The opening keynote speaker for HRO’s 12^th edition of Talent Mobility in 2026 set the tone for the conference by reframing the role of talent mobility in modern organisations.

Taking the stage on 4 March, Joel Leong (pictured above), Head of Talent and Performance Management, Group Human Resources, OCBC, noted that global challenges — including geopolitical uncertainty, AI-driven disruption, economic volatility, and sustainability pressures — are reshaping how organisations think about workforce deployment. As such, the talent mobility function has the opportunity to be regarded as a strategic capability rather than a purely operational process.

To this effect, he outlined four shifts redefining global talent mobility, which will help to bring about a mindset shift in how the function is positioned. These shifts are shared below:

Shift 1: Reframing the purpose of mobility

Based on a poll with the audience, Leong confirmed that today, international assignments are driven by two imperatives: business needs and talent development.

On the organisational side, mobility supports with:

• Filling technical and managerial shortages,
• Enabling market expansion,
• Facilitating knowledge transfer.

On the talent agenda, it underpins the following priorities:

• Developing a global leadership pipeline,
• Strengthening succession planning,
• Retaining high-potential employees.

Notably, Leong referenced management and leadership development as the most common purpose for initiating international assignments, as cited by four in five companies (79%) in a 2025 survey. “In a nutshell,” he said, “mobility is really about moving and growing capabilities and skills.”

Shift 2: Reimagining the places of mobility

While traditional mobility hubs remain influential, geopolitical realignments and demographic shifts are reshaping talent flows. Leong shared some interesting data around this."

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