N ow, more than ever, disruption is happening all around us, and to better prepare relocation professionals for its impact, the CERC National Conference will tackle the topic head-on. The event, scheduled for September 16 to 18 at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, will cover a mix of topics that touch on the powerful market forces of disruptive change. As noted by Hollyanne Healey, the chair of the CERC Conference Planning Committee and manager of relocation services at PCL Constructors, “No longer is our success as an industry based on issuing a standard relocation offer and the expectation that all involved are happy and content. We need to provide more, and we need to find ways to do a better job for our people and clients. There are many different concerns and barriers faced by our transferring families, more than we have ever seen.” Healey is confident that this year’s conference, with its theme of Mastering Mobility in a World of Disruption, will help mobility professionals leverage their learning, partnerships and experience to support and grow a healthy mobility culture in today’s changing world. “We have created an agenda that provides education, expertise and problem solving to help our members answer many of their questions and provide solutions,” says the Conference Committee chair. “From challenges such as economic change, government regulations, tax and immigration implications, data protection, terrorism concerns and climate control to the evolving dynamic of what ‘today’s family’ looks like, our mobility world has become very different.” DYNAMIC SPEAKERS Healey says the CERC team, along with the Conference Planning Committee, is very pleased to have lined up a dynamic group of presenters diverse in scope. In his keynote address on Disruptive Innovation in Times of Rapid Change, North American thought leader Jim Harris will explain how professionals with skills in new disciplines – such as artificial intelligence, blockchain development and data science – will stay ahead of the curve. These skills remain in short supply in North America and beyond, yet they are essential to many industries today, including that of mobility. They are integral to the work- place of tomorrow and will help companies sustain and grow their business. “Canada is the second most sought-after country to relocate to, and there is a huge need for blockchain experts and other data scientists here,” says Harris. CERC’s 2018 Conference in Montreal looks at ‘Mastering Mobility in a World of Disruption’ FACING UP TO CHANGE By Treena Hein 2018 CERC CONFERENCE 24 PERSPECTIVES Fall 2018