St, Louis, MO October 8, 2008 -- According to a recent survey by Workforce.com, overseas assignments of less than one year nearly tripled from 10% to 27% during the past seven years. With that increase comes a greater need for innovative products and services to support the employee – and the family – facing a global or domestic short term assignment, relocation, or split family situation. Vandover, a premier provider of global relocation and transition assistance, recently announced strategic planning initiatives to support this growing need, and has hired Karen Sztencel to lead the efforts.

Sztencel joined Vandover as Director of Strategic Planning in August, 2008, and will lead the firm’s research and new product development efforts. She most recently served as Director of Strategic Resources with Prudential Relocation where she worked with Vandover as a third-party partner.

“Today’s global corporate environment has created the need for enhanced talent management services to enable employers to get the right people to the right places to get the job done, while offering the relocating employee and his or her family the support they need to acclimate quickly to their new environment,” said Margery Marshall, President of Vandover. “This provides a jumpstart to productivity, and helps with the success of the relocation.”

In her role as Director of Strategic Planning, Sztencel will work closely with Vandover’s Marketing, Leadership and Account teams to monitor trends and implement products and services to support the ever-changing domestic and global needs of Vandover clients.    

“Our experience shows that corporations and their employees need support more than ever, and Vandover is committed to remaining the thought leader and innovator in the relocation industry,” added Marshall. “Karen brings a wealth of experience that will help shape the products and services of today and of our future.”

Sztencel holds over 20 years of corporate experience, with notable expertise in the areas of strategic planning, product development, and financial analysis. She has served corporations at the director level, overseeing and implementing a wide range of strategic business initiatives. Sztencel earned her bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, and holds an M.B.A. in Finance and Marketing from Columbia Graduate School of Business in New York.

Vandover is a St. Louis-based career management and relocation transition firm that provides global relocating spouse career assistance, relocating employees and family lifestyle assistance, and outplacement services for corporations, organizations, and government entities. For more information, please visit www.vandover.com.

This press release was distributed through eMediawire by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer: www.HRmarketer.com) on behalf of the company listed above.