TEAM SPOTLIGHT: CECILIA FRANCHI

Allison Eckhart • December 11, 2019

Introducing a new blog series by NetExpat. Get to know some of the individuals who work diligently to provide the very best for our clients and partners. Our first spotlight focuses on Cecilia Franchi, Senior Director Global Advisory Services for the Americas. 

Cecilia is originally from Brazil but has also lived in Austria, France, the UK and currently resides in the US. So we wanted to know, where does she call home?


I was born in Brazil and my entire family is still there except my parents and brothers and sisters who live in the US. I was lucky in that my parents were very curious about the world and they loved to travel. When I was very young we lived in London and Vienna before my parents made the decision to move to the US from Brazil.  


I studied at the American University in Paris. I later moved to the south of France where I worked for Dow Chemical Company for 13 years before I came back to the US.  Today, I would say I call Connecticut home. 

Before joining NetExpat, Cecilia worked in several areas of the mobility industry. We asked her to tell us how she got started in the field.

I was always very globally focused and knew I wanted an international career so I studied international economics at University. My first foray into global mobility was when I worked for Dow Chemical Company in France.  Dow had a very large expatriate population in France so I ended up moving into the international mobility department which is where I learned a lot about the mechanics of international mobility from a tactical perspective. 


Later, when I moved back to the US, I started working at Deloitte in their internal mobility department for the Americas. I had several roles during my time there with responsiblity for diminishing barriers and challenges between member firms so we could have seamless engagements globally for large multinationals.  

Based on both her personal and professional experiences, we wanted to know what she enjoys the most about working in the global mobility/talent management space.

Hands down, I believe it is the fact that I truly understand what individuals moving globally are going through because I have been through it myself several times. It sounds great to move from New York to Brazil to France but it’s really hard. Helping identify the challenges of moving people globally and coming up with solutions to help corporations solve those problems for their own organizations is very rewarding for me.

Cecilia has worked at NetExpat for over 2 years. We asked her what made NetExpat stand out as a good fit based on her background and career path.

What really stood out to me the most is that NetExpat is truly global. It’s a lean and mean organization, but it is very very global. We have leaders with a truly global mindset and for me it was very refreshing.  

Based on Cecilia's background and current work for NetExpat, we wanted to know what she sees as current industry trends in the Americas. 


We are really seeing companies seek out the best of the best when it comes to their suppliers and the perfect fit for their individual company culture. Because Employee Experience is top of mind, corporations are no longer relying on a centralized organization to make all the decisions for them, they want to be able to filter through the different services they offer and make the decision themselves. 

   

What I think is the most important takeaway for corporations today is to go directly to the source. Don’t make assumptions about what your employees want or need. It is important to survey and be in touch with employees directly. In order to have a truly positive employee experience, the employee needs to be put at the forefront. 
Contact us to schedule a call with one of our experts in your region to learn more about best practices in intercultural solutions, partner assistance and talent management. 
Contact Us

Share this post

Helping Mobile Employees and Families Navigate Culture Shock

April 1, 2025
Most mobile employees accept international relocations with mixed feelings that include excitement and curiosity. However, they’re often surprised when their move comes with more feelings of disorientation than they expected. Culture shock – the feelings of confusion, disconnectedness, and anxiety that people experience while integrating into a new culture – can make it difficult for mobile employees to transition into their new assignments effectively. It can also make it difficult for their accompanying families to settle into their new home, adding further stress to your employees’ relocation experiences. It all negatively impacts employees – but it has costly negative impacts for the organization, too.  Understanding the stages of culture shock can make dealing with it easier. Below, we take a look at each and offer suggestions your employees can use for navigating them. While supporting them on their journeys helps them to integrate into their new surroundings faster and with greater ease – it also benefits business productivity, organizational goals, and the company’s bottom line. Stages of Culture Shock & Suggestions for Dealing with Them

Cash vs. Care: The Pitfalls of Lump Sum Payments

By Laurette Bennhold Samaan • March 3, 2025
Between rising costs and limited budgets, it’s no surprise that many organizations turn to lump sum payments to control talent mobility spending. But is this approach effective – or can it actually end up costing companies more? In this blog post, we’ll discuss the unexpected costs associated with lump sum payment models, where they can go wrong, their impacts on the employee experience, and why managed moves benefit employees and organizations in the long run.  Perception vs. Reality: Lump Sum Payment Outcomes When organizations offer lump sum payments to their mobile employees, they're often being driven by a few assumptions. They believe that their mobile employees: Possess sufficient financial skills to manage their relocation budget Are savvy enough to procure the right relocation services/providers at the right times Have enough host-country knowledge to navigate area-specific nuances independently Will decrease the need for administrative resources by self-managing their relocations

TEAM SPOTLIGHT: PATRICIA GLASEL

February 11, 2025
Patricia Glasel has a rich international background, having lived in several different countries growing up. Her journey began in Gabon, where she was born, and extended across various African nations due to her father's work. Patricia's extensive experience as an expatriate has given her a deep understanding of the joys and challenges of living abroad. She holds M.B.A. an a degree in organizational behavior and cross-cultural training from Northwestern University, which has equipped her to support others in their global mobility journeys. After having lived in 11 countries, Patricia currently resides in France and enjoys sharing her experiences to help others navigate their expatriation adventures. Patricia also serves as a Foreign Trade Advisor for the French Government, providing high-level insights and support for international trade initiatives.

