By Andrew Kittell Few people are as well known in Global Mobility circles as Canada’s Terri Lynn Oliver, a 23-year veteran of our industry who’s worked on both sides of the corporate-supplier partnership...
With academic degrees in Business Administration and HR, Terri’s been a recognized leader of the Canadian Employee Relocation Council (CERC) and progressed in her career with well-respected companies such as Nortel Networks, Siemens, KPMG, Manulife Financial, and now McCain Foods Limited. They’ve been good years.
Describing why she remains in Global Mobility, Terri shares some of the reasons she faces most days with her often-seen smile, “I love that my work is ever-changing and the scope of my responsibility extends beyond the administration of relocation or HR policies. My role is global in nature and I have the opportunity to work with employees and their families all over the world.”
Terri riding motocross
Like any internationally minded executive, Terri also faces challenges, the same that keep many practitioners awake at night. She explains, “The constantly changing global requirements for income tax and immigration compliance are significant challenges. Worldwide, new laws and legislation are being updated on a regular basis, and since these changes impact our global talent, it is imperative to proactively address any new requirements.”
Not only are tax and immigration compliance requirements changing, but Global Mobility itself remains an ever-evolving industry. Terri shares how she believes the industry’s progressed, “The focus is now aligned with a company’s talent strategy, leading some to rebrand our field as “global talent mobility.” In addition, maintaining tax and immigration compliance for our frequent business travelers has become another key area of responsibility.”
With change being the only constant, like many professionals Terri strives to remain current. For help she turns to industry thought leaders, augmenting her extensive professional reading with senior-level membership in and attendance at conferences and seminars organized by the CERC, Worldwide ERC, the RES Forum, and with knowledge shared by McCain Foods Limited’s tax and immigration law firms.
This complexity doesn’t diminish Terri’s spirits. She explains, “I have a passion for what I do, and earning the respect of my colleagues and peers provides me with all the inspiration I need to remain fully engaged.”
With more than two decades of professional experience, Terri’s very able and willing to share her insights with those just beginning careers in Global Mobility. As is often the case, her enthusiasm comes through. “I would highly recommend a career in global talent mobility. Terri explains, “There is demand for this very specialized knowledge, and it incorporates functions such as HR, compensation, benefits, immigration, corporate law, personal and corporate tax, payroll, customer service, real estate, and so many other areas, all on a global scale.”
Kayaking
Her commitment to her profession is also a commitment to others. Terri pays if forward, mentoring those new to the industry or simply making herself readily available as a resource to her friends and colleagues.
To know Terri is to know that she has a sense of humor. And helping those crossing borders can lead to some interesting moments, ones that might just have you scratching your head. Terri shares just such an episode, “I have moved employees and their families between many country combinations. I have moved horses between Canada and Hong Kong. One of the most time consuming and stressful tasks I’ve ever encountered was overseeing the logistics of moving a tank of goldfish between two Canadian provinces during winter! It was for the children of a very senior executive. Due to the resistance of the kids to the move, making sure their beloved goldfish survived transit was imperative. The time commitment, stress, and level of coordination involved with this seemingly simple process were astronomical. Fortunately, it was a success!”
When not working, Terri still keeps moving. She skis, golfs, plays tennis, kayaks, and rides motorcycles. Her slower-paced recreational activities include hanging out with her dogs and trying to not string too many Netfilx seasons together at one go.
https://www.cerc.ca