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Expat

Nostalgia

Maybe some consider that the story has a bad ending. However our hero did not regret his decision to move to Peru. The expat experience did not last very long but was very intense. It was an experience of a life time. They saw a totally new world that affected them in many aspects. He is currently living in Greece happily with his family. He has a good job and enjoys life in Greece. However sometimes, just between you and me, he does think of Latin America with nostalgia….

Valuable Lesson

Our hero never received the money the company owed him. He never received the stock options he was promised in order to join the group. He does not have any communication with anyone in the company in Greece. With none of his old or new “friends”. Once he ran into the HR director and the guy hugged him and told him that he was very happy to see him! Of course, he also said that he would call him in order to grab a cup of coffee. As you can imagine by now, our hero is still waiting…
Our hero got a valuable lesson. When regarding professional issues, never make a decision like this based only on good faith. Always get everything in writing. Our hero was punished for displaying good faith and trusting people that were not worth it. He should have considered the fact that the company did not include in the contract details about the stock options, a deal breaker.

The Truth

The CFO, the HR director, the Marketing Director, the Finance director never told the CEO the truth about our hero’s decision to leave. They never mentioned the stock options issue. They told him that he wanted to leave Peru because of family issues!!! According to their story his wife threatened to leave him if they did not leave Peru!!! Now it was clear to our hero. The CEO never knew about the stock option issue. They never told him about the real problem because probably they had no authorization to offer stock options to our hero, in order to persuade him to join the group. That is why the CEO offered a position in Greece. He thought that he would be solving our hero's problem. The “problem” with our hero’s wife wanting to move from Peru. Unbelievable our hero thought. At least now the CEO knows the truth. Maybe it is too late, but better now than never. Even if he lost money, money that he had worked for, after his decision to communicate with the CEO, it was worth it.

Ungrateful!!!

In about half an hour after he sent the mail, the HR director and the CFO sent him both(!!) mails, telling him that he had no right to do this!!! That he was ungrateful (!!!) and did not respect his colleagues and the chain of command. Our hero could not believe his eyes. Imagine: He was deceived by these people and now being accused of ungratefulness! The CFO also told him that under these circumstances he could not give him the compensation he had already worked for in Argentina!!! This was the closure with the company he trusted one year ago. For which he decided to move to another continent. Incredible he thought. But he could not understand why everybody was so frustrated with him after sending the mail to the CEO. But he decided to find out. And he did. And was even more shocked.

The e-mail

Nearly a month had passed and our hero had not heard anything about his money. The same story he thought. He called the HR director, sometimes he answered and made promises and sometimes he did not answer at all. Our hero was furious. The company did not even want to pay him money he had worked for. He was getting tired. But he could not lose any more time. He had to move on. He decided to leave the issue as it was. Not to ask for the money anymore, but just wait. However he wanted to thank the CEO and say goodbye to him. He decided to send an email, in which the reasons for his decision to leave were clearly stated. He prepared the mail and sent it. He could not imagine what followed.

The first week in Greece

The first week in Greece was very difficult. The weather was very hot, the jet lag, the clearance of their possessions in customs. After a couple of days he was able to go to group central offices in order to finalize his issues. He wanted to receive the compensation regarding Argentina he was promised and say goodbye to some colleagues. He met the HR director and asked him were the compensation issue was. Don’t worry he said. We only need one signature from the CFO and we are ready. I would like to say goodbye to the CEO and thank him for his offer he said. Well I don’t know said the HR director. He is very busy these days and it will be difficult. I will thank him for you. Our hero was puzzled and left the offices. Is there a reason he thought that he doesn’t want me to see him? Of course there was.

Goodbye Peru, Hello Greece

The same afternoon they went to the airport to catch their flight. Our hero had mixed emotions. He was happy to go home. But he was also sad of how things had turned out for him within the group. He had joined the group with great expectations, leaving a nice job he had in Greece. And now, one year later he is returning home because the company deceived him. He did not have a job, and there were no guarantees on when he would get one. However, he knew that he had made the right choice. He looked at his family, his wife and child. Nobody could mess around with them. You either keep your side of the deal, or the deal is off. They were near the check in area. He held his son with one arm and held his wife’s hand with the other. Let’s go home he said. Good bye Peru, Hello Greece.

Adios Amigos

On our hero’s final day, a big farewell party was organized in the company. Everybody wanted to say goodbye to our hero. Everybody knew that he gave the company everything he had. And he also showed great respect to everybody. This was highly appreciated. Our hero was very emotional. He was proud to be a part of this team. These people, although not appreciated from headquarters, were great professionals and good friends. They had done something unique for him and his family. They made him feel at home. And this is something he would never forget. He made a very difficult speech. Thank you for everything he said. It has been a pleasure and an honor working working with you. Peru and especially you people will always have a special place in my heart. Adios Amigos. Gracias por todo.

