Business
Sean Collins of Talent Mobility Search has over 20 years’ experience in global mobility, working in leadership roles on both the service provider and corporate client side during his extensive career. Originally from the UK, Sean began his career at a relocation management company, managing sales and marketing first across China, and then the South East Asia and India region, before moving in-house to manage the mobility programmes at Microsoft for 8 years. In 2014, Sean identified a need for more personalised mobility consulting in Asia, and as a result set up Talent Mobility Asia, a boutique consulting firm that helps companies design and develop their mobile talent strategy. Since 2015, Sean has also been a managing partner at Talent Mobility Search, a recruitment firm focusing on senior hires within the mobility industry. Now based in Singapore, Sean has also spent time living and working in France, Switzerland, China and Australia and considers himself a true global nomad. In this interview, Sean discusses how those looking to get into the mobility industry may do so, either via the vendor or HR route, or through employment in one of the ‘Big 4’ tax firms, and the potential career progression available via each of these routes. Sean also discusses the skillsets relevant to a career in mobility, and the importance of building deep strategic relationships with internal clients. Finally, reflecting on his own experience in mobility, Sean talks us through the three-step process in his customer service approach and how this has been used to build his own career and teach others in the company.