Hall Global In Mexico City: Stewards Of A Future Not Our Own

Samantha Portillo Fragoso, Gobernadora Maru Campos (Chihuahua), Wendel V. Hall

Last week, Hall Global was privileged to attend the U.S.-Mexico Foundation's 2023 North Capital Forum. The forum brings together business leaders from the United States, Canada, and Mexico to discuss the common challenges facing the respective nations. Topics ranged from high finance to infrastructure development to the semiconductor industry to trilateral issues facing agriculture to labor mobility. We at Hall Global brought our expertise in global labor mobility issues to the table and were able to participate in a wide range of discussions about getting the right people to the right place at the right time.

The highlight of the event for us at Hall Global was the invitation from the Governor of Chihuahua Maru Eugenia Campos Galvan to speak at the Governor's Dinner sponsored by the State of Chihuahua. We took the opportunity to remember that the work we do has a present dimension - business needs to be done and problems solved now - and a future dimension. We tried to capture what the "North American Way" means and what it requires of all of us who are committed to a better integrated North American market. Rather than summarize the remarks, I thought I would provide the text nearly as given:

My name is Wendel Hall and I am the Managing Partner of Hall Global. We are a North American global labor mobility law firm supporting businesses in getting the right people to the right place and the right time.

But I am not here to talk about myself.

I am here to talk about Miguel Angel, born this day in Hospital Siglo Ventiuno. I am here to talk about Olivia, born this day in Washington D.C.'s Shady Grove Adventist. I am here to talk about Nolan, born this day in Toronto's Mount Sinai.

Today each drew their first breath of shared North American air. Today each saw their shared North American sky. Today they became heirs to the promise of a shared North American future.

And, today, we became stewards of three futures not our own. By coming here, we have accepted a solemn charge. We accepted the weight of building their future - and the future of all those like them - while sacrificing our present.

Of course, a fine dinner with fine people in a fine location does not seem like a sacrifice. Nor do conferences and making new acquaintances and reinvigorating old ones seem all that sacrificial. But our present is tied to the North American way - not merely an ideal but Miguel Angel's, Olivia's, and Nolan's lives for the next 80 or so years.

But the reality is that we will accomplish only a tiny fraction of what we set out to do. There will always be another meeting. Another position paper. Another conference to attend. One after another on and on and on.

No statement says all that could be said. No program accomplishes our mission. No set of goals or objectives or mission statements includes everything.

But that is OK. We cannot do everything. But we can do our best right here, right now. We demand no more of ourselves and no less. There is freedom in that.

We will never see the complete result. That is because we are workers, not executives. Because the task is so large and so small. We are, and can only be, stewards of futures not our own. Let us do that well.

We would like to thank Governor Campos and the U.S.-Mexico Foundation. We look forward to attending next year's event.