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Ticket to Ride
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NEVER SAY NEVER
Regardless of a woman's immediate situation, overseas travel is something to keep an open mind about, experts say.

While it may not be in the cards at the moment, "it's a good idea to let folks know that it hasn't been crossed off the list," Sabin says. You might say, for example: "This year is not good, but I anticipate in two years being free and I will let you know how my situation changes."

At the very least, women on the executive path should learn about their company's global picture and look into taking a few foreign business trips.

"Any American business executive is going to need that cross-cultural and overseas business experience," Sabin says. Women like Bayne and Abaya found it's a great way to go from working in a competitive field to leading in one. 

THREE WOMEN ON TOP OF THE WORLD

ROSE MARIE BRAVO, 53, CEO of Burberry
Bravo steers the $1.2 billion luxury fashion label. Previously Bravo was president of Saks Inc. and was recruited by Burberry in 1997. She is known for updating the company's image, putting the signature plaid on everything from bikinis to perfumes.

LINDA COOK,46, executive director of Royal Dutch/Shell's gas/power division
Before Cook rose to head the $8.2 billion business in the Netherlands, she was president and chief executive officer of Shell Canada. Her career with Shell included a stint in London as CEO of Shell Gas & Power from 2000 to 2003. She attributes some of her success to the support of her husband, an energy trader who quit his job in 1998 to take care of their three children.

NANCY MCKINSTRY, 45, CEO of Wolters Kluwer
McKinstry heads the $4.3 billion Dutch publishing firm specializing in tax and medical knowledge. She is known for turning the stodgy print company into an electronic data powerhouse.

 

POINTS TO CONSIDER WHEN GOING GLOBAL

THINK ABOUT YOUR RETURN JOB. Hands down, the number-one most important thing about a global assignment is the job that awaits back home. "A lot of employees leave when they return because there's just nothing there for them," says Saskia Meckman, an intercultural trainer who helps executives moving to and from the United States. In fact, up to 23 percent of companies say that upon returning home, employees are more likely to leave the company for another opportunity, according to the Global Relocation Trends Survey. "The toughest thing about an international assignment is having a strategy to get repatriated back," says Cathy Anterasian, a Spencer Stuart consultant who conducts international executive searches.

HAVE A MENTOR WHO'S WORKED OVERSEAS. At the very least, expatriates should arrange to have a mentor in their home country to keep on top of opportunities back home. Think of the opportunity as a way to be identified as a mover and shaker within the organization. "If you do that, you're letting people know what your talents are and how you can advance the business," says Emma Sabin, a director at research firm Catalyst.

NEGOTIATE DIFFERENTLY. Anterasian notes that expatriate packages often include an up-front bonus payment, similar to a signing bonus, as an enticement for taking an overseas job. Other perks to negotiate: a housing allowance, tax equalization to compensate for having to pay taxes in two countries, membership at a local American club, private school for children, nanny service, and cultural and language support for oneself as well as one's spouse.

KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING INTO. One caution: All international jobs are not created equal. Don't go from a "line position" in the United States to a "staff position" overseas, because "that may be kind of a sticky trap," Catalyst's Sabin advises. Catalyst defines a line position as a job that contributes directly to the company's bottom line; a staff position is a supporting role in a department outside of the spotlight.

 

AVERAGE DURATION OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL:
Six months to one year

 

EXPATRIATES BY AGE GROUP:

20–29 years old (11%)

30–39 years old (26%)

40–49 years old (40%)

50–59 years old (21%)

 

MARITAL STATUS:

60% married

(55% are married men and 5% married women)

Source: 2003–04 Global Relocation Trends Survey

 

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