Human relationships and collaboration – the key global mobility trends highlighted at the 2025 Think Global People and Relocate Global Awards

The 2025 Relocate and Think Global People Awards offered a vivid snapshot of the dynamic changes that are taking place in global mobility and the way that the industry is innovating and rising to the challenge.

Marianne Curphey

18 June 2025

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Across many of the categories, from destination services to talent management and technological innovation, the winning entries highlighted key trends shaping the future of work, the employee experience, and how to manage organisations and people effectively in an increasingly mobile and borderless world.The 2025 Relocate Awards have once again highlighted the pivotal role that people and purpose play in global mobility. Across a diverse range of categories, from education and family support to ESG and research, the qualities of empathy, connection, and adaptability were recognised.

Human-centred mobility in a technological world

A key theme from this year’s awards was the increasing focus on the human experience in mobility. This was particularly evident in the Destination Services Provider of the Year awards, both global and local.Santa Fe Relocation was recognised for its “human-focused approach,” which combined innovation with client care and cultural sensitivity. Meanwhile, NYC Navigator’s local category win reflected a growing trend toward empathetic, personalised support, particularly for families and assignees adjusting to new environments. Their community-focused, multilingual, and female-led team reflects an ongoing shift in the sector towards wellbeing and emotional support for relocating employees and their families.

Technology and AI as catalysts for transformation

The growing role of artificial intelligence and analytics in global mobility was recognised in the The Cozm’s win in the Excellence in Technology or Analytics category. The company's AI-powered compliance platform demonstrates how digital innovation is reshaping mobility functions, and how back-end processes can be speeded up to enable organisations to be more agile when it comes to visa applications and placements, doing a job in a matter of minutes which might previously have taken days or weeks to complete.As Olu Euba, Associate Director, Global Talent Mobility of WPP, noted when presenting the award, AI is not only transforming advertising but is now core to collaboration, ideation, and operations in global mobility. The entries all showed how they were implementing smart, scalable solutions that can free mobility teams from their repetitive tasks and growing administrative burden and allow them to focus on strategic impact. This then enables them to influence the business in a more strategic way, and build human relationships both internally and externally. This will be particularly important in the future as mobility staff and departments are now taking on a wider role and are often being asked to manage requests to work remotely as well as managing the logistics of moving families across international borders.

Inclusive leadership and healthy workplaces

The Excellence in Talent Management award, won by Icon, reflected another emerging trend around the need for leaders to create inclusive, connected workplace cultures across hybrid and dispersed workforces. Icon impressed judges with its authentic “people-first” approach, integrating remote and on-site employees into a workplace culture that included everyone.This recognition aligns with the broader leadership conversations held at the event’s Global Leadership Forum and echoed in Professor Vlatka Hlupic’s keynote speech for the awards, which emphasised the importance of purpose-driven cultures and emotionally intelligent leadership as essential for retaining talent, making workplaces purposeful and improving business performance. Professor Vlatka Ariaana Hlupic, who is the author and creator of The Management Shift, emphasised in her keynote speech for the awards how important it was to create a culture of human engagement in the workplace, and how leaders can transform their organisations if they move away from a “command and control” model to one of inclusive leadership.

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The global mobility function as a business enabler

Winners in policy and relocation categories, such as A Y & J Solicitors and Synergy Global Housing, demonstrated that mobility is no longer just a support function but a strategic enabler of growth. A Y & J Solicitors was praised for their “bold vision and leadership” in UK immigration, showcasing how specialist firms can lead with innovation and long-term thinking when winning the Excellence in Global Mobility, Global Policy Design or Implementation. Synergy’s serviced apartment solutions which won the Best Serviced Apartment award, reflected the growing complexity and demands of international assignments, where governance, sustainability, and employee wellbeing must go hand-in-hand, and where specialists can help companies find accommodation in new regions and cities, sometimes in remote and unconventional housing.

Innovation, inclusion and purpose

Whether through digital platforms or service models, what united this year’s winners was a focus on the human aspect of innovation. From startups like The Cozm to established players like Santa Fe and Synergy, organisations were recognised not just for their technological advances or operational excellence, but for aligning those innovations with values, inclusion, and global responsibility.

Moving families well for a successful assignment

Education emerged as a central factor in successful relocations, because assignments can fail if a family does not settle and integrate into their new community. In the Excellence in Education - Schools category, the International School of London (ISL) was recognised for its excellence in education for mobile families, not simply for academic provision, but for its “authentic community connections” and a deep commitment to student wellbeing during transition. This shows how educational institutions can help create stability for relocating families, which in turn supports employee engagement and talent retention.In Excellence in Education - Education Consultancy, Quintessentially Education was praised for providing bespoke homeschooling options to relocating families. Judges praised their pastoral care, international reach, and ability to deliver high-quality outcomes in diverse settings. Their model exemplifies how flexible, personalised services can reduce stress for mobile families, enabling employers to offer a range of support packages to help them settle in.This theme was also emphasised in the Excellence in Family support award for BiCortex Languages & Translations. It showed how responsive, personalised service can help with a positive relocation experience.Beyond family and education, the awards also showcased thought leadership and excellence in Environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies. Santa Fe Relocation’s research on wellbeing among global mobility professionals tackled an often overlooked aspect of the industry around the health and wellbeing of those delivering global mobility services.The award for Best Book went to Force for Good by Dr John Blakey, a compelling reminder that purposeful leadership is not only desirable but essential in today’s uncertain global climate. Meanwhile, Eres Relocation Europe set a benchmark for ESG standards, from pro bono legal advice to strong internal governance, proving that doing good and doing well are no longer mutually exclusive.The 2025 Relocate Awards reveal a global mobility sector undergoing profound transformation. Technology will change the way global mobility teams work, but done well, it can augment human roles rather than replace them, as Benjamin Oghene, CEO of the Cozm, described in the Global Leaders Forum panel discussion. Other leading trends emerged around support for relocating families, the importance of education for community and well being, and the importance of supporting global mobility professionals themselves at a time of huge pressure and an increasing workload.By embracing excellence and learning from each other, global mobility can build human relationships and the qualities of trust, empathy and connection, something which Artificial Intelligence (AI) cannot replicate. While technology will change the way the industry operates, at its heart global mobility is about people, families and connections. That is why the Relocation and Think Global People awards are so important, because they provide a focus for discussion, collaboration and community. As Fiona Murchie, founder and managing director of Relocate Global and Think Global People, said in her closing remarks, being part of this community, meeting together for networking, discussions and collaborations will help us all navigate this new and challenging work of global mobility.To continue the discussion, watch the highlights of the Awards, see the panel discussion on the Global Leaders Forum, and join the community at Think Global People for exclusive access to thought-leadership, events and articles.

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