Today I received a welcome e-mail from a former colleague at Mayflower International. Mayflower is where I got my start in the Relocation – Expatriate Management business. If I say so myself, we were way ahead of our times. The only relocation company that insiders knew about in those days was PHH HomeEquity – they offered mostly domestic relocation services.
Tony Waugh, a fellow Irishman who headed Mayflower’s International division recruited me from the HR Consulting company I worked at in New York City. Together we set up a truly innovative relocation program we called “Attaché Services.” Clever name! “Attaché is a French term in diplomacy referring to a person who is assigned (‘attached’) to the administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency.” We offered ancillary international relocation services to the 4,000 or so international executives we moved every year. We had a very successful run until United Van Linesacquired Mayflower Transit. I worked with Bob at United’s Fenton, MO headquarters for about a year before I was recruited by Prudential Relocation. 10 years later I formed Keogh & Associates Consulting, LLC. (Big firm knowledge, small firm charm!).
Back to the e-mail from my former colleague. He asked me if I could recommend a provider of destination services in Mexico City to one of his clients. I made a mental note: “Do a better job of marketing your services, Jack!. Not good when a colleague and friend doesn’t know what you do.”
I told my buddy that Keogh & Associates has its own people in Mexico City – ranging from an independent Realtor who works directly with us, to a small independent destination services company we use when appropriate and a bigger, less-independent destination services company for special occasions. Mexico is an important market for us – we love Mexico, we know it well and we have the most amazing network of influential contacts.
PS = about that mental note I made to myself. Result: added this blog to the English version of our website! One of these days, I may add a blog to the Spanish version.
