I started my career working for two major US airlines (American Airlines and United). I left the airline industry for an opportunity in logistics to gain exposure to a higher level of experience in Human Resources, including labor relations, compensation and benefits, project management, and talent development. I worked in different regions throughout the Americas and EMEA ultimately shouldering global responsibility for Total Rewards & Mobility. I later took on HR corporate leadership roles in the manufacturing and hospitality sectors. During my tenure at these companies, I was able to work and interact in multiple cultures in over 80 countries. I managed global teams with diverse backgrounds, and I had the privilege to live abroad in Europe and the Caribbean. I experienced firsthand the challenges of living and working as an expat interfacing with multiple cultures, and I learned the key was understanding and valuing intercultural differences.
TEAM SPOTLIGHT: CORINA SORIANO
Alison Wimmer • April 13, 2023
Corina Soriano joined NetExpat in January as our Vice President of Global Advisory Services for the Americas. Her primary responsibilities involve driving growth and development of NetExpat in the United States, Canada, and Latin America. Corina holds her degree in Business Administration with an accounting major, and she has previous experience as Vice President Global Total Rewards in the logistics industry as well as experience in corporate HR roles in several different industries. Corina is a multilingual global citizen (English, Spanish, Portuguese, basic French) with corporate experience, and her calling is Global Mobility.
We are delighted to have you join the NetExpat team this year!
Can you share a little bit about your background?
How has your perspective on employee experience changed working for NetExpat rather than from the inside of corporate Global Mobility?
My time with NetExpat has given me a better understanding of the overall trends faced by different industries – that while different, the world of work overall has changed dramatically. Because we are working in such diverse environments post-Covid, employee experience is suddenly top of mind. Everyone is now operating in some sort of “mobile environment” – needing to be fast, agile, adaptable. Global mobility is no longer defined as just moving employees and families from A to B.
I experienced this in my last role prior to NetExpat where I worked in the US but my team was located in Germany. Companies now have teams located in diverse locations both domestically and internationally. Even domestic teams include international members from diverse cultures and perspectives.
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.
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Editorial from NetExpat Perspectives Newsletter Q3 2025
In a recent interview, Isabela Sena, Director of Global Mobility at Stellantis, shared her thoughts on talent mobility’s future. Read on to discover her views, and why people will stay central and elevated by AI.
This blog post offers a glimpse into the exclusive content available to members of the NetExpat Community —designed specifically for the partners and spouses of transferees. From curated resources to peer-driven insights, this sample reflects the kind of meaningful support that helps partners/spouses feel seen, connected, and empowered.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing talent management and mobility, making some administrative processes faster and more efficient. As businesses look to AI-driven tools to streamline everything from visa applications to predictive mobility analytics—they hope to control costs and ease the burden on internal talent mobility teams and mobile employees alike. But can technology alone accomplish all of that? While AI excels at automation and generating data-driven insights, the human touch is still essential for fostering positive experiences among employees and the businesses that employ them. Personalized coaching, relationship-building, and cultural adaptation are all areas where human empathy, intuition and expertise far surpass automated systems. As organizations embrace AI to optimize talent management and global mobility, finding the right balance between technology and human connection will be key to their success.
Discover the costs of ignoring cultural differences and strategies to ensure compliance for thriving international business operations.
Multinational companies face a significant challenge when working across cultures: how to strike a balance between being compliant and honoring cultural gift-giving norms in professional settings. Why is it such a challenge? What may be expected as a gesture of respect and goodwill in one culture could be considered bribery in another. Missteps can ultimately lead to a damaged company reputation, lost business opportunities, or even legal repercussions. Finding a balance between cultural expectations and compliance is a strategic imperative, but potential conflicts can feel completely overwhelming. With training and preparation, however, workforces can learn to navigate these scenarios with skill. Cultural Gift-Giving Differences in Professional Settings Gift giving has always been used in professional settings to show respect, build rapport, and lay the groundwork for meaningful business relationships around the world. Under the right circumstances, a carefully chosen gift can symbolize trust and partnership, opening the door to successful collaboration. Failure to understand cultural norms and expectations can result in costly mistakes. Below, we provide a few examples of varying gift-giving norms to illustrate the importance of cultural agility when doing business across cultures.
As Director of Global Client Services at NetExpat, Maru Machado brings a dynamic blend of operational expertise and global perspective to her role. With a rich background in international event production, clinical travel management, and client services, Maru brings a global mindset to everything she does. Her multicultural experience—both professional and personal as a former expat—deeply informs her approach to leadership and client support. Now leading a diverse team across the U.S., Maru thrives on connecting with people around the world, improving service delivery, and creating meaningful impact for globally mobile professionals and their families.
Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are high-stakes ventures that promise growth, innovation, and a competitive advantage, but that promise can only be realized by prioritizing a critical factor that can make or break the success of the initiative: culture. Whether it's the diversity of global cultures in multinational mergers or the differences between two distinct corporate cultures, the challenges are significant. A failure to integrate effectively doesn’t just threaten the success of the merger, it also impacts the financial health of an organization. Below, we discuss the cultural complexities of M&As, the risks of ignoring them, and actionable strategies to bridge related gaps effectively. Challenges in Cultural Integration During Mergers and Acquisitions Asking diverse groups of people to collaborate efficiently without supporting them and "translating" their different priorities, values, and cultural norms is risky under any circumstances. This is particularly important in M&As, where two diverse workforces have learned to do business in ways that have been defined by their separate employers. In multinational mergers, differences in communication styles, decision making, and business etiquette can create friction or complete breakdowns in productivity. Corporate culture clashes can also occur from contrasting leadership styles, organizational values, levels of employee engagement, and cultural attitudes about change. Without targeted attention, these challenges can undermine collaboration, erode trust, and jeopardize the success of the merger.
A series of trends and events are impacting the way APAC-based companies are doing business, as well as how international organizations engage with them. As workforce borders within this active region continue to blur, intercultural agility has become more important – and more nuanced – than ever before. Whether it’s a business that's building a diverse workforce within the APAC region or a multi-national company working across cultures to do business with them, employers and the employees that work for them must forget everything they think they know about intercultural communication. Growing workforce diversity means not just knowing about the culture a business is headquartered in, but also the many cultures making up their staff. Intercultural training has therefore become a crucial investment for any business hoping to thrive in this diverse landscape.
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
