Podcast: Micha-Rose Emmett – Motherhood, IM in Africa, Regulating IM

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Our guest on the Mobility Standard podcast this week was Micha-Rose Emmett, long-time CEO of CS Global Partners. 

We started off on a personal level, by asking questions designed to tell us more about who Micha-Rose is. She answered questions about how she got started in investment migration and the road to where she is today. We discussed some of the issues closest to Micha’s heart – global citizenship, freedom, female empowerment, and so on. She also talked about what it was like becoming a mother while being the CEO of a major company and how she handled that transition.

Micha’s been in investment migration for 15 years already and we wanted to hear if this opportunity for longitudinal observation of the market had led her to draw any conclusions about what macro trends characterize the current chapter of investment migration’s history, and what’s different in the market now compared to in previous chapters.

Born and raised in Namibia and commercially active in Africa for a long time, Micha understands the continent better than most in this business. We wanted to take advantage of that to raise some of the questions we have about investment migration in Africa. What’s next for investment migration in Africa? Is it really the next big market for investment migration or will it remain a continent that just has great potential? 

We questioned Micha about how we might promote the maturation of the investment migration market. Ours is still a relatively immature line of business. It has low barriers to entry, it’s mostly unregulated, and isn’t capital-intensive. There’s no shortage of practitioners who cut corners or tell half-truths to close a deal. Are there any industries that are similar to, but ahead of, investment migration that we could use as a model or template for industry development? Perhaps one that has had to overcome similar obstacles in the past?

How has Micha’s own company changed as a consequence of the pandemic? What lessons did the pandemic teach her and her colleagues at CS Global? What pandemic impacts, negative and positive, drove organizational changes? Are more of her colleagues working remotely and, if so, does Micha expect them to return to the office? Does she think the world of business travel and conference circuits, as we knew it, will return?

Finally, Micha answered a number of questions from the audience, including whether she will consider entering the Turkey CIP market, what junior career paths are available for those who want to get a start in the investment migration business, and whether dropping company margins and lowered program prices will squeeze companies out of the industry. 

Timestamps

• 03:38 – Micha’s story: Where did she start and how did she end up running CS Global?
• 07:47 – How becoming a mother changed Micha’s perspective on work, and how she managed the transition.
• 10:11 – What characterizes the current chapter of investment migration’s history? How is it different from previous chapters?
• 17:45 – Many investment migration firms are making big bets on the African market. Is that a wise approach? Does Africa really have that much potential?
• 27:27 – Helping the investment migration industry mature. Is regulation the answer? What are the limits to regulation? What other solutions exist?
• 40:57 – How has the pandemic changed the way CS Global operates? Are you spending less time in the office or on business trips? Will these adaptations outlast the pandemic?
• 45:52 – Questions from the audience: How can I get started in investment migration? Will CS Global enter the Turkish market? Will lower program prices and company margins squeeze some firms out of the market?