The Growing Focus on “Cultural Compliance” to Bolster “Business Compliance” 

By Laurette Bennhold-Samaan • February 3, 2025
In a competitive global market, organizations face a myriad of laws, regulations, and ethical standards. And because compliance requirements differ from one country to another, a workforce’s intercultural agility plays a significant part in a company’s ability to ‘be’ compliant in the countries they do business with. Intercultural misunderstandings can be costly, leading to safety issues, lost sales and missed business opportunities, but they can also result in hefty fines, sanctions, and even being barred from operating in key markets. Because the ability to navigate cultural differences is crucial to the success and sustainability of global organizations, cultural compliance should be a part of every organization’s overall compliance strategy. 

Is Diversity Enough? DEI's Impact on Business Performance

By Laurette Bennhold-Samaan • January 20, 2025
“Leaders must acknowledge that increasing demographic diversity does not, by itself, increase effectiveness; what matters is how an organization harnesses diversity, and whether it’s willing to reshape its power structure.” - Harvard Business Review
A group of people are sitting around a table looking at a laptop computer.

Intercultural Training Initiatives for Eramet’s International Workforce

By Patricia Glasel • January 6, 2025
NetExpat recently interviewed two key members of the Eramet Group Team about their efforts in providing intercultural training for their international workforce through their partnership with NetExpat. The initiative is designed to enhance cultural understanding and collaboration among expatriates and multicultural teams, leading to better teamwork and productivity. The interview offers insights on the implementation, impact on performance, family integration success, and much more.

Intercultural Training’s Impact on Employee Well-being

By Laurette Bennhold-Samaan • December 16, 2024
Employee well-being benefits more than just employees. It also benefits employers and the customers they serve. What many organizations don’t realize is how much intercultural agility impacts employee well-being. Below, we’ll discuss the relationship between the two and why focusing on intercultural agility should always be a part of your global talent mobility strategy. Why Employee Well-being Matters Prioritizing employee well-being makes sense from a duty of care standpoint, but it also benefits businesses. Employees that are happy and well are typically more engaged at work. Employes that are culturally agile enjoy enhanced well-being, as they’re better able to collaborate with their teammates and customers. This results in higher levels of engagement at the individual level – and enhanced collaboration and innovation among teams. Additional outcomes include a stronger company culture, brand reputation, and employee retention rate. Customers also reap the benefits. When well-being is prioritized and employees are given the tools they need to succeed, they’re more likely to provide excellent customer service and care. Businesses benefit from higher customer satisfaction scores and brand loyalty. Conversely, the risks of not investing in employee well-being can be costly:

Repatriation and Retention: Ensuring Expats and Businesses Thrive

By Laurette Bennhold-Samaan • November 20, 2024
When organizations support mobile employees during an intercultural assignment, they benefit long after those same individuals repatriate. The trouble is, too many businesses don’t see repatriation as a component of the assignment, which can have negative outcomes for both them and the employees they’ve invested in: Without repatriation support, employees face a myriad of challenges, from reverse culture shock and career uncertainty to feeling diminished. Businesses end up paying the price, from employees being disengaged to losing talent altogether. Both have negative impacts on a company’s ROI.

Defining Service Excellence: How culture shapes the customer experience

By Laurette Bennhold-Samaan • November 8, 2024
Explore how cultural differences impact customer experiences and learn strategies for success in global business environments.

Global Talent Mobility: From expense to strategic investment

By Laurette Bennhold-Samaan • October 29, 2024
In today’s rapidly evolving market, businesses have to adapt quickly to scale and stay competitive. At the heart of this challenge is a crucial function that supports all of that growth and adaptation: global talent mobility. More than just moving people from one point to another, effective relocation programs increase productivity, bolster talent acquisition and retention, drive business development, and result in market expansion and financial gains for an organization. So why do so many leaders still consider talent mobility to be an expense instead of a strategic investment? Below, we’ll discuss the importance of shifting perceptions, the long-term positive impacts relocations have on a business’ bottom line, and how internal mobility and HR/talent management teams can start building a business case for organizational leadership buy-in to invest in global talent mobility. Why Global Talent Mobility is a Strategic Investment Recent research from Localyze, which includes data from 240 European business leaders and managers across 4 countries, has revealed that global talent mobility benefits an organization’s bottom line in 10 areas: access to global talent, business profits, cultural awareness, knowledge sharing, innovation, employee retention, employee satisfaction, employee morale, faster hiring and DE&I. In addition, the expenses associated with relocations are far outweighed by an ROI gain of up to 270% when it comes to impact on productivity, talent retention, and overall profitability. In short, because of their daily exposure to mobile populations and associated relocation processes, talent mobility professionals play an integral role in achieving mobility objectives — but they’re also uniquely positioned to offer data-driven insights that can support and contribute to a company’s overarching goals and success. Talent Mobility: The gift that keeps on giving When it comes to innovation, competitiveness, and growth, a company’s success is directly tied to the development and engagement of its greatest asset: its employees. Global talent mobility accomplishes immediate goals by getting the right talent where a company needs it to be in the moment – but when used strategically, it also contributes to long-term gains. The following inter-related benefits should always be considered when calculating mobility’s true value to an organization:
Show More
Share by: