of global mobility by providing tools that drive transformation and meaningful change across the industry."

“Santa Fe Relocation has a strong research culture that actively involves practitioners in research design and dissemination. Research is embedded in this company’s culture and the findings are widely available to the benefit of all. What is invaluable is that the research questionnaire can be tailored and used as a tool by global mobility teams to undertake time/resource reviews, and support and shape desired future state global mobility transformations.”

John Rason, Group Head of Consulting of Santa Fe Relocation accepted the award. Thanking the judges he said, “I know the rigour that you go through to actually evaluate who's going to win an award. And just to say, that this research that we do, we see as putting back into the industry. You know, it's not just about competing. It's about how we take the industry forward? And it's about being evolutionary. And so, I'm absolutely delighted on behalf of Santa Fe Relocation to accept this award. Thank you”.

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