Paragon’s Glenn Chapman Lends Expertise to Spanish Seminar

On February 10th, 2009, Glenn Chapman, Vice President, Global Business Development for Paragon was asked to participate as an expert panelist on Personal Internacional (Expatriacón) Externalización (Outsourcing) or International Personnel and Outsourcing. The seminar, sponsored by STATIM, the leading relocation services firm in Spain, was an invitation only event for HR professionals located in Spain. Some attendees included representatives from Ericsson, CITIBANK, Mitsubishi, SIEMENS and Philip Morris.

Pictured from Left to Right: Juan Antonio del Pozo, Endesa; Soledad Aguirre, STATIM; Néstor Rivero, ESTUDIO JURÍDICO; Luz García de Castro, Ericsson; Federico García; Ericsson; Glenn Chapman, Paragon; Emilio Ormazábal, BBVA.

The seminar’s objective was to discuss and educate those present about standardization, outsourcing and global vs. local teams. One of the points that Chapman stressed was that standardization is not a requirement prior to outsourcing but that having the right partner on board helps to accomplish standardization.

Chapman also discussed some of the advantages of outsourcing such as transactional vs. fixed costs, proactive services and expertise in policy design, a service provider positioned as standardization ambassador between corporate and other divisions, improved quality metrics and improved cost tracking.

The general response of those in attendance was very positive and it was seen that there are advantages to be gained through synergies of global and local teams and that outsourcing could help to accomplish those.

This was a great opportunity to increase Paragon’s visibility in Spain and many thanks are due to STATIM for hosting this event.

Paragon Consultant Published in Financial Times
Rachel Hall, Paragon Relocation Holland, gives insight to what expatriates face in new host country

Moving to a new country can be frustrating and exhausting. What was once easy to do and find back home has now become a daily chore to familiarize yourself with your new life in your new host country. With the economy in a downturn, it’s no surprise that more people are seeking out work abroad. Currently, 3% of the world’s population is living outside their home countries.

Rachel Hall

In a recent Financial Times article entitled "Moving Experiences", Paragon Relocation Holland’s own Rachel Hall was asked to offer some perspective to those who have recently relocated or those who are expecting to relocate fairly soon. Some of the key points that Hall addressed in the article were:

No two countries are alike – be prepared for unfamiliarity
Relocating yourself to a new place will have its ups and downs. Remember – don’t get frustrated. “People think they’re going mad when after one month they start getting ‘country’ fatigue,” says Hall. “You go to the post office in your home country and you’re in and out. In a new country you don’t know the system. You’ve brought the wrong bits of paper and it might take you three or four trips before you’ve got your package sent. You feel stupid and frustrated. It’s tiny things happening over and over, which are draining.”

The term “Expatriate” doesn’t just apply to you – realize that the move also affects your family
Leaving your home country may mean a promotion for you, but your spouse or partner now has to find a new job or career in order to follow you. Hall’s advice to those spouses or partners is to "avoid looking for an exact follow-on job; reassess your skills, experience and knowledge and think of them in a broader light."

Is relocation for me? Been approached by your boss about that position in Hong Kong but don’t know if you’re ready to relocate? “Who shouldn’t relocate? Someone who wants their life to stay the same way. Someone who’s not able to deal with change,” Hall says.

To view the original Financial Times article by Simon Kuper, please visit http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/fc3a83f4-ed9c-11dd-bd60-0000779fd2ac.html

Hall, a native from the UK, moved to the Netherlands in 1990 where she worked as a primary school teacher for an International School. After witnessing the frustrations of expatriate families moving to Holland, Rachel decided to forgo teaching and got involved with relocation by developing a relocation program that supported expatriates and their families.

For further information about relocation abroad, please visit paragonrelocation.com

Extending Our Reach Around the Globe - Expansion through Franchising
Joe Morabito on the Growth of Paragon

Since the 1970’s, the franchising model has experienced rapid growth offering great incentives to both a global company (the franchisor) and a local company (the franchisee). It allows the franchisor to expand its successful business models rapidly and in great quantity across countries and continents and gives the franchisee the ability to expand their market where they might not have reached without the guidance and expertise of the franchisor.