An unforgettable experience

Since our hero and his family would be returning to Greece, they decided to enjoy Peru as much as they could. So they visited the fabulous Machu Picchu. They flew over the Nazca Lines and visited the jungle. Of course they also enjoyed the magnificent Peruvian Cuisine. They went to all the restaurants they liked: Rafael, Tanta, La Carreta, Kala, Tsilis, Chinese food, Japanese and to all the great choices you have in Peru. The Peruvian food is unique and is highly recommended. It will be an unforgettable experience!

Very Soon

He could not understand the offer. This does not solve the issues he had with his compensation. He did not have any problem being an expatriate. His only problem was the fact that the company did not keep it’s part of the deal. His transfer to Athens would not solve this. Furthermore our hero thought that it could not be possible to act as a CFO based in Athens. He would have to travel to Latin America all the time and would have to be apart from his family. The very next day he called the HR director to kindly reject the offer, explaining him his rationale. However he asked him to thank the group CEO for his offer. However he remained troubled. He could not understand the CEO’s offer and how it was supposed to solve his issues.

Very soon he would understand… And would be shocked...

CFO Latin America

After a month our hero received a phone call from the HR director. It was probably one of the strangest calls that he had received. I have news for you the HR director said. It is an offer you cannot resist he continued. What do you mean our hero asked? We had a discussion with the group CEO and informed him about your situation. He does not want to lose you and that is why he will make you a great offer. What do you mean? Our hero asked. Although he cannot do anything about stock options for now, he wants you to become CFO of Latin America, based in Athens with almost the same compensation you receive today. You will receive stock options next year. But you have to answer me in 2 days. Our hero was surprised.

Two Issues

The first one was the informing of the group CEO regarding his decision. Our hero had decided not to inform him directly, since he was not his direct boss, but wanted him to be properly informed regarding his decision. The second issue was his compensation regarding the work he did in Argentina. Our hero believed that since he was treated unfairly by the company, the least it could do is offer him compensation for the additional work he had provided. Both the HR director and the group CFO told him that everything would be taken care of: The group CEO would be fully informed and that he would be paid for Argentina. However, both of them told him that they would not stop trying to change his mind.

The Final Three Months

The final three months were very difficult for our hero. Besides the job pressure and the relocating preparations he received enormous pressure from headquarters in order to change his mind and remain with the group. On the one hand it was nice to see that he was appreciated, but on the other hand our hero was very sad that he did not receive this appreciation when he asked over and over again for solutions regarding his problems. In any case our hero had already closed this chapter of his career and was thinking of the next one. Remeber he would be returning to Athens in the middle of the summer without a job. He had some contacts, but things would not be easy. However before finding his next job, he had two issues to discuss with his current company that concerned him very much.

Preparations

Our hero’s decision was final. He believed that since he had resigned there would be no return. However the CFO told him to think about it a couple of days and then talk again. He was quite pushy so our hero told him that he would be willing to talk, but also told him that he would not change his mind. Anyway the CFO was not offering anything but promises. Since our hero had completely lost faith in the company, this wasn’t worth much. In the meanwhile our hero continued to work very hard in both companies in order not to leave any important issues open after his departure. This would take place in about three months. He decided to give the company adequate time in order to find solutions for his substitution in both companies. However he started preparing for his departure to Greece. They purchased the airport tickets and started to serach for moving companies in order to arrange for the transportation of their things.

Another Phone Call

The next day the CFO finally called. He tried to change our hero’s mind. He told him that he should have talked to him directly about his issues and not through the HR director. Our hero was surprised. Weren’t you informed about my issues he asked? Yes, I was but it is not the same to hear it from you directly. Our hero could not believe this answer. Since he was informed correctly from the HR director, what would be the difference if our hero repeated the same things? Anyway he stopped thinking about it and considered it an effort from the CFO to convince him to stay through promising that from now on all issues would be handled directly by him. About the stock options he said it was a mistake from the HR director. He should not have committed to something like this. However I will personally see that next year you will receive stock options. How about this year our hero asked? How can we cover the lack of stock options? I am afraid it is not possible to do anything this year the CFO said. I can’t offer you anything now, but next year…. Our hero was beginning to get tired. The same story…

Sad Peruvians

The CFO did not call the next day or the day after that. The HR director however called everyday (!) in order to change our heroes mind. The astonishing part was that he told him that he had discussed the issue with the CFO and that our hero had the approval to move to Buenos Aires immediately and rent whatever apartment he wanted, with no limit regarding the rent! Our hero was beginning to get mad. These are not serious things he thought. Why couldn’t have they approved this during the three month period that he had be going back and forward to Argentina and sending continuous e-mails regarding the Argentina transfer. There doing it now when they are realizing that he is ready to leave. Anyway our hero thought this is history now. In the meanwhile, in the local company many people started to find out that he was leaving. Everybody was sad. He only had friends in the company and nobody wanted him to leave. Furthermore, everybody knew that without him communication with central offices would become much more difficult, especially for the finance team.

