Christina McCarte, Director at AMJ Campbell International was recently appointed to the IAM-YP Management Board.

In her current role, Christina is responsible for the day-to-day successful operations of the international business.

Christina celebrates her Nineteenth year in the moving and relocation industry.

“Thank you for this opportunity. I believe business success is the fusion of meticulous planning, unwavering service quality, and the cultivation of enduring relationships.

Throughout my career, I am lucky to have worked with inspiring mentors and leaders who helped me propel and navigate successful opportunities.

Today, I am grateful for the opportunity to pay it forward.

As a member of the IAM YP Management Board, our Mission is to provide global moving and mobility professionals under the age of 40 with professional development, networking, and philanthrophic opportunities to prepare the current membership to lead the industry in the future. How exciting and truly a privilege!"

As we gear up for the upcoming billing season, we want to ensure a seamless process for all members. Our dedicated staff is hard at work preparing invoices for 2024, and we're pleased to announce that the anticipated invoice date is set for December 4.

To avoid any potential interruptions in your membership, please take a moment to confirm that your finance department has accurately recorded the correct IAM mailing address:

International Association of Movers (IAM)
1600 Duke Street, Suite 440
Alexandria, VA 22314
United States of America

Keeping your contact details up-to-date is crucial for receiving your invoice without any hitches. You can easily update this information on IAM's Mobility Exchange by logging into your company's account and editing your contact details. For step-by-step instructions and assistance, please use this link.

In recent years, Generation Z has begun to integrate into the world of work. Born between the mid-1990s and the mid-2010s, these young professionals have their own unique identity characteristics. Generation Z's strengths include an innate mastery of digital tools, a strong creative and self-expressive tendency, a penchant for autonomous learning, and an awareness of inclusion and diversity in all their environments.

With the arrival of Generation Z in the workforce, companies are embracing a group of young people with unique strengths and expectations. What can we expect from Gen Z and how can companies adapt to retain this emerging talent?

Technological mastery and digital transformation

Generation Z has grown up immersed in the digital age, giving them an innate mastery of technology and a remarkable ability to adapt quickly to new digital platforms and tools. Upon entering the workplace, young people of Gen Z often drive the digital transformation of companies, proposing technological solutions to meet the challenges of everyday life.

From our experience and within our company, we have learned how young people of this generation question obsolete systems and structures, proposing the implementation of digital tools to boost efficiency, visibility and competitiveness in our operations. Transport management systems (TMS), warehouse management systems (WMS), real-time tracking and tracing, communication and collaboration applications, and data analysis are just some of the solutions implemented thanks to the innovative vision of these young professionals.

Online communication and social skills

Generation Z natives have witnessed the rise of social media and digital communication, which has significantly influenced their communication skills. Their mastery of digital communication, social media, adaptability to different platforms, ability to connect with global audiences and focus on authentic and transparent communication makes them important assets in a globalized and connected work environment.

These skills enable them to build strong relationships with customers, colleagues and business partners from diverse cultures and regions of the world, facilitating expansion and enhancing our global business relationships.

Continuous learning and professional development

On the other hand, these young professionals highly value continuous learning and professional development. Generation Z people crave opportunities to grow in their careers and acquire new skills. Companies that offer training and development programs will have an advantage in attracting members of this generation, as they are looking for an environment that allows them to expand their knowledge and skills.

Moreover, Generation Z people are used to seeking information and learning on their own, using online resources and learning platforms. This self-learning ability enables them to acquire new skills quickly, which is beneficial in an ever-changing world of work with demands for continuous updating.

Diversity, inclusion and purpose in business

This new generation seeks to thrive in work environments that embrace their diversity and value inclusion in the workplace. The purpose and values of a company are fundamental elements when it comes to choosing a career for Generation Z. These young professionals want to be associated with companies that are socially responsible, committed to environmental impact, promote a safe workplace, where their differences are respected and equal opportunity policies are in place.

This quest for equality is not only a highly valued working condition among members of this new generation, but also the positive reach of this initiative extends to the rest of the workforce, regardless of age. To achieve these goals, the development of equality plans and the elimination of the gender pay gap are indispensable strategies to ensure that all employees receive the same opportunities and fair treatment, regardless of their personal characteristics.

