Made with FlowPaper - Flipbook Maker
MAR/APR 2026 Everything From Goods to Lifestyles Today, relocation is driven less by assignment and obligation, and more by personal choice, remote work, and lifestyle opportunity. WHO’S REALLY MOVING, AND WHY?Moving made easy by professionals Relocation services for pets The safest way to transport your pets worldwide. As an animal-loving company, we offer a stress-free, safe, professional and comfortable way to relocate your pet worldwide. We are qualified animal couriers. A service from INTERMOVE GmbH WORLDWIDE MOVE LOGISTICS AND SERVICES INTERNATIONAL RELOCATION INTERMOVE GmbH Parsdorfer Weg 10 85551 Munich / Kirchheim Germany www.petmove.net INTERMOVE GmbH Parsdorfer Weg 10 85551 Munich / Kirchheim Germany Tel.: +49 (0) 89 189 386-0 info@intermove.de www.intermove.deMarch / April 2026•Vol. 58, No. 2 portal.iamovers.org Publisher: Brian Limperopulos Editor: Will Kohudic Advertising: Matthieu Odijk Circulation:Julia O’Connor Layout/Design: Print Matters Portal is published bimonthly by the International Association of Movers (IAM) 1600 Duke Street, Suite 440 Alexandria, VA 22314 Phone: (703) 317-9950|Fax: (703) 317-9960 Email: info@iamovers.org|Website: IAMovers.org For subscriptions and changes of address, membership@iamovers.org Send editorial material to william.kohudic@iamovers.org For advertising queries, matthieu.odijk@iamovers.org Send advertising materials to william.kohudic@iamovers.org PORTAL March / April 2026 5 BRIAN'S BEAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 PORTAL FOCUS: WHO’S MOVING AND WHY? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 IAMTRUSTED UPDATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 When Lump Sums Lead, Trust Must Follow / Morgana Somers GOVERNMENT & MILITARY PROGRAM REVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 A New Era in Military Moving: Will it be Good for the Industry? / Daniel J. Bradley IAMX UPDATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Data Integrity in the Digital Age: Why IAMX is a Journey, not a Destination / Ray daSilva VOLUNTEER LEADER IMPACT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 No Brown M&Ms: Why Accountability Lives in the Details / Kay Kutt 2026 AWARD NOMINATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 GLOBAL MOVING FOUNDATION / FIDI ACADEMY UPDATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 INDUSTRY NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 WASHINGTON UPDATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 By Bryan Vickers, PACE, LLP ADVERTISE IN PORTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 ADVERTISER INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 INDUSTRY CALENDAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 MAR/APR 20266 PORTAL March / April 2026 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR Stephan Geurts Jr . Government Logistics N.V. VICE CHAIR Adam Hall The Pasha Group PREMIER MEMBERS AT LARGE Lakelan Fennell Suddath Government Services Charles Flowers Coleman Worldwide Moving Erin O’Connor Dice Forwarding, Inc. Susan Staszewski National Van Lines CORE MEMBERS REPRESENTATIVE Boris Populoh Unirisc, Inc. CORE MEMBERS REPRESENTATIVE AT LARGE Catherina Stier Harsch, the Art of Moving Forward NON-U.S. CORE MEMBER REPRESENTATIVES Ido Barner AGS Four Winds International Moving Ltd. Ben Scheiner Global Relocations Ltd. DAB REPRESENTATIVE Tim Wicker Republic Moving and Storage IAM-YP REPRESENTATIVE Lennert de Jong Gosselin Group N.V. PRESIDENT Brian Limperopulos Brian Limperopulos President Daniel Bradley Vice President of Government & Military Relations Nicola Collett Data & Finance Manager Steve Cox Chief Financial Officer Angela DeConti Director of the Global Moving Foundation IAM Manager of Industry Initiatives Verena Goetz Membership & Social Media Manager Will Kohudic Editor, Manager of Marketing & Communications Julia O’Connor Vice President of Membership & Communications Matthieu Odijk Director of Sales Morgana Somers Director of Global Services Charles Stewart Digital Media Manager IAM STAFF IAM LEADERSHIP CORE MEMBERS MANAGEMENT BOARD AFRICA Charnel Francis AGS Worldwide Movers Cosmas Kamuyu Nellions Moving and Relocations CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA & CARIBBEAN Carlos Avalos Sandhill Global Relocation & Moving Daniel Rodrigues AIM Brazil EASTERN & SOUTHEASTERN ASIA Olivia Alarcon A1 Global Logistics Services Co. Nirav Thakker 21st Century Relocations EUROPE Barbara Savelli Gosselin Mobility Italy Christiaan van der Ent Van der Ent Group MIDDLE EAST & NEAR ASIA Ankit Bhalla Leader Relocations Shankar Ram Delight International Movers NORTH AMERICA Leon Johnson Matco Moving Solutions OCEANIA Carlos Ferri Shipeezi Michael Dunstan Palmers Relocation GroupPORTAL March / April 2026 7 Business may be quiet for many of our members right now. But if there's one thing this issue of the Portal makes clear, there is no off season for the work of staying ahead. That’s clear in our theme of this issue where we ask a simple but important question: Who's moving, and why? The answers from our contributors suggest something more fundamental than a shift in trade lanes or seasonal volumes. Customers increasingly see moving as some- thing they do repeatedly, strategically, and on their own terms rather than as a once-in-a-career milestone directed by an employer. Remote professionals, micro-expats, downsizers, and life- style-driven movers are reshaping demand in ways that require us to rethink how we price, staff, communicate, and