Final Decision

He prepared the letter and sent it to the group CFO, the HR director and the previous CEO. These were the three people that hired him. He did not send it to the group CEO, because he wanted to inform these people first and let them inform him. Later on he found out that this was a mistake. In any case, he did not hear anything for about three days after sending the letter. Finally, he received a phone call on the fourth day. Hello said the HR director. I am here with the finance director and the marketing director to discuss your issue. Our hero was annoyed. This issue is personal and has nothing to do with the other two he said. We are only trying to help the HR director said. Anyway they spent the next hour on a pointless conversation. They all tried to convince him that he was making a mistake and that things would be corrected. I am tired of being patient our hero said. I feel like a fool. It was clear that they did not expect him to make a decision like this and that they did not want to lose him. They felt safe with him in L. America since they could count on him to do the job. Please wait the HR director said. The CFO will call you tomorrow to discuss. Ok our hero said. But my decision is final.

Deceived

They did not discuss their decision with anyone. They wanted to formally inform the company first. Our hero decided to send a letter to the central offices. He decided to explain exactly the reasons that lead him out of the company. He would focus on the stock option issue and the handling of the Argentina transfer. But more importantly he had to make clear that he wanted to be treated with the same respect he showed everyone in the company. He hoped that his message would be clear. However there was no way back. Whatever the company would tell him, he would not change his mind. The journey was over. He was a bit nervous about returning to Greece without a job, but he was confident that he would find a solution. Most importantly he was disappointed because he really enjoyed working with that group. He also respected the group CEO and, at least until that point, the group CFO. However he was not treated at all professionally. He felt deceived and that is a feeling that you cannot stand.

The Right thing to do

What do you mean his wife asked? What can we do? Only one thing, our hero said. Let’s go home. It is not worth it. We have been deceived and it is clear that the future will not be better. I don’t trust them. I agree, but what are you going to do in Greece without a job. Don’t worry our hero said. I will get a job with at least the same money I made before coming here. You will also start your job again since you have such a good relationship with your former boss and we will be ok. I just need a couple of months to search all my options. Are you sure, his wife asked? Totally our hero said. It was a nice journey, but its time to draw the curtain. Come on, besides the stock options issue, they promised me a bonus and i did not receive anything. They asked me to be in charge in two companies in L. America, with the same money I was paid for one. I can’t stand these people anymore. They think that we are idiots. Let’s show them that we are not. Ok, said his wife let’s do it.
Things were actually simple. The same way they decided to move to Peru, they decided to go back to Greece. It felt like the right thing to do.

I am going to fix it

Our hero was very disappointed. He felt that he had made a big mistake. He showed good faith in many occasions and unfortunately the company did not do the same. He informed his wife. She was also sad. Bottom line: They had moved to Peru, to another continent, leaving both their jobs, their families and friends for nearly the same money they were making in Greece together. Our hero had done a very good job, more than he had agreed to and this is how the company rewards him. This was totally frustrating. I can’t stand this our hero said. I feel like a complete idiot. Don’t be hard on yourself his wife said. You acted in good faith but unfortunately the company did not. It is their fault. No our hero said. I am responsible and I am going to fix it!

Thank you very much

It was the HR director. I have some news for you he said. I am happy to announce that your bonus has been approved. Our hero was pleasantly surprised, but cautious. What amount he said? The amount included in your contract the HR director said. Our hero was shocked. What about the additional bonus you promised me to cover the difference from not receiving the stock options he asked? It was not possible the HR director said, but next year… Our hero could not listen any more. He felt like an idiot. The company did it again. The HR director continued: Regarding the compensation in Argentina, unfortunately there will not be an increase in your salary but it will remain the same as now. Our hero had to ask. So I will get promoted, I will be responsible for two companies, travel back and forth but receive the same money I did only for one company? The HR director continued:Well maybe it sounds bad, but next year… Our hero could not listen any more. He had some thinking to do and some decisions to make. Ok he said thank you very much and ended the conversation.

The Phone Call

Nearly three months had passed from the announcement of his transfer to Argentina and our hero had not heard anything from headquarters regarding his issue. Only promises from the HR director. In the meanwhile these months were extremely difficult for our hero. He travelled back and forth to Argentina and in Peru the temp CEO was continuously present trying, without success, to make a difference. This meant significant additional workload for our hero. He was exhausted and quite mad. On the one hand he did not have time for his family, since he was working intensively in two companies and continuously travelling. On the other hand, he had no information regarding his transfer, which was initially planned to take place two months ago or about the additional bonus he was promised. This situation was very unpleasant and stressful. Finally one day our hero received a phone call from Greece. This phone call changed everything…

