Six months ago, IAM featured the Women Leaders in the Moving Industry for the July/August issue of the Portal magazine. Little did we know that the feature would start a movement within the IAM membership. The theme for the July/August issue of the Portal was selected by the IAM-YP Management Board to highlight women from different sections of the industry. The invitation to contribute quickly spread across globe and stories poured in. They shared the challenges they have faced and overcome, the strengths female leaders bring to the C-Suite and the board room, and how breaking down barriers will influence and empower women in the global moving and mobility industry in the future. 

​

The Portal feature opened the door for IAM to host a webcast over the summer on Female Leadership in Global Moving & Mobility, and during the Virtual Annual meeting, IAM held a Female Networking session. The open forums provided an interactive discussion among participants from all over the globe. The participants voiced a need for IAM to create a program to address a wide range of issues women face in the workforce, ranging from a lack of mentorship opportunities, discrimination, gender bias, and limited opportunities to serve in leadership roles, to a lack of focused professional development and training.

​

Over the past several months, IAM staff, along with Georgia Angell, held a number of listening sessions to develop a framework for the program and to identify the council members. We heard loud and clear from the women in the global mobility industry that three tracks of training need to be established to provide training specifically designed for women, training for men and women, and a diversity training program. From there, the program name was selected: the IAM Leadership Alliance. By definition, an alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called allies. 

​

The goal of the program is to help organizations in the global mobility industry build strong leaders prepared to tackle strategic challenges today and in the future. Leadership teams should be made up of professionals with different backgrounds and experiences who bring varied viewpoints to the table. IAM’s Leadership Alliance Program will be designed to help individuals enhance their leadership skills and help organizations build dynamic leadership teams.

​

Julia O’Connor, IAM Director of Membership & Database Management, said, “The programs will bring personal experience to the education process and provide a climate that makes the learner feel supported and respected. A blended learning format will be created to combine aspects of online learning and face-to-face instruction.”

​

To ensure the IAM Leadership Alliance program addresses the specific needs of the membership, a Leadership Alliance Council of nine IAM members will lead the initiatives of the program. Please welcome your Leadership Alliance Council members.