When making the decision to go public there are numerous considerations to keep in mind; some of the most important relate to the organization’s workforce. To ensure that roles and responsibilities align with the needs of a public company, talent management processes must change. Going public will require new skills and capabilities in your workforce, a new company culture and the right people in the right place for the "new" organization. HR and talent processes will need to become more robust − the public eye will be on your organization.

In this session we will explore the challenges that the major multilatina, Arcos Dorados, faced in its recent initial public offering, including those in talent management, transformation and change management .

Employers today are looking for ways to offset the rising cost of health care coverage while increasing employee engagement - so more than ever they are considering wellness programs for their employees. However, simply offering a wellness program won't get employees participating – effective communication is critical. There are many tools and resources that can help employees develop a better awareness and appreciation of a company wellness program and understand the value of the services provided.

This session will explore some of the most effective practices connecting employees with their organizations’ wellness programs. We will present a case study from Boehringer Ingelheim, which has successfully implemented an ambitious wellness program in Mexico.

Like many global companies, FedEx Express sees future revenue growth coming from the emerging markets. In 2011, it closed on a deal to buy a major domestic transportation company in Mexico. For the transaction to succeed, FedEx considered it critical to ensure that the cultures of the two organizations were understood and managed in a thoughtful, structured and practical way.

In this session, we will explore the subject of cultural integration and learn what drove FedEx to address culture so proactively. We will discuss the approaches, practices and methodologies it used. Tom Tannehill, VP HR for the Latin America & Caribbean Division of FedEx Express, will provide his insights into the key learnings from integrating two very different corporate cultures.

Union negotiations and high inflation in Argentina have become increasingly difficult for employers. Chile’s copper mining boom continues unabated, resulting in attraction and retention issues for key talent. This breakout will focus on the key human capital and labor issues in Argentina and Chile and will allow for significant interaction between presenters and delegates to explore these issues in detail.

Companies sending employees on international assignments face many employee health-related challenges: broad international health and life coverage, access to top class medical attention and increasing costs of health coverage worldwide are just a few of them.

In this session, we will share some compelling findings of the Healthcare, Life and Disability Survey for Expatriates, which Mercer recently conducted in Latin America. This survey provides key insights to help companies improve the management of health programs of their international transfers. We will present a case study outlining what one of the region’s major multilatinas with an extensive mobility program has done to overcome its expatriate health care challenges.

Record levels of foreign direct investment continue to drive a booming economy in Brazil. But this growth also brings challenges including talent scarcity and the increasing employment cost for both local & expatriate employees. This breakout will focus on the key human capital and labor issues in Brazil and will allow for significant interaction between presenters and delegates to explore these issues in detail.

In this session, we will present a detailed overview of the compensation and benefit trends in Latin America identified by the Mercer Total Remuneration Survey, focusing specifically on countries facing compensation-related challenges.

We will compare different countries in the region and contrast the region’s results against trends identified in Mercer’s global surveys. This session is designed for those delegates who would like to have an overview of the key compensation & benefit issues and trends across the whole region.

Does your organization face a severe shortage of leadership talent? Forward-thinking companies recognize that the key to gaining and sustaining a competitive advantage is through identifying, developing and retaining leaders who can deliver measurable results. Although global organizations strongly believe in the value of gender diversity in leadership, women represent less than 14% of corporate executives at top publicly traded companies around the world, while they comprise 40% of the global workforce (Source: Catalyst).

Without a systematic focus on leadership assessment and development, the deployment and development of talent for global leadership roles is at best a hit or miss proposition. In this session, our speakers will discuss the results of two recent Mercer studies – one on women’s leadership development and the other on global leadership talent. We will also describe a capabilities framework for leaders in global roles and the barriers companies must overcome to increase the number of women in leadership positions.

Increased levels of insecurity, a presidential election in 2012, and economic challenges in a market closely tied to the US are key issues facing Mexico today. This breakout will focus on the key human capital and labor issues in Mexico and will allow for significant interaction between presenters and delegates to explore these issues in detail.

Human capital analytics have been around in some shape or form for over 20 years. But are HC analytics really valued by business leaders? Do the analytics provide insight into, or drive, business performance? The true answer to these questions is generally “no.”

It is time to advance to the next generation of HC analytics – HC analytics 2.0 – that will drive business performance. These updated analytics allow organizations to minimize costs, drive top-line revenue and build a sustainable competitive advantage relative to their competitors through deploying their human capital more efficiently.

In this session, we will present real-life case studies on how innovative companies are leveraging the analytics of tomorrow to fundamentally transform their businesses today.

Turmoil in the financial markets around the world and an uncertain economic outlook has raised concerns among employers, adding further anxiety to retirement planning. The effects of the latest market volatility and the extended impact of the downturn have significant consequences for plan funding all over the world, coming so soon after the market lows experienced in 2009. With more material deficits and cash funding pressure expected, there are a number of issues which sponsors must address, including financial planning, investment issues, risk and governance.

In this session, we will discuss the impact of the uncertain global economic climate on company retirement plans and provide some actions that organizations can consider to manage their risk.

Tangible evidence of a growing workforce challenge is easy to find. Oil and gas companies are delaying major exploration and production projects at a time of record prices. Aerospace companies are not able to meet ramped up delivery schedules. Some rail and trucking firms are searching in vain for the next generation of engineers, drivers and maintenance workers. Power companies are facing skill development times of five to 10 years for some critical jobs. Health care providers remain in constant search for nurses and technicians, who, once found, are even harder to keep.

In today’s economic climate, where companies are forced to make layoffs, it may seem as if talent shortages are a thing of the past. The truth, however, is that while the downturn has affected how many companies approach workforce planning, it has also made this process an even more critical component of success. The global economic recession and the talent surplus it has created are masking a long-term talent shortage caused by shifting demographics and an aging workforce that will take center stage again as the economy recovers. Therefore, greater uncertainty in today’s business environment actually increases, rather than decreases, the need for rigorous, numbers-driven workforce planning.

This session will examine this fascinating topic and present real-life examples of companies that are addressing the workforce-planning challenge.

There are few deals these days which do not involve more than one country. For HR leaders, managing cross-border deals requires an understanding of the business aspects of the deal and how the workforce requirements will be affected by the different legal regulations and local practices in the countries where the acquisition is made. To achieve the expected ROI, the acquirer must successfully address the HR implications of merging two organizations across a number of countries.

This session will pinpoint the challenges ArcelorMittal experienced after a series of recent acquisitions. We will explore the critical people-related issues the organization was forced to address in order to execute its transactions successfully.

Strong economic growth in all three countries, increasing levels of foreign direct investment and talent shortages in key industry sectors. This breakout will focus on the key human capital and labor issues in Colombia, Peru & Panama and will allow for significant interaction between presenters and delegates to explore these issues in detail.