Wrong Again

In the meanwhile our hero started working in the Argentinean Company. How? Continuous travelling. Our hero could not wait for the finalization of his personal issues in order to start working. The new company had many open issues that required urgent attention. But this was extremely difficult for our hero. Besides the significant workload, he had to leave his family behind in order to travel. Imagine: His family was alone in Peru and he was in Argentina working for maybe 4 or 5 days. This was not what he had agreed on when he joined the company. They had agreed to move to another continent, but they would be all together. They were not happy with this situation, but they were patient. Deep down they thought that maybe the company was moving slow, but everything would be taken care of. His compensation would be fairly arranged and the new rent allowance would be determined in order for them to find an apartment in Buenos Aires. Again, they were wrong…

Promises

Our hero tried to communicate with the HR director in order to arrange the issues regarding the transfer to Argentina. Our hero wanted to see the full package, mainly the compensation and the rent allowance. Furthermore he wanted to finalize the extra bonus that was promised to him in order to cover the lack of stock options. All these issues stressed him and he wanted to finalize them. According to the initial communication with the HR director, he was to suppose to move in Argentina within a month. However after a month had passed, he had no indication about the conditions regarding the transfer! He talked with the HR director, he sent mails, but received no answer at all. Only promises that everything will be taken care of. Nothing had changed regarding central offices behavior.

The temp CEO

The temp was also a nice guy. Professionally however during his stay in Peru he was not able to show any results in sales, which was his area. This was a big blow for him, because he had shown arrogance during the time he was “supporting” the company from headquarters. He travelled back and forth to Peru for nearly 4 months. During that time he had a good relationship professional and personal with our hero and his family. They spent weekends together, they discussed many personal issues and our hero later on met his family in Greece and both families spent a very nice day at the beach. Our hero thought that they would remain friends, independently of their professional relationship. He was wrong…

The new CEO

The executives from Greece would be arriving in the company Monday morning. Everybody was very anxious. A new CEO and a temp CEO is not a small thing. It is a major change. During this week our hero spent many hours with these two people. He liked the new CEO very much. He was an excellent professional with strong experience in sales and people management. Exactly what the company required. This guy showed no arrogance at all and went directly to the point. He respected all the people and listened to all the ideas. Our hero would not stay for long in Peru because of his transfer to Argentina, but he had the time to grow a very good professional relationship with this person.

Booming Argentinean Real Estate

Our hero decided to travel to Argentina immediately in order to review the house market. He had heard that the Buenos Aires market was very expensive but he wanted to see exactly how much money was required in order to discuss it with Greece. In Lima he was living in a nice apartment in San Isidro and the only thing he wanted was to rent a similar apartment in Argentina. He left after a couple of days in order to be back when the colleagues from Greece would arrive. He was also going to unofficially meet the executives of the Argentinean company. He remained in Argentina for three days. He saw many apartments and realized that what he had heard was correct. The market was expensive. In order to find an apartment similar to the one in Peru, he was required to pay two times the rent. Real estate was booming in Argentina and this was incorporated in the prices.

Starting to worry

It was the HR director that announced the changes. The current CEO would become Chairman of the Board and a new CEO would arrive, in three months. In the meantime, the marketing director, one of the three executives, would arrive to Peru as acting CEO. This was a big surprise for everyone. The current CEO did not have a problem with this. He wanted to withdraw himself from the day to day operation. The arrival of the marketing director was a surprise. Why? He did not have any experience running a company. Anyway next week both the new CEO and the marketing director would be arriving to Peru. The new CEO for a week and the marketing director for three weeks. Regarding our hero, he would be promoted to regional CFO and transferred to Argentina. According to the HR director this should happen within a month. How about the details our hero asked? What do you mean details? My compensation, my rent allowance, etc. Don’t worry said the HR director. Everything will be arranged soon. When our hero heard the phrase don’t worry, he started to worry.

Summer Changes

During the next weeks they took advantage of the summer. In the weekends they visited the clubs and the beaches near Lima. It is very common in Peru for the upper class people to rent or to own summer houses. During the weekends Lima is empty and the clubs are full. These are controlled areas on beaches with very nice facilities (pools, playgrounds). A famous beach with facilities like this is the Asia beach, about 100 kilometers out of Lima. There you can find restaurants, bars, etc. The weekends for our hero and his family were quite relaxing, since they visited these areas with the CEO and other friends.

In mid January our hero received one of the famous Greek calls. It was quite surprising. Significant changes were going to take place in the company.

Back to Lima and Rafael

The Christmas holidays ended and our hero left for Peru. They had a good time in Greece and were a bit sad to have to leave. After a long trip that got even longer with a 4 hour delay in Madrid, they arrived to Lima on a Sunday evening. The good part was that it was summer in Peru and that the weather was beautiful, something that they saw the very next day. Lima usually is never cold, but is covered with a huge cloud. That time of year however there was no cloud and the days were very sunny. He went to the office with a two hour delay. The first day was difficult, but he was happy to see his colleagues. That evening he went with his wife to their favorite Peruvian restaurant Rafael. They had missed the food in Peru and that evening they had a wonderful time enjoying the extraordinary cuisine of Rafael.