partner. Read the feature articles carefully. Flexibility has become the baseline expectation, and that carries real implications for every part of our business. On the government and military side, Dan Bradley provides an essential analysis of the newly-established Personal Property Activity, or PPA, within the U.S. Department of Defense. The PPA will report directly to the Secretary of Defense through the Under Secretary for Acquisition and Sustainment, consolidating functions that were previously scattered across the Services and the previous program manager, U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM). IAM will engage constructively with the PPA as it stands up, and we encourage our members in the military space to pay close attention as that transition progresses forward. Start today with Dan’s analysis of the situation on page 24. You'll also find in this issue a comprehensive set of updates from IAM's volunteer leadership. I want to draw your attention to these as evidence of real institutional momentum. From the EXCOM's work on our Strategic Plan, to the Technology & Communications Committee's Tech Talk Series, to the Leadership Alliance Council's continued devel- opment of accountability-focused training tools, to the CMMB's regional Pulse Surveys, our volunteers and your fellow members are converting strategy into action. Their work deserves your attention and support. Please join these groups in advancing IAM's momentum by signing up to volunteer for IAM. I had the privilege to engage with one of these volunteer groups just last week, the Global Moving Foundation Board of Directors, when they convened for a two-day meeting built around a single objective: delivering on its mission to advance and support the moving industry through educational initiatives, research, and charitable activities. The Foundation's Wohlstetter Academic Awards, Industry Training Program, and Jackie Agner Community Impact Awards represent tangible investments in the people who will lead this industry forward. If you haven't engaged with GMF yet, now is the time. Two final observations about the broader environment. First, the recent acceleration of AI tools has really blown me away. If your company has not taken a look at the latest generation of these tools, I highly encourage you to drop what you're doing and take another look. Whether it is the latest model of Claude or ChatGPT or Gemini, these tools are growing exponentially more powerful. We are actively exploring how they can enhance member services, improve data quality, and support decision-making, while remaining clear-eyed about their limitations. The companies in our mem- bership that treat AI as a serious capability amplifier rather than a marketing slogan will develop a meaningful edge. Second, as we go to press with this edition, the outbreak of war in the Middle East weighs heavily on our minds. We extend our thoughts and prayers to all who are impacted, but especially those IAM Members who must contend with the rapidly shifting operational environment while caring for employees who may be impacted. IAM is closely moni- toring the situation and its cascading effects on our members. Whether it’s installation access, shipping surcharges, or increasing fuel costs, we will continue to share timely information as the situation develops. It is cliché to say that the world continues to grow more complex every day. Organizations that invest in adaptability, transparency, and genuine expertise will find that complexity is where the opportunity lives. There is no off season for that kind of work. For Full Disclosure, I used one of these powerful AI tools to help me craft this article and write it, but with one caveat (a caveat and best prac- tice that we should all maintain when working with AI): I reviewed and revised it thoroughly to make sure it was consistent with the message I wanted to communicate and that there was no inaccurate information. No Off Season Brian's Beat Brian Limperopulos IAM PresidentPORTAL March / April 2026 9 By, Will Kohudic, Editor, Portal Moving today means not only a change of address, but also shifts in culture, career, and identity. Our contributors to this issue explore the modern evolution away from compa- ny-directed relocation to full lifestyle mobility. Through their eyes, we see digital nomads and micro- expats taking the helm and charting their own courses. We discover how remote professionals are reshaping domestic and international relo- cation trends, and we experience the challenges and opportunities of enhanced service models that take their needs and demands into account. For this issue, we invited contributors to examine the shifting work paradigms that are altering demand for household goods services; ways in which companies are adapting strat- egies amid global economic uncertainty and changing workforce migration patterns; and the advantages gained from integrated partnerships between movers, real estate firms, immigration specialists, and relocation tech platforms. The customer is changing; consumer expecta- tions are evolving, and mobility and flexibility now take precedence over long-term settle- ment. How do we redefine the customer experi- ence accordingly to remain competitive? How can service providers continue to anticipate the economic forces shaping the future of interna- tional relocation? Our feature authors will get you off to a good start; just remember that, like the customer, the future is always moving. WHO’S MOVING AND WHY?Next >