Kathleen van der Wilk
Literally thousands of partners have told us how being able to work contributed to their willingness to move and the success of their assignment abroad. It also had a positive impact on their integration into the host country as well as their family relationships and overall well-being.
More and more countries recognize this, as well as the benefit for their own workforce that comes from the exchange of international skills and experience. Where countries don’t yet allow partners to work, it’s our mission to encourage them to review their regulations and to provide them with evidence of the needs and the benefits of adopting best practice.
Kathleen van der Wilk-Carlton led the initiative to create Permits Foundation in 2001. Board member and Executive director from 2001 to 2016, she successfully led our early campaigns for the relevant immigration law and regulations in Europe, UK, Asia, the USA and Brazil.
Kathleen has 40 years’ experience in international HR management, initially with the Shell Group in the UK, Latin America and the Netherlands, and later as an independent consultant. Her roles included managing expatriate policy development and services, staff planning and development, employee relations, remuneration policy, international recruitment and strategic manpower planning.