Too Soon

Our hero left the meeting with mixed emotions. He was honored to receive a promotion that soon. On the other hand however, this would mean that he would have to move to another country again. Given the fact the he would still have responsibilities in Peru, we would have to travel, leaving his family behind. This was not easy. Furthermore, our hero did not know what this meant for his personal issues. He already had a problem with the company regarding his compensation. What will happen now? He imagined that the promotion would also mean an increase in his compensation. However nothing was clear. Our hero decided to wait for the official decision. It was too soon to think this through without all the required information available.

Big Surprise

The meeting with the CEO took place later in the afternoon. It only lasted about 5 minutes and it was very general. In any case our hero was very happy to finally meet him. Later that day he also had a meeting with the CFO. That meeting lasted longer and was very interesting. Our hero respected the CFO. He considered him to be a very good professional, that although had significant authority in the organization, was not at all arrogant, which was not the case with others in the organization (i.e. the three executives). The only problem was that he was an extremely busy person and was very difficult to reach. That meeting however lasted for a hour and was very interesting. He told our hero that the project in Argentina was successful and now the group is going to expand to Buenos Aires. The last part of the conversation was a big surprise. He told our hero off the record that he was thinking of promoting him to regional CFO giving him the responsibility of the Argentinean company, along with that of the Peruvian. This however meant that he and his family would have to move to Argentina.

A Serious Mistake

He arrived at central offices at about 11:00 in the morning. It was clear that everybody was in a holiday spirit. He went directly to the HR director’s office. In the beginning the discussion was quite general. The HR director told our hero how everybody was happy with him and how the CEO had heard so many nice things about him. Our hero was satisfied to hear this, but also seized the opportunity to ask about his personal issues. Don’t worry said the HR director. Everything will be as we discussed. You will receive an additional bonus. Should I discuss it with the CEO or the CFO our hero asked? No said the HR director. The CEO never discusses these issues. On the other hand I will handle everything with the CFO. You do not have to mention anything. Our hero was not sure. But decided to give the HR director one more chance and listen. He would avoid talking about his personal issues with the CEO or the CFO. In the future he would realize that this was a serious mistake.

Decision

That Christmas was very strange for our hero and his family. They were happy to be home with family and friends. Everybody wanted to visit them. Their son had grown since the summer and he was a total joy for everyone. However our hero was stressed. He did not know what would happen with his compensation. He had the commitment from the HR director that he would receive additional compensation in order to cover the unfortunate situation with the stock options, but he did not trust him. This situation did not allow him to relax as much as he wanted. He was nervous and worried about the future. The meeting in headquarters would take place on December 23. Our hero did not know if this issue would be discussed at a higher level, either with the group CEO or CFO. Certainly he would discuss it with the HR director and then decide.

Home

Our hero and his family had planned to return to Greece for the Christmas vacations. They were looking forward to it, since they had missed Greece. They would be living on December 21st and returning in about 15 days. It was very strange for them to have Christmas in the summer, as it was in Lima. In their minds Christmas meant winter. And in Greece the winter was quite strong. During their stay our hero would also have some meetings in central offices. Due to the company's behaviour to him, he felt a bit distant and was not in the mood for meetings. But he was looking forward especially to one meeting. With the group CEO. He hadn’t met him before, but he had heard very good things about him and wanted to talk to him. Finally the day of their journey came. After a long trip they arrived to Greece at 11 o’ clock in the evening, after leaving Lima at 9 o'clock the previous day. They also had a 6 hour stop at Madrid. Some friends picked them up from the airport and took them to their apartment. That night would be difficult because of the jet lag. But they were happy. They were home.

Nice time

As soon as they got out of the airport they saw the difference with Lima. There was no cloud in the sky. It was a very sunny day. They hadn’t seen sun very often in Lima despite the fact that it was almost summer. In Buenos Aires the climate is totally different. You have very hot days, but you also have intense rain, even in the summer. Our hero was lucky. This was a beautiful day. As soon as they checked in the hotel, they left for Recoleta, which is a very touristic area. They visited Evita Peron’ s tomb, and then went to the open market. They spent all the weekend visiting different areas of the city. They went to the Boca area, the zoo, the Japanese park, the center of the city, to certain Malls like Florida and generally had a very nice weekend. During the night they walked along Puerto Madero and had dinner, meat of course, along the river. They also tried the famous Dulce de Leche. On Monday morning our hero attended the meetings he had and in the afternoon they flew back to Lima. They had had a very nice time.

Argentina

After a month, our hero received a phone call from Greece. It was the finance director who had a rather pleasant surprise for him. The company wanted him to go to Argentina for a project. Our hero liked the idea and decided to go with his family. It would be a great opportunity for them to see another country in the region. Our hero had to be there on Monday, so he would leave on Friday to spend the weekend with his family there. They made reservations in the Hotel Madero by Sofitel in Puerto Madero. Unfortunately the only airplane tickets they could find would be with Aerolineas Argentina: The worst company he had ever travelled with. Bad airplanes and bad service. The worst 4 hour flight ever. Anyway, they left at around midnight from Lima and arrived in Buenos Aires in the morning because of the 2 hour time difference with Lima.

