Sylvie Froger - Founder and Director - Simply London Relocation

Name: Sylvie Froger

Position: Founder and Director

Company: Simply London Relocation

Professional Background

Simply London Relocation, Founder and Director (United Kingdom): 2012 – Present

Rapiscan Systems, HBS Marketing Director (United Kingdom): 2011 – 2012

Accsys Technologies, EMEA Marketing Manager (United Kingdom): 2009 – 2011

HoMedics, European Marketing Manager (United Kingdom): 2008 – 2009

Bosch, Brand and Product Manager (United Kingdom): 2004 – 2008

Bosch, Product Manager (Switzerland) 1999 – 2004

Bertelsmann, Market Research Executive (Munich): 1998 – 1999

Career Insider

Q: Why global mobility, and how did you get started in the industry?

A: I wanted to offer the service I did not get myself as a multi-country expat with no support. I had a nightmare moving from one country to the other by myself! This led to the creation of Simply London Relocation, which specialises in relocating families to London.

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Q: Has your own experience as an expat contributed to your work at Simply London?

A: This was the reason why I set it up. I have learnt more about relocation services through my own experience than in all my years in the industry!

Q: What advice would you give to someone looking to build a career in global mobility?

A: Be sure that you can cope with other people’s emotions (positive and negative). Be consistent. Be thoughtful. Be respectful. Never assume, always check.

Industry Insider

Q: Do you think developments in technology have had a significant impact on family relocations?

A: They do and they don’t. The bigger challenge at the moment is the amount of information available online, from various, sometimes unreliable sources. I see so many things online which are incorrect! It is great to be able to do some pre-research on a destination but it doesn’t replace the local, personal knowledge, and evaluation of the different options according to each family’s personal situation. That is what the Internet definitely does not do, and that gives us more value as a destination service provider than the mere function of providing information.

Q: What is the most important thing to keep in mind when handling family relocations?

A: School, school, and school. We never separate the school search from the home search when relocating families, as they go hand in hand. In a way, finding the home is the easy step when compared to the school search.

Q: What are the main challenges when moving expats to London?

A: Managing expats’ expectations about the London rental property prices and size. Choosing the right area and address can be a significant issue, particularly when families choose to use the state school system (this is becoming more frequent), which requires an address in the correct catchment area to accept applications. Finding a parking space during property viewing days can be impossible!

Visionary Insider

Q: Is there room for improvement when it comes to relocation support from employers?

A: Employers tend to focus on the ‘hard’ services, like removal, home search and school search. A lot more expert advice is needed on cultural differences, tax systems, insurance and healthcare. These topics are just as stressful for expats as finding the right home and school.

Q: If you had to pick, which aspect of global relocations need more development?

A: Departure services; how can you focus on your destination when you have so much to sort out in your home country? Also, pre-move and post-move services need to be improved, such as; tax and budgeting advice, intercultural and language training, spousal career coaching. If the family is happy, the assignee will perform at work.

Q: What changes can we expect in relocations to London over the next few years?

A: The pressure on the rental market is easing a little bit, which will enable us to have more negotiation power over landlords. The pressure on some schools (not all) is also easing a little bit, giving more choice to incoming families. Brexit might bring opportunities for the relocation service providers with packages including immigration support for European nationals, so it is certainly not all negative. Uncertainty is also to be expected though, so we are braced for change.

Either/Or…

• Short-term or long-term assignment? Long-term
• Airbnb or serviced apartments? Serviced
• Excel or global mobility software? Software all along
• Lump-sum or flex-ben? Lump sum
• Facebook or LinkedIn? LinkedIn
• Outlook or Gmail? Good old Outlook
• Taxi or Uber? Uber
• iOS or Android? Android
• Mac or PC? PC
• Computer or tablet? Both
• Work hard or play hard? Inseparable