8:30 – 9:15 – Registration and welcome breakfast

9:15 – 9:30 – Welcome remarks from Global Mobility Lawyer

9:30 – 10:45 – Session 1: Crisis management in conflict zones: Keeping your people safe

Recent military conflicts – most notably in Ukraine and the Middle East – as well as terrorist attacks and organised criminal violence have forced multinationals to rapidly reassess how they manage employee safety and operational continuity in conflict zones. With geopolitical instability no longer a rare event but a structural risk for global business, global mobility programmes must therefore evolve. A panel of experts will consider employers’ duty of care in high-risk locations, what crisis management preparedness should look like, real-time intelligence gathering options, evacuation and relocation planning, and holistic employee support systems.

Moderator: 
Jonathan Goldsworthy, Partner, Bird & Bird (United Kingdom)

Panellists: 
Abilio Jaribu, Paralegal, Faegre Drinker (United Kingdom)
Gary Hankey, Associate Director - Corporate Investigations, Cognizant (United Kingdom)
Moya Kimber, Director, Global Mobility EMEA, Oracle (United Kingdom)
Naomi Pollock, Senior Associate, DLA Piper (Ireland)
Rosalind Harvey, Global Mobility Director, Warner Music Group (United Kingdom)

10:45 – 11:15 – Coffee break

11:15 – 12:30 – Session 2: What digital immigration systems mean for global mobility

Governments around the world are rapidly transforming their immigration systems. Traditional controls based on paper visas and manual employment checks are being replaced by e-visas, digital travel authorisations, biometric identity systems, online right to work checks, and extensive data-sharing between immigration authorities. For multinational employers, the digitisation of immigration systems has significant implications for global mobility compliance. A panel of experts will discuss the challenges these systems create for employers managing cross-border workforces, and how mobility programmes should adapt in a world where immigration compliance is becoming core strategic risk requiring oversight at board level.

Moderator: 
Annabel Mace, Partner, Squire Patton Boggs (United Kingdom)

Panellists:
Ceri Koski, Partner, WR Immigration (United States)
Izabela Rai, Senior Immigration Manager, Baker Hughes (United Kingdom)
Kelly Chua, Practice Leader, Fragomen, (United Kingdom)
Virginia Mäurer, Partner, ADVANT Beiten (Germany)

12:30 – 2:00 – Networking lunch

2:00 – 3:15 – Session 3: Untangling pay, bonuses, and tax of cross-border workers

The growth of remote work, hybrid arrangements, and increased cross-border mobility has led to a sharp rise in employees living in one country while working in another. These arrangements can create complex questions around compensation structures, the taxation of salary and bonuses, and withholding obligations, creating significant compliance risks for employers. For multinationals, managing cross-border workers requires careful coordination between HR, payroll, tax, and mobility teams. A panel of experts will explore how employers should structure compensation for cross-border talent while navigating the increasingly complex tax implications of internationally mobile workforces.

Moderator: 
Caroline Scherrmann, Partner, Flichy Grangé Avocats (France)

Panellists:
Iván Suárez, Managing Partner, Suárez de Vivero (Spain)
James Wheeler, Partner, Blick Rothenburg (United Kingdom)
Nasreen Longden, Global Mobility Tax Director, Boston Consulting Group (United Kingdom)
Sacha Wooldridge, Partner, Birketts (United Kingdom)

3:15 – 3:45 – Coffee break

3:45 – 5:00 – Session 4: Closing the door? Reforms to UK settlement pathways

The UK’s Labour government has signalled a series of reforms to the immigration system aimed at reducing net migration and tightening access to long-term residence. These potential reforms could have significant implications for employers that rely on international talent. Changes to settlement timelines and conditions may affect recruitment strategies, retention of overseas employees, and the overall attractiveness of the UK as a destination for global talent. A panel of experts will examine the direction of UK immigration reform, consider how changes to settlement pathways may affect employers and migrants, and discuss how businesses should prepare for a more restrictive policy environment.

Moderator: 
Jennifer Connolly, Of Counsel, Morgan Lewis (United Kingdom)

Panellists:
Andrea Burgers, Global Mobility and Immigration Advisor, Janus Henderson Investors (United Kingdom)
Katie Good, Senior Associate, Travers Smith (United Kingdom)
Matt Lynch, Immigration Compliance Lead, WPP (United Kingdom)

5:00 onwards – Closing remarks and networking drinks reception