Trust no one (at least in the company)

Our hero knew that it would be very difficult for him to return to Greece without having a job. There would be no guarantees that he would find a job quickly and he needed the money. On the other hand he could not find another job in Greece from Lima. This was impossible. He was in a difficult position, but he could only wait for the bonus. In the meanwhile the HR director started to tell him how important he was for the group and how the group CFO had plans for him within the group. The next step could be a position in a European subsidiary the HR director said. And this could happen very fast. Maybe before you receive the bonus. Our hero liked the sound of this. A position in a European country, near home. However at this point he could not trust the HR director. He only listened. After a few days the people from Greece left and everything was back to normal. At least to a certain point. Our hero could not believe what the company had done to him. Half of his agreed compensation was gone. Our hero had entirely lost faith in the company and was very nervous about his future.

More Stupid

I have a solution said the HR director. I will arrange with the group CFO for you to receive an extra bonus that will cover a large part, at least 50%, of the money you did not receive from the stock options. And next year you will definitely receive stock options. Our hero had lost faith in the company. He did not believe a word he heard. But he could not do anything at that point. When will I receive this bonus? he asked. In about 4 months. Are you sure? our hero asked. You have my word he said. Listen, our relationship is seriously damaged our hero replied. I have done a hell of a job in Peru, a very difficult country far away from home. What do I get in return? You lower my agreed compensation by 50%. However I will show good faith one more time and wait for the extra bonus. It is the least you can do. And even with this you will only cover part of my agreement. Our hero decided to give them one more chance. He would wait for the extra bonus. If he would receive it would be a positive sign that the company had the intention to correct this unfortunate (for him and his family) situation. OK he said to the HR director. I will wait for the bonus. But if I do not receive it, I will go home. I am not staying in Peru for the same money I received in Greece. I would be even more stupid then.

Stupid

Our hero could not believe his ears. He felt like a fool. He trusted the company, he trusted his “friend” and now… I know this is a problem said the HR director but maybe next year things would be different and you will receive stock options. This is bullshit our hero said. First of all I don’t trust you anymore. Secondly what we agreed was stock options every year, not maybe next year. You are right said the HR director, but you have to understand that the two year restraint was something that came up the at last moment. The group CEO decided this without anybody knowing about it. Our hero was angry. When we agreed a few months ago he said, you did not tell me that there would any possibility of something like this. You told me that it was a sure thing and that the phrase “according to company policy” in the agreement was related to the number of stocks. Unfortunately I was stupid enough to trust you and move to Peru, leaving an excellent job.

Calm Down

In the afternoon our hero finally had time to meet the HR director. This discussion would be quite shocking and would be the beginning of the alteration of his relationship with the group. The HR director informed him that he would not be entitled to stock options. A restriction had been set regarding employment in the company. An employee would be entitled to stock options only if would be working at least two years in the company. Our hero could not believe his ears. Nearly half of his agreed annual compensation just disappeared. You can’t be serious he said. This is a disaster for me. I showed good faith and this what you do to me? Without stock options my decision to join the company is stupid: I moved to Peru with the nearly the same money I made with my wife in Greece! Calm down said the HR director. Calm down? Easy for you to say!

Regrets

The next day in the morning the meetings in the office began very early. Our hero did not have the opportunity to discuss alone with the HR director. He thought that he would do that in the afternoon. Anyway the meetings did not create any value for the company. The executives, mainly the finance director and the marketing director were very arrogant in the meetings. They were acting as if they were experts and their ideas could not be doubted. Our hero basically listened. They did not enter into his field, finance, so he decided not to talk about the other issues, mainly commercial. Later on he regretted this decision. He should have talked and expressed his position about company issues, even if they were not within his direct responsibility.

Unbelievable HR Director

The people from Greece would be arriving on Sunday evening. Our hero had arranged for a car to pick them up and then meet them at the hotel. They would be staying at Sofitel. He met them at around 9 pm in order to have a drink in the lobby. The first thing that they did was to complain about the hotel. When high executives visit they should be staying in the best hotels the marketing director said. I would prefer the Swiss hotel or the Marriot. These two hotels were very expensive. Mor than double the cost of Sofitel. I stayed with my family one month in Sofitel our hero said and I think it is fine. Please don’t compare yourself with the headquarter executives he said smiling. This was meant as a joke, but actually this is what all of them thought. Wherever they went they wanted royal treatment. They discussed a bit about the business, but our hero was anxious to talk about his issue. Stock options. He told the HR director that he wanted to talk to him alone for 5 minutes because he had a problem. Of course he said. I am at your disposal. After everybody goes to bed. Eventually, that time came. But surprisingly the HR director left the lobby without even saying anything to our hero. We will talk tomorrow he said while stepping in the elevator. I am too tired now. Our hero could not believe it. He did not even ask him what his problem was! The HR director of this multinational, the person that recruited him, his "friend"!

