How I relocated an entire organization

One of the most challenging tasks I've ever faced, and one that's hard to adequately capture on a resume, is the relocation of the organization I managed at the beginning of 2022. I still shiver recalling that time.

The decision to move abroad was made in early March. At that time, I had no experience living outside of Russia, organization didn't have any funds dedicated for this purpose, and our budget deficit was enormous. Other options were to close the organization at all, or to shrink activities ultimately. So we decided to try.

Somehow, I managed to secure visas for the team members and create a plan for the relocation. Simultaneously, we had discussions with the team about our future direction and who would continue working with us. Amazingly, we reached an agreement with everyone, and we began the move.

It was crucial for me not to interrupt the organization's operations, and so we didn't stop providing services for even a day.

Following the move, I had to secure documents for everyone, navigate the legal aspects of working in a new country, continuously search for funding, support the team, restructure processes, and address both organizational and individual issues of everyone, trying not to forget about myself.

I lived in this intense state for at least a year. When I finally had a chance to look around, I saw an organization that was more productive than ever before, with a sustainable structure, effective governance, clear policies, with relatively stable financial situation, decent salaries, and a strong, cohesive team.

This was one of the most challenging tasks I've ever undertaken, and I learned a great deal during this time. However, I hope never to have to repeat something like that in the future!