The International HR Special Edition of Celebrity Apprentice premieres on February 22 and you are the celebrities! 

Event Registration
You will learn the pitfalls to avoid when dealing with “termination issues” including:

• Stealth Expats
• Managing Expat Expectaions
• The “Psycho” Expat
• The “Stealth” Expat
• Reference Letters
• Employee Titles
• Tax issues (Do I really need to know anything about tax???)
  

Please bring yourself and a friend and get ready for a fun, lively and informative presentation of the the most pressing international HR issues. Don’t miss this important and timely presentation!

Our Presenter: 

Jordan W. Cowman focuses his law practice on transnational projects and transactions, labor and employment, international agreements, public international law and policy, and corporate compliance. He has a broad range of international experience representing and advising governments and international agencies on policy issues, as well as multinationals in industries including: logistics, technology, transportation, energy, defense, manufacturing, retail, banking, food, aviation, chemical, hospitality, insurance, manufacturing and private equity.

Mr. Cowman received his B.A. and J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. Following law school, he was a law clerk for the Honorable Joe J. Fisher, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. He is a member of the state bars of New York, Washington, D.C. and Texas. Mr. Cowman is a member of the American Bar Association, and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of International Trade; the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Western, Eastern and Southern Districts of Texas; the U.S. District Courts of the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas; as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit.

Mr. Cowman is a director of the Texas Business Hall of Fame, the Dallas Assembly, the Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations and a member of the U.S. Council for International Business’ International Labor and Employment Law Committee. He was an employer advisor to the United Nations’ International Labor Organization in 2002, 2003 and 2004. He is past chairman of the Texas Lyceum Association.

Recognized by Chambers as a leading practitioner, Mr. Cowman was named in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010 surveys of his peers as a Texas “Super Lawyer” in labor and international law; in D Magazine as one of the “Best Lawyers Under 40” (May 2002); and in Texas Lawyer as one of the “Top 40 Lawyers Under 40” (September 2001).

HRCI credits have been applied for

Please contact us regarding other sponsorship opportunities.

2012 Membership is available at http://2012hinthr.eventbrite.com.

You are invited to the January 2012 education program of the Houston International HR Roundtable. Our speakers will be Tom Fox, Principal with tomfoxlaw.com and Advanced Compliance Solutions, and Marcel De Chermont, Compliance Manager with Aceteon Group Ltd. Tom and Marcel will present “The Local Compliance Advocate: FCPA’s New Best Practice.”

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) is a daunting challenge for US companies. A recent study found that almost half of the $4 billion in penalties under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) were levied against companies in the energy sector. Many of those companies are familiar names in Houston.

HR is a key component of a FCPA compliance solution. HR’s role can include the onboarding process, training, employee evaluation, succession planning, hotlines and investigations, background screening, and assisting with government investigations.

A new best practice has evolved in FCPA compliance and HR plays a major role. A “local compliance advocate” is the concept of embedding compliance in the local business unit. The advocate receives specialized training and becomes the local point person for the company’s compliance program.

Our presentation will outline how this concept came about as a best practice. Tom and Marcel will also speak on the practical issues involved in this process and how HR is involved.

Learn about this new best practice, the FCPA and more at our January educational program.
Presenters:

Tom Fox is Principal with tomfoxlaw.com and Advanced Compliance Solutions. Tom is also a Featured Columnist at Corporate Compliance Insights.

Marcel De Chermont is the Compliance Manager with Aceteon Group Ltd. Marcel is responsible for overseeing his company’s global compliance program.

Don’t miss this important and timely presentation!

You are invited to the October education program of the Houston International HR Roundtable. Our speakers will be Henry Noey and Max Maggio of Aon Corporation. Henry and Max will present Current Challenges & Opportunities in Global Benefits Management.

Multinational companies face constant challenges as they globalize and expand their diverse and international workforce. One of these challenges is managing benefits around the globe. Multinational companies are faced with a plethora of financial, legal and human capital risks. How does an international human professional assist their company in finding solutions to diverse issues such as corporate governance, compliance, and regional/country issues?

Henry and Max will present current trends, challenges and fundamentals for companies working to manage benefits around the globe. The presentation will include a discussion of governance, compliance, and regional/country issues and importantly solutions to these challenges.

Presenters:

Henry Noey, as Aon Hewitt’s Local Market Leader, is responsible for leading the Company’s services and managing client relationships the Houston, Austin, San Antonio and the states of Louisiana and Mississippi. Henry has more than 30 years of business and human resources experience, including executive, operational and financial leadership. He has served clients as a Senior Consultant and Account Manager in strategic benefit redesign, global governance, organizational transformation and change management projects. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Sam Houston State University and completed the M.D. Anderson Executive Development Program in Health Care at the Jones Graduate School of Business of Rice University. Henry also received his certification as a Global Professional of Human Resources from the Society of Human Resource Management.