Another key to the inclusion of this generation of young people, which has the potential to improve the work environment, is the adoption of policies that support the sexual freedom of their employees. And what do we mean by "sexual freedom plans"? We mean initiatives that aim to facilitate integration and create a safe and respectful space for all workers, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Promoting an inclusive and tolerant work environment fosters respect for diversity and ensures that every employee can feel valued in the workplace.

The quest for work-life balance

Work-life balance is also a key aspect for Generation Z. These young people are looking for job opportunities that allow them time away from work, and in their own way, they are also teaching us a valuable lesson: that life outside the office is important.

In the effort to achieve a work-life balance, some companies are implementing concepts such as "emotional pay". This involves recognizing and valuing employees’ emotional well-being in addition to their financial compensation. A positive and supportive work environment, where employees feel valued and recognized, can have a significant impact on their satisfaction and performance, and will almost certainly become a powerful incentive to retain young talent within the company.

Another way to boost employee well-being, improve job satisfaction and performance is to consider work-life balance. Initiatives such as remote working and flexible working hours allow employees to balance their work and personal responsibilities, making the most of both, and undoubtedly improving their quality of life.

Is remote or hybrid working a permanent cultural shift?

Swap Rasam

Associate Director - International business, Corporate and COD Sales

Tippet Richardson

I am excited about the future and the accomplishments that await us.

Here are my insights on the topic of, “Is remote or hybrid working a permanent cultural shift?” Though I cannot predict the future with certainty, here are my thoughts.

Remote and hybrid working arrangements have gained significant popularity and acceptance in recent years, especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many companies were forced to adopt remote work policies to ensure business continuity and the safety of their employees. This widespread adoption of remote work has prompted a re-evaluation of traditional work models and opened new possibilities for remote and flexible work.

While the long-term impact of remote and hybrid working is still uncertain, it’s clear that these models offer numerous benefits for both employees and employers. Remote work can provide increased flexibility, improved work-life balance, reduced commuting time and costs, access to a wider talent pool, and the ability to work from any geographic location. Employers can benefit from reduced overhead costs, increased productivity, and higher employee satisfaction.

Having said the above, companies should be concerned about data security when embracing a remote work model. Remote work introduces new challenges and considerations for maintaining the security and privacy of sensitive company data. But, by prioritizing data security and implementing appropriate measures, companies can mitigate risks and ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their data in a remote work environment.

It's worth noting that remote and hybrid work models may not be suitable for all industries or job roles. Certain professions, such as healthcare, manufacturing, and customer service require physical presence, human intervention, or specific equipment. Additionally, there are social and collaborative aspects of in-person work that some individuals may prefer.

Ultimately, the future of remote and hybrid working will likely involve a combination of factors, with some companies embracing these models more permanently, while others adopt a more flexible approach based on the nature of their work and the preferences of their employees.

In our industry, we know that personal touch makes all the difference. From sales through completion, clients want to know that they have trust and accountability with their moving partner. How do you extend that touch when your customers may be across the world or just across the street?

This idea came to a lot of people’s minds during the pandemic, where access restrictions and guidelines brought new challenges to us all. In-person surveys became difficult, and many clients and organizations got used to doing things remotely.

This shift certainly came with its own advantages, changing where, when, and how we work. But what about your customers? How do you differentiate yourself from the competition and give them the best service possible, without the same face time you were able to give before?

Here at Dad’s Moving in the Philippines, we’re a family owned business with a legacy of personal attention and touch. It’s important for us to be able to still bring those values to new and returning customers, so we had to find new and creative ways to do it.

This is where we started using video as an increasingly powerful tool to communicate, whether to stand out online or as direct messaging tools for key ideas.

Everyone has a camera phone these days, so in the desperate days of lockdown, we were first able to connect with customers and conduct “virtual surveys” on video calls. This was better than nothing, but we wanted to do more to share our values. How do we communicate who we are as a brand?