Joseph Morabito, CEO and President of Paragon Global Resources, Inc., has seen the potential growth of Paragon through franchising. "The Paragon Relocation concept to support local destination services ties into building our brand around the world and expanding as quickly as we can to have Paragon business entities on the ground providing local services with the ability to sell and market global services under the Paragon banner," says Morabito.

One of the reasons Paragon has chosen to expand using the franchise model is because it allows us to extend our reach quickly around the world. Paragon’s offices in Holland and South Korea are franchises that function much the same as our company stores in Switzerland, Britain, Ireland and China.

But it’s not just about expansion.

"Paragon today is a global company. And we have determined that since we have clients all over the world, we really need to support them where they are,” said Morabito. “We go where our clients are and we look for the best means of providing services nearest to our customers so that ultimately we're in their time zone, we’re meeting their current needs around the world, and we’re expanding to meet their future needs…the franchise model is the quickest way for us to make that happen in the next 3 to 5 years."

What Paragon seeks to gain in better serving clients and customers around the world is maintaining the Paragon brand and experience around the world which can be achieved through our local stores that are already working in the customer’s host country and who already speak the local language.

Obviously, technology would play a critical role in this enterprise. Having an integrated technology platform is crucial in serving expatriates living in other countries.

"There is no way that we could be the global company that we are today without an integrated technology platform. Our technology is completely integrated so we don’t have to ship files anywhere. The customer is already there in terms of technology. You can literally go into any office and access the information needed to service a customer who is based anywhere in the world. We use technology to provide better, faster service to our customers."

Morabito is proud of the company that he started in 1991. It started with 13 people in one office and has grown to include four service centers in the US with headquarters in California, an international headquarters in Dublin, Ireland and locations in Holland, Hong Kong, Switzerland, South Korea, Great Britain and China.

One of the keys to Morabito’s success has been creating and solidifying lasting partnerships with the companies he calls his clients. He doesn’t just want to be the company that the client outsources to; he seeks to be the extension of the client’s human resource function.

When asked what the greatest compliment he’d ever received from a client was, Morabito replied, “One of our major clients… and probably one of the best compliments that I’ve ever received was that they had expanded dramatically around the world in the last 10 years and this Senior VP said to me that ‘they never could have achieved their mobility objectives if they had not outsourced to us.’ Paragon had become an intrical part of his company, something we always strive to do with each client. We strive to become a part of our client’s culture and of the fabric of who they really are as a company.”

Similarly, Morabito is hoping to build new lasting partnerships through the franchise concept as we bring local companies into the Paragon family.

"Our franchise companies know their local markets far better than we ever could. What we gain is that we have local people who are already working in those countries, who already speak the language, who already have client contacts. We have significant service metrics in place to make certain that we achieve the service quality that our clients and customers expect of us. Though we operate in 120 countries, our goal is to extend the Paragon brand to the top 45 industrialized countries in the world working with affiliates in the other countries where we do not have Paragon stores. In all cases, we seek to deal with all the cultures, the linguistic differences, and all of the factors necessary to successfully move families anywhere in the world."

What does the next few years hold for Paragon in this current economic climate? "We’ve lived through a lot of challenges in the last several years and sometimes there’s a zig and there’s a zag in the road but it doesn’t mean we don’t get to the end of the road. We get to the end of the road because we’re very focused, disciplined and passionate about our business," concluded Mr. Morabito.

Paragon Relocation Korea Rings in the Holidays with Local Orphans

The children were gathered around the cloth covered podium, faces a mixture of delight and awe as the magician performed magic tricks for his young audience. Some children clutched blue and white colored balloons, their eyes wide with anticipation, while others would quickly swivel around to look at their neighbor, their mouths gaping, as if to say, "Did you see that?!"

For some of these children, it was the first Christmas celebration that they had enjoyed in many years. For others, it was a new experience altogether. The atmosphere was mellow and friendly and the excitement of the children was infectious to all those who were involved in bringing this event together for them.

On December 12th, 2008, Paragon Relocation Korea participated in an annual Christmas charity event that benefited 150 local orphans from the SOS Children’s Village. The annual event, hosted by the Europe-Korea Foundation (EKF) and various Korean companies, including Paragon Relocation Korea, seeks to bring the holiday season to social orphans (children who come from families where the child cannot be cared for because of incarceration, extreme poverty, physical abuse or abandonment).

