Team Spotlight: Maru Machado

Sam combines a bilingual, multicultural upbringing with deep global mobility experience. Born in Belgium to a British father and Belgian mother, she began her career in education—later moving into consultancy and, in 2003, into international mobility. At NetExpat since 2009, Sam blends operational excellence with advisory insight, working directly with clients and assignees to design people‑centered solutions. She thrives on building trusted relationships across cultures and supporting family wellbeing, partner careers, and sustainable assignments. Her practical, empathetic approach turns complex mobility challenges into positive outcomes for organizations and the people they move.

Insights from Adeline Ong on how KPMG prioritizes repatriation.

For nearly a decade, the Relocating Family Support Survey —developed in partnership between NetExpat and EY—has served as the industry’s most comprehensive benchmark on the experience of relocating partners and families. Since its launch in 2018, the survey has captured insights from more than 4,400 participants worldwide, helping organizations understand the realities facing globally mobile families and the policies that most effectively support them. The 2026 edition builds on this foundation with input from over 340 respondents across 50 countries, offering a timely view into how mobility expectations, workforce demographics, and business priorities continue to evolve.

Anu brings over seven years of experience in Learning & Development and Human Resources, shaping her career around helping people grow, adapt, and thrive. Her early passion for psychometrics, talent management, and capability‑building led her into the HR solutions space, where she deepened her expertise in behavioral insights and learning strategy before stepping into her role as Senior Manager, Advisory Services – India at NetExpat. Today, she supports Indian talent navigating global mobility and intercultural transitions, energized by daily conversations with individuals from around the world and inspired by the continuous learning that comes from working with a truly global team.

When it comes to global talent mobility, agility is crucial to an organization’s long-term strategy and competitiveness. With mounting pressure to deliver seamless employee experiences—while managing cost, compliance, and cultural complexity—the question isn’t just what to outsource, but also what to own and automate to stay relevant and scalable over time.  This post explores how companies can align operational choices with their internal capacity, cultural context, and long-term goals. The right balance is unique to each organization’s talent and operational needs.

Des brings over 25 years of global mobility expertise, beginning with guiding people through the life-changing decision of buying and selling homes before moving into relocation in 1990. His passion lies in building impactful, human-centered mobility solutions, shaped by personal relocation experiences and lessons in cultural awareness. At NetExpat, he thrives on the intrapreneurial energy of a global team that feels like a “27-year-old start-up,” inspired daily by colleagues’ talent and dedication. Motivated by the chance to create sustainable solutions that truly make a difference for individuals, families, and organizations, Des envisions mobility evolving into a strategic, end-to-end resource that elevates the human experience.

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.

Leadership styles vary widely across cultures—and when global teams work together, those differences can quietly shape everything from decision-making to team morale. What feels like clarity to one supervisor may feel like micromanagement to an employee from another culture. Respectful silence meant by one team member may be misread as disengagement by a leader with different cultural values and expectations. These mismatches aren’t about competence or intention—they’re about interpretation. And without cultural understanding, even high-performing teams can struggle. Training your workforce to navigate diverse leadership styles—to develop intercultural agility— is more than a soft skill. It’s a strategic investment. Employees need support to adapt to unfamiliar supervisory approaches. Leaders need coaching to flex their style in varying cultural environments. And organizations need expert partners who understand the hidden dynamics at play. Organizations that foster culturally agile teams build resilience and adaptability across diverse workforces. In addition to cultivating mutual understanding, they facilitate bridging gaps between leaders and their teams by encouraging open communication and flexible leadership approaches. This foundation further supports team collaboration, productivity, and innovation.

Tracy brings her passion for people, coaching, and consultative sales to NetExpat. With a background in business psychology and years of experience guiding individuals and teams, she thrives on building client relationships and supporting growth. Tracy values NetExpat’s culture of equality, collaboration, and respect, where every voice matters. Motivated by making a genuine impact, she envisions global mobility becoming increasingly diverse, strategic, and human‑centered in the years ahead.