First, we produced a short company video to explain a little more about us, and stick in the heads of our customers. Adding a little name recognition, like why are we called Dad’s (it’s an acronym). Sprinkle a bit about our heritage, and the values we bring as a family owned business. To keep engagement, we kept the video to one minute flat.

Customers seemed to like it, so we put it on the front page of our website, and saw conversions increase.

This got us thinking, what else can we do? What other ideas make the difference to win business? So we made a video for inbound requests, and for partners inquiring for destination rates, we now share a video with a few key points about sending shipments to the Philippines. The idea is to better prepare partners and their customers on what to expect, and educate on some key points to streamline the move. This helps our partners feel more engaged and assured about sending shipments our way, and it’s a tool to help them win the business as well.

The plan is to keep this up and create more videos explaining things like how we pack, what to expect for transit times, the process of clearing, and the one I’m currently working on: how to properly read a quote, and compare apples to apples.

Video is a great and growing tool, and with easy and free hosting available through platforms like YouTube or Vimeo, there’s no reason why a company of any size couldn’t and shouldn’t start trying to work more video content into their communication strategies.

So, how does a small to mid-sized company (like us) take advantage of this powerful tool without mega marketing bucks? Well, here are a few things we’ve tried:

1. Hire a studio: There are hundreds of animation and video studios online and they don’t need to break the bank—for our animated video we used a sister company animationoutsourced.com (Tell them Dad’s sent you!)

Hiring a full-service studio brings a team to the table, so you can get help from the scripting to the concepts and production. This is the more hands off option, and with a good partner yields the best results.

Budget: $2,000–$4,000 is probably a good ballpark, but of course, the sky’s the limit.

2. Hire a professional: Think you can come up with a decent script yourself (or play with some new AI wordsmiths)? Then maybe you can do the creative work, and just hire someone to do the heavy lifting. Whether that’s an animator or editor, a lot can be done with a reasonable budget. Fiverr and Upwork have hundreds of decent pros, and there are plenty of smaller more specialized pools depending on where you are and what you need—Google is your friend.

Budget: $500–$1,500 for a professional-looking production.

3. Do it yourself: Everyone has a camera phone these days, and for the well-motivated, a crash course in iMovie (or Premiere for the brave) will get you hacking together video content in no time. For most applications, this is actually a great option, and one that we plan to use more and more.

Example: we recently completed a 2,000 seat office move where the lofty goal was zero downtime. So, we had to move in stages, efficiently and quickly. We shot a short video using a camera phone and shared it with all the customer’s employees, walking through best practices to prepare their work station for the move in order to streamline our operation and safeguard their equipment. It worked perfectly, and the customers loved it. Production time was about an hour.

Budget: The price of a decent camera phone

Which approach is best for you depends largely on your requirements. Need a show-stopping video for the upcoming conference booth? Better talk to a studio. Need a quick explainer with basic graphics and animation? A good pro will do. Want to show a customer how you plan to strap their car into a container? Whip out your phone and with a little lighting you can be yelling “action” in no time.

For those who could attend our 2023 Annual Meeting, watch closely—you might spot yourself midst a riveting discussion or exchanging ideas with a newfound friend. And if your schedule prevented you from being part of this year's Annual Meeting, fear not, as this video is your virtual passport to witness the energy, passion, and connections forged in Toronto.

Is Remote or Hybrid Working a Permanent Cultural Shift?

Ivonne Gutiérrez

Decapack

Remote working has experienced a significant shift in culture, largely accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizations worldwide rapidly adopted work-from-home policies to prioritize employee safety, showcasing the viability of remote work and challenging the traditional office-based approach.

Both companies and employees have recognized the numerous benefits of remote and hybrid arrangements, facilitated by advancements in technology and communication tools. This has led to increased productivity and collaboration among teams, further cementing the appeal of flexible work arrangements.

While the future of remote and hybrid work may vary across industries and organizations, several factors suggest that it is here to stay. Employees value the flexibility it provides and employers have witnessed its effectiveness during the pandemic, leading to the attraction of top talent not only from the local market but from a global pool of candidates. Additionally, remote work aligns with sustainability goals and showcases an organization’s commitment to environmental responsibility. With fewer employees commuting to a central office, there is a decrease in traffic congestion and pollution.

