Held in Singapore on 27-28 May, WERC APAC 2025 convened top global talent mobility leaders for two days of insight-rich programming, regional collaboration, and forward-looking dialogue.
“We were thrilled to welcome 330 attendees to this year’s event, including a strong 37% corporate participation and representation from 20 countries. This third installment of the event was nearly three times the size of the first one held in September 2023,” said Benny Tan, GMS-T, WERC APAC Regional Affiliate co-chair, WERC board member, and senior vice president for APAC at Altair Global.
“This year, the entire agenda, content, schedule, and program were planned and executed by our WERC APAC Committee Members and volunteers. For the people, by the people,” Tan continued.
The event kicked off with “C-Suite Insights on Global Talent Mobility,” an engaging conversation that set the tone for the event. Moderated by WERC President and CEO Anupam Singhal, the session brought together some of the most influential voices in the mobility space, including Ian Johnson, chief revenue officer of Graebel; David Pascoe, executive vice president at Cartus; and Tyler Reynolds, CEO of Equus Software.
The conversation focused on the forces shaping today’s mobility strategies—from macroeconomic and geopolitical pressures to the accelerating pace of AI-driven change. Executives compared notes on how companies are evolving their programs to remain agile, resilient, and people-focused in an uncertain world.
Another marquee session, “Global and Regional Immigration Dynamics,” took on another pressing challenge: the future of workforce mobility amid geopolitical realignment, hybrid work, and intensifying competition for talent.
Panelists emphasized that immigration strategies must now reflect not only shifting political climates and regulatory environments, but also the evolving expectations of mobile talent. As hybrid and remote work options increase, employers face new questions about location strategy, compliance, and how best to support cross-border workers in a still-fragmented global framework.
“Immigration in APAC is moving fast, and this session captured just how critical it is to stay ahead of evolving regulations and employee expectations. Flexibility and localized strategies are essential,” said Voon Lee, WERC APAC Regional Affiliate co-chair and managing partner at Voon & Associates Consultancy Pte Ltd.
Beyond the featured sessions, attendees benefited from a range of breakout discussions, supplier and corporate-focused roundtables, and interactive workshops. Sessions explored topics such as regional policy compliance and risk management, enhancing the employee experience through mobility design, and emerging technologies reshaping assignment planning and delivery. The dedicated corporate-only roundtable comprising 100+ participants offered focused environments for peer sharing. At the same time, hands-on education tracks addressed both strategic and operational challenges—from cost containment to duty of care.
“There’s nothing quite like bringing the APAC community together in one room,” Singhal said. “WERC APAC 2025 gave us the space to share challenges, identify trends, and co-create solutions that are uniquely relevant to this region. What made this year’s event especially meaningful was that it was driven by our APAC regional leaders, who took ownership of the event’s design and elevated it to new heights. As a testament to the event’s preeminence on the global landscape, the APAC committee’s leadership—and the dynamism of the region—drew industry practitioners from as far as North America and EMEA to Singapore to be part of this APAC event.”
“When we called for action back in May 2024, more than 30 volunteers stepped forward, creating the extraordinary conference we had this year,” Tan said. “What’s even more exciting are the series of workshops lined up in 2025, in various locations in APAC, to serve our increasing membership across the region. It’s clear that our commitment to building a truly global community is resonating.”
As talent mobility continues to evolve, WERC APAC 2025 demonstrates that the Asia-Pacific region is innovating, leading, and helping define what’s next for the global workforce and our global industry.