Max Maggio is an Assistant Vice President at Aon Consulting and works with clients in managing their benefit, compensation and talent development plans all over the world. His responsibilities also include leading the development of business initiatives in the Latin America and the Caribbean. Prior to his transfer to Miami, Max was Employee Benefits Director in the Mexico City office and, prior to that, was the head of the Personal Lines and Employee Benefits divisions in Aon Argentina. Max has published articles in insurance and benefits magazines in Latin America and spoken at HR events at a number of chambers of commerce, the Greater Miami SHRM and at the National Foreign Trade Council. Max received a BA in Marketing at UADE and an MBA at the Miami campus of the Adolfo Ibanez University. He is a Certified Insurance Agent in Mexico and Argentina and achieved a Certificate in Global Benefits Management in US. Max is fluent in English and Spanish; operational in Portuguese. He is active participant of the Colombian, Argentinean and Brazilian Chambers of Commerce in Miami.

Don’t miss this important and timely presentation!

Our 2011 programming begins on January 26 with a Culturally Thriving or Merely Culturally Surviving?: The Hidden ROI of Intercultural Training by Dean Foster of Dean Foster Associates. As president of DFA, New York, Dean Foster conducts cross-cultural training worldwide and consults on interculturalbusiness issues with most Fortune 500 companies in the United States and around the globe.

You can also find us on Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.  We invite you to join us!

Talent, Talent, Talent (Presented by: John Burke, Lee Hecht Harrison & UH HRD Advisory Board)

Do you know the health of your talent? Do your leaders know how to manage change while retaining and engaging key talent? Most companies spend their budgets in human capital resources on the top and bottom 10%. However, that means 80% of your employees may feel ignored. Can you imagine how productive your company will be if 80% of your employees are just 5% more efficient/effective?

The bottom line: know your talent – where is it and where do you want it to be?

Don’t just do something – SIT THERE! (Presented by: Dr. Peter Bishop, Associate Professor of Futures Studies, University of Houston)

That’s right, sit…and think. Spend just 2-3% of your time focusing on the future and you will be better prepared tomorrow. It’s easy for businesses to forecast where they want to be in 10 years – financially, socially, politically, but what about people? What skills will our workforce need 5 or 10 years from now? What will the client of the future expect of your company? What if, contrary to what we expect, the internet becomes so plagued with spam, that companies re-focus their learning events towards pre-recorded (instead of Live) learning? What are you doing today to meet the future expectations of your company’s leaders and clients? How much is 2-3%? It’s just 10-15 minutes a day. Get ready. The future is now.

Cross-Cultural Learning (Presented by: Beatriz Arnillas, Head of Educational Production and Outreach, University of Houston)

Not all learning is received equally. Did you know that most trainers teach or “facilitate” using their preferred learning style? Along with our individual learning preferences, we each have our own innate cultural preferences when it comes to learning. Therefore, in order for learning to be effective, we need to analyze the learner characteristics in relation to the specific business needs and the context in which the solution will be delivered. Not only do we need to be aware of learning preferences, industry’s culture and context country by country, but also region by region within that country (yes, I mean the United States too!). Make sure you understand the context of learning and HOW people in your audience have learned most effectively in the past.

Storytelling: Ties that Bind (Presented by: Steve Dowdall, Cardtronics & UH HRD Advisory Board)

How have MOST cultures learned in the past? Storytelling. Think back to our first recorded history found on cave walls and scrawled on tablets. These early historians were instrumental in documenting what happened, but more importantly, they provided future generations with a cultural narrative to preserve HOW the group was expected and known to act.

So…How is your company leveraging the power of stories to teach others valuable lessons within the context of your business? What stories have you and your leaders created to preserve and steer your culture in a positive direction? Think about it.

Learning and Development in India – Presented by: Madhuri Kumar, Director of Instructional Technology and Adjunct Instructor of Human Resource Development, University of Houston

India has the second largest population in the world, the 11th largest economy, hosts a population with a wide range of religious, urban and rural, modern and pre-modern, ethnic and language backgrounds (though English is the official one,) and is expected to soon become one of the largest, most influential economies in the world and it is already to preferred outsourcing location for Western corporations. The sub-continent’s cultural context is significantly different from Western cultures, exhibiting lower individualistic index and a very long-term orientation index. How is a Western company to approach learning & development for Indian professionals who will work in the West? How to develop those who will work in India?

We want to thank Jim Molloy, a member of our Advisory Committee for his assistance with the program. Jim is also on the UH HRD Advisory Board and is a Senior Manager, AERS Learning & Development at Deloitte.

If you seek expertise on assessing, training or growing your human capital, consider collaborations with students, faculty and staff at The University of Houston’s Human Resource Development Program and Futures Studies in the College of Technology. Dozens of interns and faculty members are actively supporting our community working with small non-profit organizations to Fortune 500 companies.

If you like more information, please contact Beatriz Arnillas at The University of Houston’s College of Technology, 713 743 4637.