Implementing remote work in the moving industry comes with challenges due to the need for direct customer interaction and in-person coordination for logistics and customer satisfaction. However, administrative tasks, customer support, marketing, and sales can be effectively managed remotely. A hybrid approach with both in-person and virtual surveys can cater to diverse client preferences.

To overcome the challenges of remote work, effective communication channels, robust technology infrastructure, and employee engagement initiatives are crucial. Attention must be given to maintaining a healthy work-life balance, onboarding and training new employees effectively, and fostering a strong company culture. Managers must possess strong leadership skills to successfully manage remote teams.

Establishing a secure technological infrastructure is essential for remote work to protect sensitive data and maintain confidentiality. The use of secure file-sharing platforms and virtual private networks (VPNs) can aid in ensuring data security.

The future of remote and hybrid work likely involves a combination of in-person and remote arrangements. Many organizations are adopting hybrid models to offer flexibility while still promoting face-to-face collaboration and team-building.

Decapack, for instance, has implemented a hybrid system for its administrative, sales, and customer service staff, enabling access to the benefits of remote work. The company has even embraced international recruitment by welcoming an agent manager from Brazil, resulting in an enriching experience for the entire team.

Embracing change, adaptability, and leading best practices are essential for continuous improvement and success in the evolving work landscape. As remote and hybrid work become permanent fixtures of our culture, they provide opportunities for growth, efficiency, and enhanced employee well-being. With the right approach and careful consideration, remote and hybrid work can be a positive and sustainable choice for organizations and their workforce.

YP Spotlight

Lindsey Maroun
CEO & Owner
Feathers & Fur Express

Company Role:

My name is Lindsey Maroun, and I am the CEO and owner of Feathers and Fur Express. We are a U.S.-based company that arranges household pet exports for U.S. families moving abroad. We have been operating for five years and have shipped more than 4,000 pets to 90 different countries. We send pets from all major airports in the U.S. to most places around the globe.

Advice for other IAM-YP Young Professionals:

My professional background is in geology, in which I studied and worked for 10 years. My passion for that career ended as a petroleum geoscientist, as it’s essentially computer geology. The high pay in that position kept me there, but I was not happy. I stumbled upon the idea of pet shipping via chatting with my sister about puppies being moved around the U.S. in an overpacked van. We decided to go for it and started the business with domestic moves, then later transitioned into international shipping. My advice to young professionals, don’t be afraid to try something completely different than what you had planned. It’s common for a new venture to result in less pay temporarily. Sometimes, being open to what presents itself can offer you more than forging your own path.

Perspective of your 1st Annual Meeting:

We recently joined IAM, and the 2023 Annual Meeting was my first attendance. Although I have been to many geology and pet shipping conferences, the IAM conference was on another level as far as networking. Geologists do enjoy a good beer, so I am not new to that part!

Get to know your new fellow IAM-YP members and start networking through their LinkedIn profiles, or say hi over at the Facebook Group.

• Arnaud Francois, Transcausse-Demimpex
• Audrey Alexis, All World Transport
• Brandon Shields, Apex Plus Group, Inc.
• Cecilia Karanja, Nellions Moving and Relocations
• Christian Braunschweig, Heinrich Koch Internationale Umzugs- und Archivlogistik Gmbh
• Denilson Mark Bohrer, Brazil Link Logistics
• Elia Rathore, Freeline Movers
• Evan Busch, Yembo
• Gabriela Morilla, Confianca Moving
• Gemma Barakat, Sanelo Ltd
• Jack Brewin, BTR International Ltd.
• Jason Morgan, International Van Lines
• Jason Webley, Quote2Cash LLC
• Jordan Freiberg, Orbit International Moving Logistics Ltd.
• Josh Morales, International Van Lines
• Josie Lemin, Total Military Management
• Juan Camilo López Vanegas, Moving Services by Cargo
• Juan Pizarro, J. B. Logistic Ltda.
• Kaitlyn Johnston, Whitestar Movers, Inc.
• Karolin Umaipakan, All World Transport
• Kayla Grindele, Apex Plus Group, Inc.
• Kaylie Davis, Bart's Office Furniture Repairs Inc.
• Kellen Alexander, Conser Group
• Kye Madussi, SGRS Mobility Management Sarl
• Kyle Rieloff, Transparent International
• Kylian Schipper, Transpack Shipping Services B.V.
• Leon Karachun, Metropolitan Movers Inc.