Not Possible...

During this busy week our hero received some disturbing news from some acquaintances he had from headquarters. The employees that were entitled to stock options had been receiving the relative documents from the HR office. Our hero had not heard anything. He tried communicating with the HR director, but of course there was no answer. Luckily he would be coming to Peru our hero thought. However he was extremely worried. Why hadn’t he heard anything regarding stock options? This was a basic element of his agreement. One of the basic reasons the he moved with his family to another continent. He discussed it with his wife. She was also worried, but both of them at the end could not imagine that anything could go wrong. This is an agreement. It would be totally unethical for the company not to stick to a commitment it had made to an employee it hired as an expatriate. Our hero could not imagine that a company could display a behavior like this. A company not honoring its half of an agreement. Our hero thought that this could not be possible, but the company behavior until that point, worried him. In any case the HR director would visit Peru in a few days. He would discuss that issue with him immediately.

Three “executives” in Peru

That Monday seemed like all other, but it was not. Our hero received a phone call from central offices. It was the Finance Director. We will be visiting Peru next week said. We? Our hero asked? Yes, The HR Director, the Marketing Director and I he said. All three “executives” our hero thought. What for he asked? We want to review the business and discuss next year’s budget. Ok our hero thought. This would be interesting. That week was crazy. They were working very hard to make the preparations for the arrival of the three. Presentations, discussions, hotel reservations, etc. Busy week. Our hero tried to calm down the locals. Don't worry he said. Everything will be ok.

Happy Greek family in Peru

Our hero was starting to perform well in the job. He got along with everybody, since it was starting to get clear that he was not anything like the three executives from headquarters. He was tough and demanding on the job, but he was also fair. He respected the local people and their customs and everybody appreciated that. In the meanwhile his personal life was improving. Since they had a baby sitter they could go out with his wife easier. They visited the nice restaurants in Peru, they went to movies etc. On the weekends our hero spent a lot of time with his son. In the morning they walked around the San Isidro Golf and stopped for a Coffee and a sandwich at Starbucks. Then they went either to the malls Larcomar or Jockey Plaza to walk around and later had lunch. They did this every weekend. There were not many different things to do, but they had a nice time as a family. They were a bit homesick, but they were happy together.

A maid and a nanny in Peru

Finally the day came for our hero to move to his new apartment. The furniture had been delivered so everything was ready. After they settled in, everything was much better. They were more comfortable, the baby had more room to play, they had internet connection, etc. More importantly they hired two people to help them in the house. A maid and a nanny. Some people may think that two people are too much, but in Peru it is very common. These ladies receive around 150 € per month, which is extremely cheap. They also live and eat in your house. They receive one day off per week, usually every Sunday. It is very common for foreigners that live in Peru and then return to their countries, to take the maid or the nanny with them, especially if they are happy with them. However, it not easy to find good help. In any case our hero would have help now so life would be certainly easier than living in a hotel. They only needed some time to trust the nanny with the baby. But after a month, everything was ok.

Continue Working –Stop Talking

In the meantime our hero started to understand the business. He spent many hours in the office trying to understand the problems. His work started to show immediately. Fortunately he started talking once a week with a finance executive (one of the three “stars”) regarding the business. Of course no one from headquarters acknowledged his good work. Whenever he did something positive and informed headquarters, he received the same answer “I told them to do this a year ago and they did not listen.” After a while our hero chose to continue working and stop talking the details with Greece. It was useless. They had no idea of the business.

Stuck in Sofitel Lima

The next month was quite difficult for our hero and his family. Living in a hotel was not easy. They wanted to move to their apartment so they could start felling like home. They wanted to get help for the house and a baby sitter. This could not be possible in the hotel. While living in the hotel the hero and his wife could not go anywhere without the baby. So basically most of their free time was spent in the hotel. It was difficult to go for a movie, to a restaurant etc. But hey were patient. They knew that everything would be different after they moved to their apartment.

Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Chávez

All these thoughts went through his mind while waiting in the airport. After a slight delay the plane landed and our hero waited at the arrival area. There he saw something strange. There were hundreds of people waiting. He asked his driver why. He was told that this is very common in Lima. When a person arrived from abroad the whole family came to pick him up. Everybody dressed up and went to the airport. For each person arriving there could be 10-15 people waiting for him. Anyway fortunately his wife did not have to wait in the immigration line. Because of the child she had preferential treatment. So after a while both of them came out to the arrival area. Our hero was very happy. The baby saw him and immediately smiled. Our hero forgot about everything the central offices, the HR director, the CFO and hugged his family. He will never forget that moment.

