The International Center is a catalyst to inform, convene and connect public, private and civic global objectives in Indiana.
GLOBAL IMPRESSION AWARD MEMBERS REUNITE
The “Ohana” floor of Salesforce Tower was full of activity on the morning of October 16 for the International Center’s Global Impression Award Roundtable breakfast.
 
The breakfast was the first of its kind, reuniting nominees, nominators, and committee members of The Center’s first ever Global Impression Award. The award was created to honor individuals who are “rising stars” of global leadership, demonstrating success in their profession and directly impacting the global community within Indiana.
 
This year’s winner, Dr. Rachel Vreeman ( pictured below left ) was in attendance, as well as fellow nominees Brooke Kandel-Cisco, Jennifer Pearl, Blake Roebuck, and Dr. Leslie Bozeman. Former International Center President Caterina Gregor Blitzer reunited with current President Martin Baier along with other IC board members and staff.

The morning’s festivities concluded with international reflections from board member and global leader Jim Morris.

“Leadership is seeing opportunity in front of you in its largest context,” he said.

IC board members Ryan Marques and Shash Goyal noted they hope this is the first of many meetings to bring together globally conscious young leaders to further Indiana’s global mindset. 
Relocation Goes Gold
Relocation Services Recognized for Excellence at National Awards Gala
The Center's Relocation Services department was acknowledged for Gold Excellence in Service with an award from BGRS, a global alternative asset manager that often partners with Eli Lilly and Co. and The International Center .

The Center's team helps local organizations and companies recruit talent from across the world to find homes for new Indiana residents. They also perform various “settling-in” procedures for clients such as applying for driver’s licenses or finding schools for children.

"I feel very privileged to work in such an excellent team, and [I am] proud of our team's efforts to receive such a prestigious award," Jayne Howarth, Relocation Services coordinator, said. "I believe the key to our success is our international perspective and ability to provide an individualized service to all our clients."

The International Center’s Relocation Services team—which consists of Director CaSondra Shim, Howarth and Assistant Sandra Pfister—traveled to Seattle Oct. 19-20 for the awards gala and were awarded gold in destination service after receiving survey scores of above 96% in excellence.

“I am proud to be part of such a great team who achieves great things together,” Pfister said.

Shim also emphasized that, while she feels honored herself to have received the award, the high performance of the Relocation Services department is a team effort, and one she is happy to see recognized.
LEADERSHIP ACROSS CULTURES 2018
The International Center’s fourth annual Leadership Across Cultures event concluded October 19 after featuring a variety of workshops, guest speakers and other activities for local leaders. The overarching goal of the event—which is overseen and organized by The International Center’s Global Competency Training Manager, Ansuyah Naiken—is to foster international cooperation in the workplace and encourage tolerance in a rapidly globalizing Indianapolis.

“It was about equipping leaders working in the global space with skills and competencies so that they can be successful with whatever part of the world they’re working in,” Naiken said, pointing out that even workers who do not travel are often exposed to other cultures via phone, Skype or everyday interaction.

The two-day event began with an opening reception Wednesday evening to welcome the 20 participants ahead of the two-day event. Speakers included Dr. Yulia Tolstikov-Mast, Michael Overdorf, Brian Cox, and Ersal Ozdemir. Each offered their insights on how to behave respectfully in intercultural situations both in the United States and abroad.

Global Competency Intern Brooke Elliott helped Naiken prepare for the event over a series of weeks. Elliot said that she had never been part of planning such an event and found the experience valuable. Her point was echoed by Antonio Navarro, Principal Research Scientist at Eli Lilly.

"It helped me conceptualize things that I intuitively knew," Navarro said. "It was very eye-opening to hear other people's views of the same situation. It increased my awareness of how important it is to consider this topic when interacting with other cultures in the workplace."

Thank you to everyone who helped plan and supported this fantastic event!
November 2
Big Car Collaborative
Tube Factory
1125 Cruft St
Indianapolis, IN

November 2
Healing Friends Foundation
University of Indianapolis
1400 E. Hanna Ave
Indianapolis, IN

November 12 - 13
Marion University
3200 Cold Spring Rd
Indianapolis, IN

T artini: an Italian from Piran
November 13
Sister Cities Project
Indiana Landmarks Center
1201 Central Ave
Indianapolis, IN
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