• Leopoldo Zambrano, Mudinmar
• Lisa Huijgen, De Haan Relocation
• Luz Garcia, PricePoint
• Maria Gonzalez, Thelsa Mudanzas S.A. De C.V.
• Mark Hutchins, Jr., A-1 Horton's Moving Service, Inc.
• Marla Hjalmarson, Yembo
• Matt Dircks, Dircks Moving & Logistics Inc.
• Matteo Steindl, CMS Shipping
• Merve Onat, Istanbul Ekspres Co.
• Milovan Milosevic, DriveSales
• Mirjana Pavkovic, DriveSales
• Nicolas Restrepo, International Van Lines
• Nicole Fitzgerald, Total Military Management
• Paola Encalada, Transparent International
• Robbie Lightfoot, Currencies Direct Limited
• Saahil Saxena, AVZA Move Private Limited
• Sabrina Castro, One Moving & Relocation
• Sameer Shekhar, Cargosavvy Pte. Ltd.
• Sammie Walschaerts, Government Logistics NV
• Sandra Sidlauskas, Transparent International
• Siddharth Mohan, Yembo
• Sreejith Sivadas, Aqua Global Logistics LLC
• Steve Ball, Burke Bros Moving Group
• Teaunna Wright, Cornerstone Moving & Storage
• Tori Benedict, Conser Group

We have exciting opportunities if you are eager to dive deeper into IAM activities. Whether crafting engaging content for our newsletter, orchestrating YP events for the annual meeting, or contributing to the IAM Country Guides, your expertise is needed.

We'd love to have your unique skills on board. Please reach out to us at membership@iamovers.org to get involved.

Future IAM-YP Focus - Survey

In the upcoming edition of the Portal magazine, we're diving into a topic that resonates with us all – achieving work-life harmony in a fast-paced, globally connected world. Our focus for this Young Professionals (YP) issue centers on mental wellness practices and their profound impact on both professional performance and personal well-being within our industry.

Participate in our survey about mental health and work-life harmony. Your input will shape the narrative of this special issue and contribute to the collective wisdom of our vibrant IAM-YP community.

IAM Learning Accomplishments

Join us in celebrating the achievements of your fellow YPs who have recently completed one or more IAM Learning courses, especially those who have achieved their IAM Trusted Moving Specialist credential:

• Alvaro Gago, Gateway Moving and Relocation (IAM Trusted)
• Anis Moumene, Demenagements JAF (IAM Trusted)
• Anubhav Tyagi, AMJ Campbell International Canada
• Hayleigh Cantwell, Africa Mobility Services
• Luis Duarte, Global International Relocation (Portugal) (IAM Trusted)
• Pamela Maestri, Traslochi CD Removals SRL (IAM Trusted)
• Stefani Silva, Mudinmar (IAM Trusted)
• Susan Loock, Africa Mobility Services
• Swap Rasam, Tippet Richardson
• Usman Khalid Mir, Target Moving & Relocations - Pakistan
• Vishal Chandramouli, Verto Mobility Management Services, Pvt. Ltd. (IAM Trusted
• Yann Duperrex, Duperrex International Ltd. (IAM Trusted)

Mission and Vision

The IAM Young Professionals (IAM-YP) is a dynamic group of young household goods industry professionals that came together in 2000. The Vision of the IAM-YP is to engage and serve all global moving and mobility professionals under the age of 40, and its Mission is to provide global moving and mobility professionals under the age of 40 with professional development, networking, and philanthropic opportunities to prepare the current membership to lead IAM and the industry in the future.