First week in Peru

The first week ended quite fast. Our hero however was not concentrated on the job. The next day his wife and child were coming to Peru. He was anxious. Not only had he missed them, but he was nervous about the trip. He was wife would certainly have her hands full travelling with a 10 monthly baby a 17 hour trip. The hotel had put a cradle in the bedroom so that the baby could sleep. Although the room was quite comfortable, it would difficult in the hotel for all three of them. But they had to be patient for the furniture to be delivered. In the meanwhile he tried to contact headquarters in order to settle some issues. No answer! An expatriate in Peru had started working in the local subsidiary and no one from headquarters had shown any concern. Not the Group CFO, not the HR Director, nobody. Not even a good luck phone call. Our hero was beginning to clearly understand the type of company he had joined.

Peruvian “Losers”

As the CFO our hero wanted to meet his finance team. As we said all people were frightened. This was even more intense in the finance team, since they had the interaction with headquarters. The team had two managers. A controller and an accounting manager. Both of them spoke English. Our hero spent all day with them in order to understand the business and the situation in the company. It was clear that finance was totally underestimated in the company. This had to change. The next couple of days he met all the people in the company. He was pleasantly surprised. Most of them seemed excellent professionals. Later he would see that he was correct. However their morale was extremely low. These three headquarter executives had made them feel like bad professionals. If you continuously here that you are a looser, after a while you start believing it….

The Three Greek “Executives”

The problem was that Greek headquarters had created an intimidating surrounding. The people from headquarters involved with Peru were basically three top executives: the HR director (the “friend”), a Marketing Director and a Finance Director. These three had no idea of managing a company. They were sitting comfortable in their nice offices in Greece, sending tough e-mails, giving orders, but without having any responsibility. Our hero had never seen anything like this before. If things went wrong they blamed local management, but in case of any success, they claimed the glory immediately! But they did not know how to run the business. This is logical since the specific people did not have any operational experience in the field. The Peruvian people knew this and most of them were sick and tired of it. These three "executives" were considered as a bad joke. Unfortunately, a bad joke with power and authority. Besides everything else, our hero had to face this situation. He had to prove that he was not like these specific three executives.

The Peruvian Office

The ride to the office was about 20 minutes, depending on traffic. Everybody in the Peruvian office was expecting him that day and had prepared a nice welcome. First of all the CEO introduced him to everybody. Then there was a small presentation from the management team regarding the company. Our hero’s position was very important in the company structure. Basically we was number 2 after the CEO, but most importantly he was the guy from headquarters. His impression from that first day was that everybody was a bit frightened. Not only because of the “new person from Greece”, but because of headquarters.

Central Offices Greece

It is very important to note that during these 8 days in Peru, no one from Greece central offices had contacted him. Our hero had tried to call his "friend" the HR director, but there was no return of the call. Our hero started to feel quite uncomfortable with the situation. Imagine, an expatriate from Greece moving to Lima, Peru with no support from the central offices! Unbelievable! But our hero at that point could not imagine, what would follow in a few months….

The Ride to the Office

He woke up very early that day. First of all he called his wife. She had arrived at Madrid and was waiting for the evening flight for Athens. After a 5 minute conversation closed the phone, dressed and then went to eat breakfast. They were staying in the Sofitel, which was a nice hotel, but not anything special. Our hero was staying there for 8 days by now and already was tired from the same breakfast. Only three types: American, Continental, Healthy. Anyway after eating breakfast he left for work. The ride was a unique experience. Our hero had already seen that the driving in Lima, and generally in L. America, was totally different than Europe. Very agressive. But here is the thing. No accidents, especially in the city. Everybody was accustomed to driving this way.

Lonely Greek in Peru

The next day would be our heroes’ first day at his new job. That afternoon however, his wife would be travelling to back Greece in order to pick up their son. She would stay in Greece for 2 days and then return. A tough trip with a duration of 34 hours. The return would be even harder for his wife, because she would be travelling with the baby. Difficult trip for a 10 month old child, so our hero was a bit worried. Anyway, he dropped his wife at the airport and then returned to the hotel. That night was quite lonely for him and at the same time he was nervous about his first day at the job.

Jockey Plaza

That same afternoon they went shopping for furniture and appliances. They went to a big mall called Jockey Plaza. This a large shopping centre in Lima that has many shops to choose from. Our hero and his wife did not know where to start from. They had to buy everything from the beginning, within a specific budget. They needed electrical appliances, furniture, things for the baby, etc. They did not stay only in this mall, but they went searching in various shops. The next days were extremely tiring. Finally they were able to order nearly all their things after three days. Most of them from Jockey Plaza. Unfortunately they expected the majority of them be delivered in a month. That meant living in a hotel for a month. This would not be easy.

Hello Oto

As we mentioned our hero had a driver. This driver was provided for security reasons, but basically he facilitated our hero’s life at a large extent. He was English speaking, so he helped our hero and his wife to communicate with the locals. He also knew the stores, the restaurants, etc and in general his assistance was more than necessary. Our hero and his wife could not manage easily without the help of their driver. Furthemore he helped them with may things that were not included in his job description. During their stay in Peru he was more than a driver. He was a friend. Hello Oto, hope you are fine. We will never forget you.