Through generous donations of school supplies such as paper and writing utensils, books, toys, clothes, and food, Paragon was able to help bring cheer to these children who otherwise might not have had a Christmas. Brian Lee and Shine Kim, Paragon Relocation Korea employees, were on hand to participate and coordinate the festivities.

The EKF is the charity arm of the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea (EUCCK). The EKF assumes an assortment of programs whose goals are to promote stronger ties and greater understanding between North and South Korea and the European Union. Working with the local community businesses in Seoul, they were able to bring Christmas to the SOS Children’s Village of Seoul, one of the many Children’s Villages operated by SOS Kinderdorf International. These SOS Children’s Villages are located in 132 countries and territories around the world. They offer family-based, long term care for children and youths whose families are no longer able to care for them properly.

For those interested in finding out more about SOS Kinderdorf International and what you can do to help, please visit www.sos-childrensvillages.org

Maryvonne Tubb Sr. Director, Global Marketing

Paragon Global Resources, Inc. has announced the hiring of Maryvonne Tubb as the company’s new Senior Director, Global Marketing. Tubb will be responsible for planning, developing and implementing all of Paragon’s marketing strategies, with a focus on branding and public relations activities, both external and internal. Tubb joins Paragon with an extensive executive background in marketing and human resources and will be based out of Paragon’s service center in Dallas, Texas.

"Paragon today is a global company that offers many quality services and conveying that image to current and prospective clients through advertising and public relations is paramount to the continued growth of Paragon," said Joe Morabito, president and CEO of Paragon Global Resources, Inc. "Having such an extensive background and impressive track record in developing global branding initiatives and implementing strategic global marketing communications programs, Maryvonne is the ideal candidate for this position and will be a great asset to the Paragon family."

Tubb has more than 20 years of marketing and human resources experience having worked most recently as Director of Marketing for Navini Networks (recently acquired by Cisco Systems, Inc.), where she successfully delivered strategic marketing communications programs that led to a key acquisition. Tubb also held other executive positions in marketing and human resources for Gaylord Entertainment Corporation, Nortel Networks and Newbridge Networks (acquired by Alcatel).

Tubb holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada and speaks English, French and German.

Sladen Hall Chosen as 2008 President's Award Winner

The 2008 President's Award is presented to Sladen Hall (center) by Paragon's Joseph Morabito, President and CEO (right) and Wolfgang Hombrecher, CFO and Sr. VP of Finance (left).

Sladen Hall has been chosen as the 2008 President's Award winner. This $500 grossed-up annual award, plus an additional week of vacation, and dinner with Paragon's senior management, is the highest honor Paragon can bestow on an employee and recognizes Hall as "the best of the best" among Paragon staff members. He has been instrumental to our growth and through his leadership has contributed to the stability of the Company.

Hall’s efforts during 2008 will have a profound impact on Paragon for many years to come and will positively impact our financial results as we move forward. Thanks to Sladen’s leadership, profitability analysis became an instrumental management tool used to assess the financial health of our client relationships. The profitability analysis was the original catalyst to the re-pricing of many of our accounts. This re-pricing was a significant element to Paragon’s 2008 financial success.

Hall also assisted in managing the disbursement function and making important corrections to processes in regards to our relationship with India. Largely due to his skills and by carefully evaluating the department’s activities, he introduced measurement tools that helped evaluate performance. Slowly but surely and after much adversity, the hard work has yielded its expected return and the disbursement function began accomplishing its goals. Today, our disbursements group in India is viewed as an important asset to the organization. We commend Hall on his many achievements during 2008.

Some of the specific qualities the President's Award nominee include:

2008 Million Dollar Club Award Winner Announced

Joshua Hyatt, Manager, Global Business Development, was named as the 2008 Million Dollar Club Award winner. This is Josh's second consecutive win. The award recognizes any salesperson in the company who signs a million dollars or more in annualized revenue during the calendar year.

Josh was responsible for bringing in 40% of Paragon's total sales volume in 2008. He joined Paragon in 2004, working in the marketing department, and moved to sales a little over two years ago. Congratulations to Josh on achieving this very impressive career milestone.