You are invited to the September education program of the Houston International HR Roundtable:

Introduction to International Organizations Impacting Labor Relations

Following this session, you will have a basic knowledge of the international labor aspects of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the International Labor Organization, Free Trade Agreements, non-governmental organizations, industry codes of conduct, and many other international bodies and global standards.

This program has been submitted to HR Certification Institute for review.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Please see our recent blog post on the value of networking and membership in the Houston International HR Roundtable.
• We have announce new membership fees for the remainder of 2010. Our memberships and sponsorships are for the calendar year.
• We have several graduate students seeking mentors from the group. Please contact the Chair or our Mentor Committee, Steve Youngblood, if you are a member and would like to sponsor a student. Please include a short bio.
• Please join us on Facebook and Twitter.
  

Directions and Parking Information: Heritage Plaza is across from the downtown Doubletree Hotel.
Parking is available at the Doubletree hotel or Heritage Clay Street
Parking Garage, 200 Clay, Houston 77002.You can park at the Doubletree hotel and walk across the street to the building – proceed to the 45th floor. Alternatively, park in the Heritage Clay Street Parking Garage – address of the garage is 200 Clay Street, Houston, TX 77002. If you park in the Clay Street Garage, park in any space that is not marked “Reserved.” Take the elevator in the Clay Street Garage to the Basement (‘B’). Upon reaching Basement level, turn left and follow the hallway until you reach the wall with the large ‘H’ on it. Turn left and immediately on the right you will see two elevators. Take the elevator to the Sky Lobby (‘SL’). Once you reach the Sky Lobby, turn right and proceed to the middle bank of elevators. Proceed to the 45th floor to the Deloitte reception area – this is the floor where the meeting will take place.

2010 Host Sponsor - Deloitte Tax LLP

Please contact us regarding other sponsorship opportunities.

• international compensation and benefits
• security issues
• global diversity
• cross-cultural communication
• localization of long-term expatriates
• relocation issues
• spouse and family issues

Submissions should be made to Submit Presentation with “Call for Presentations” in the subject line.  Thank you!

We have two great events planned for March.  We start off with the “Night Before” networking event on March 23.  PricewaterhouseCoopers will be our sponsor for this event.   Our Tough International HR Challenge Series continues with Foreign Corrupt Practice Act Essentials on March 24.  As always our educational event will be held at the Deloitte Center for Energy Solutions Conference Center.

Houston is also hosting two international HR conferences in March and we welcome Families in Global Transition and National Foreign Trade Council (along with HR Houston). Houston IS the Global Center of Excellence for international human resources.

We look forward to seeing you at our events.  Contact info@houstoninternationalhr.com with any questions.

Here’s a new one for you:
Houston is the Global Center of Excellence for International Human Resources.

For the past three years, I have been involved in the Houston International HR Roundtable. This is a fantastic group of individuals comprised of the HR community and the service professionals who work in partnership with them. During the time that I have been involved in this group, I have come to know its leader, Larry Scott, who has done an exceptional job at bringing great speakers and educational opportunities to the group. He has also incorporated networking Happy Hours, which has helped bring the members of this group together.

At the end of 2009, Larry Scott formalized the group, adding structure and varying levels of membership and sponsorship opportunities, while enhancing membership benefits. He now serves as president for the group and is the visionary for its future.

So, what is Houston International HR Roundtable?

Houston International HR Roundtable is committed to developing Houston as the Global Center of Excellence for International Human Resources. It is the leading education and networking professional organization in Houston for international HR professionals, including international and domestic service providers.

The vision of the group is to develop Houston as the Global Center of Excellence for international human resources.

I was absolutely thrilled when Larry approached me and asked me to Chair the Global Center of Excellence Committee. He felt that I would be a perfect fit, given my work within the Relocation Industry and the contacts that I have locally within the Houston Relocation and HR community.

The Global Center of Excellence Committee is focused on bringing increased recognition to Houston as the Global Center of Excellence for International Human Resources in accordance with the vision statement of Houston International HR Roundtable.   This committee works in conjunction with our other committees to promote Houston and its value as a global leader in international HR.  I am very excited to be the Chair of this important committee, and look very forward to assisting in bringing recognition to the Houston as the Global Center of Excellence.

If you are interested in membership or more information about Houston International HR Roundtable, please visit:
Houston International HR Roundtable.  To view upcoming events, please click here:  Events Calendar.

The above is reprinted by permission from the Houston Relocation Blog published by Michelle Sandlin, CRP.  Michelle is the Director, Global Relocation Services at John Daugherty.

Reflecting Houston’s standing in the international HR community, we host a constant stream of international HR conferences.  In addition to our monthly events, Houston regularly hosts conferences by Families in Global Transition (FIGT), National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC), Texas State Council of SHRM, and Global HR News.

Please send us a tweet or say hello in person when you are in Houston.  For further information on Houston as the Global Leader in international business, please visit the Greater Houston Partnership.

Welcome to Houston!