This investigation is into the globally mobile careers of talented managers in the context of an increasingly globalised labour market. Adopting a social constructionist methodology with a transcendental realist slant, the external and internal factors that influence global mobility choices from both an individual and organizational perspective are identified. The key external influences are; the economy, the labour market for talent and the state of technological advancement. Main organizational drivers are management development, recruitment, retention and skill deployment issues. On the other hand, economic costs, performance issues and increasingly, governance and liability issues act as deterrents to global mobility. From an individual perspective the motives are personal development and career enhancement; however, there are significant barriers to being globally mobile, namely; family issues and the career of an individual’s spouse. An important outcome of this research is the identification of the way in which the different internal and external push/pull forces act on global mobility choices in a wave action from an employer perspective and in a cycle action from an individual point of view