Representative: Core Members Management Board – Europe

I am one of many of the movers-colleagues in the world who just fell in love with this job from the very beginning. Working in the moving industry is a daily discovery journey; there is so much to learn, there are so many career paths to choose, there is a huge potential worldwide network to create and carry over the years everywhere we go, like a treasure truck made of wonderful people—mentors and friends that fulfil our lives with long-lasting memories.

During the past 30 years, I have participated in all of the IAM conferences, the only exception being when I was becoming a mum to my wonderful daughter Erica. I must admit that at a young age I was mainly focused on the networking part and on improving my skills and knowledge, but with the passing of the years I realized how important is to have a purpose in what we do, and not just be driven by company or individual goals and targets and career growth. That is when I accepted the opportunity to volunteer and become part of the Core Members Management Board, having a representation for Europe:

The CMMB’s mission is to serve IAM Core Members by convening regional representatives from each world region to advocate for the Core Membership with the IAM Executive Committee, to act as a conduit through which IAM Staff can obtain valuable information about a region or country, and to educate IAM Core Members about IAM policies.

Volunteering with IAM and in this specific role has helped me develop my leadership skills and given me additional communication tools to create synergies within the Fedemac Association Board (on which I served from 2014 to 2017 under the presidency of our dear colleague Sabine Hartmann, who left us too early, leaving a big hole in many movers’ hearts) and within AITI—the Italian Association of Movers whose current President is Mr. Alessandro Russo (where I served on the board from 2010 until 2016). During our meetings and contact moments at IAM, we focused on sharing the uniqueness of our territories, local moving struggles, and lobbying activities. We tried to find inspiration with each other for new and better harmonized actions, in many ways acting very much ‘together.’

Volunteering among great leaders—who also became mentors to me along the way—supported my striving for raising the bar and increasing the value to the service we provide, which is has a social and crucial utility. Let’s not forget our essential role in moving people with their dreams and reuniting families even during difficult times.

In Italy, the FIDI Italy Group of companies recently moved into a new association named ANIT—Associazione Italiana Nazionale Traslocatori—under the presidency of Mrs. Nicla Caradonna. I see this as a great new opportunity to further explore joint actions for the intensification of information flow with IAM to strengthen our focus in Italy and Europe on different vital industry topics like our environmental responsibility and how we can do better together, thinking of our future generations.

At the CMMB Committee, we want to facilitate the sharing of relevant information about all aspects of the industry and IAM member news for potential publication on IAM’s various media channels. This news includes, but is not limited to, government, regulatory, and customs updates, regional transportation, economic news, updates about key clients, and member news. In this way, our local associations can amplify their voices through us.

I encourage all colleagues to commit to a volunteer role within IAM. It doesn’t necessarily require you to be in the spotlight or speak during the conference. If that’s what worries you, there are plenty of opportunities to contribute by writing articles or by simply sharing ideas around a table with the committee. To the Young Movers, I can only say: be curious, be present, be a giver, bring your vision, and most importantly, always be yourself. Amazing things happen to you when you live IAM from the inside with passion and dedication.