Jill Firse, EA, GPHR
Jill Firse, EA, GPHR, is a highly accomplished global mobility and expatriate tax professional with extensive experience managing complex international assignments across North and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. Throughout her career, she has provided expertise in expatriate tax compliance, payroll reporting, and cross-border mobility for programs involving over 1,300 assignees in more than 60 countries. Jill is recognized for her strategic vendor management, proficiency with case management tools, and her ability to streamline processes while minimizing costs and risks for stakeholders. She holds certifications as a Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR®) and an IRS Enrolled Agent, combining deep tax knowledge with human resources insight to ensure seamless global mobility operations.
In addition to her technical expertise, Jill excels in aligning mobility programs with organizational goals, contributing to policy development, and engaging stakeholders from project inception through repatriation. Her leadership style is collaborative and solution-focused, consistently driving operational efficiency and maintaining high levels of stakeholder satisfaction. Over her career, she has held senior roles including Senior Manager of Expatriate and Employment Tax at Wood, Global Mobility Compensation & Tax Manager at NEI Global Relocation, and various tax and HR roles at Intuit, consistently demonstrating her ability to navigate complex global compliance landscapes.
Beyond her professional achievements, Jill is deeply committed to giving back to the community. She volunteers with organizations such as iEducate and Junior Achievement of South Texas, inspiring students to pursue careers in math, science, business, and economics. Jill is also actively engaged in mentoring and thought leadership within the global mobility industry, regularly participating in panels and forums to share her expertise on expatriate management, compensation, and mobility challenges. Her dedication to both professional excellence and community impact underscores her reputation as a respected and influential leader in global mobility.
• Global Professional in Human Resources
• Enrolled Agent
• Houston Christian University- Master's
• Southern Illinois University Edwardsville- B.S.
• Southwestern Illinois College- A.S.
• Panelist-Forum for Expatriate Management
• Panelist-Deloitte Forum on Global Employment Companies
• Worlwide ERC
• National Foreign Trade Council
• Forum for Expatriate Management
• HR Houston
• SHRM
• Daughters of the American Revolution
• IEducate
• Junior Achievement of South Texas
• Making It Better
• NSDAR
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my knowledge and expertise, which have allowed me to save my company tens of millions of dollars, including protecting valuable 401(k) plans.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received is to set a clear goal and consistently work toward achieving it.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering this industry is to maintain a strong work ethic and never underestimate the power of a good sense of humor.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in global mobility is tracking business travelers to determine whether there has been tax compliance exposure triggered whether working state to state or country to country. In general, in the post-pandemic world, countries will allow anywhere from 10-30 working days in country before personal income exposure may be triggered. Other countries may have "business traveler" exemptions. Regardless, the method used to track travelers can either be as simple as a travel provider report download up to apps that track you automatically-although there are inherent privacy issues with this method to which a traveler would need to agree.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in my work and personal life are ethics, compassion, and the ability to not take everything too seriously.