International SOS

International SOS is a health and security services firm, which counts nearly two-thirds of the Fortune Global 500 companies as clients,[1] and takes around 5 million assistance calls every year.[2]

International SOS
Founded1985
FoundersArnaud Vaissié
Dr. Pascal Rey-Herme
Headquarters
London and Singapore
Area served
Global
Number of employees
10,994
Websitewww.internationalsos.com

Services

International SOS focuses on helping organisations and their people reduce exposure to, and mitigate, health, wellbeing and security risks.[3] Their services include providing a consistent feed of timely information on world events, assistance services, health consultancy and programmes, education, advice and medical equipment.[4] It advises on preventive programmes and assisting with emergency response for employees, including domestic workers, business travellers, expatriates and their dependents. Its centres are staffed by physicians, nurses, paramedics, EMT's, operations managers, multilingual coordinators and logistics support personnel. It also has a global network of external service providers including specialist doctors, hospitals, ambulances, charter aircraft and security personnel.

The firm's Tracker service monitors the travel of 10 million people, helping organisations to know where their employees are in a crisis.[5] The firm joined risk management consultancy Control Risks in releasing an itinerary-forwarding feature TravelTracker in 2016.[6]

The firm operates air ambulances services out of South Africa, Singapore, China, Papua New Guinea, and the Middle East. It airlifted 18,000 emergency cases in 2008.[7]

Organisation

International SOS is a privately owned company. They work with educational organisations,[8] corporate clients (including the majority of the Fortune Global 500[1]), corporate clients (including 89% of the Fortune Global 100 and 64% of Fortune Global 500), governmental organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

The firm has headquarters in Singapore and London. It operates worldwide via 81 offices and 26 assistance centres serving over 1,000 locations in 90 countries.[9]

The organisation has more than 10,000 employees worldwide[10] of which 5,200 are professionals, 1,400 are full-time doctors and 3,200 security specialists. The firm takes around 4 million assistance calls every year with 99 languages and dialects spoken in their Assistance Centres, clinics and offices.[2]

History
International SOS clinic staff moving a patient into their clinic in Lagos, Nigeria

Pascal Rey-Herme, a doctor, and Arnaud Vaissié, a businessman, founded a company (then called AEA International) in 1985 to provide medical assistance services to expatriate communities and international organisations in Southeast Asia. Over the following decade, the company grew from its base in Singapore and Indonesia into a pan-Asian corporation, with operations in Hong Kong, Australia, Japan and mainland China. Key clients included oil and gas companies with operations in remote locations.

In 1998, AEA International acquired International SOS Assistance, a group of corporations founded in 1974 by Claude Giroux a Canadian entrepreneur, creating the largest medical assistance company in the world.[1] Initially, it was known as AEA International SOS, and was renamed International SOS in 1999. The acquisition extended the company beyond Asia.

In 2012, International SOS moved its UK headquarters to Chiswick Park, West London.

Growth and Acquisitions

In 2008 the firm launched a strategic alliance with Control Risks, to offer combined medical and security services[11] and acquired MedAire,[12] a provider of remote medical services for aviation and maritime.

In 2009, it acquired a majority stake in Abermed, a UK-based provider of occupational health and remote medical services to the energy sector. In 2010, it developed a strategic alliance with RMSI, an international rapid deployment medical and rescue service, with activities in Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia and Pakistan.

International SOS medical staffs performing offshore emergency MEDEVAC in oil and gas drilling platform in Andaman Sea, Myanmar.

In 2011, it merged with VIPdesk, a North American provider of concierge services, customer care and loyalty programs, acquired the medical supplies division of SMI (Service Médical International), acquired of L.E. West, EMC, Shenton Pharmacy and Nutracare Pharma, and launched a joint venture in Brazil with International Health Care.

In 2012, it acquired EMSM, a concierge and lifestyle company in South Korea. And in 2013, it acquired Norwegian companies SBHT, KBHT, Haugaland HMS, and Nordic Medical Services (NMS), and partnered with Aerosafety, a medical and aviation safety equipment company in Brazil.

In 2014, it launched Response Services Australia, a provider of emergency response, rescue and recovery services, entered a partnership with AMAS medical Services in India, acquired Aeromed in Mozambique, and created strategic partnership with Western Africa Rescue Association (WARA), a clinic and medical services company in West Africa.[13]

In 2016, it entered a strategic partnership with Everbridge.

In 2017, it entered a Duty of Care integration with Rocketrip, started joint venture partnerships with Global Excel and Iqarus, acquired International Health Solutions[14] and launched a digital consultation service from Aberdeen Health Centre.[15] It also started the world's first emotional support service for the mobile workforce.

International SOS medical team evacuated an injured patient from remote area of Myanmar to capital Yangon with Cessna Caravan

In 2019, it took full responsibility of the services it was previously providing as part of the Control Risks joint venture, to provide its consolidated Security Services suite to clients.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it rapidly expanded its TeleConsultation services, part of its TeleHealth services, to over 30 countries.

Major assistance

International SOS has provided medical advice, assistance, and travel safety services during and after a number of major incidents.[16] These include the COVID-19 pandemic,[17] the Jakarta unrest,[16] the Mumbai terrorist attacks by helping those directly impacted by the event,[18] and the Yemen crisis.[19]

It has provided service during disease crises, including the provided medical assistance during the global COVID-19 pandemic, the 2003 SARS outbreak[20] and the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.[21][22][23]

It has dealt with major natural disasters such as the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, the 2005 Hurricane Wilma,[24] the 2010 Haiti earthquake,[25] the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami,[26] the 2014 Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu,[27] and the Sabah earthquake in Malaysia.[28]

The firm has also provided services to major sporting events such as the Summer Olympic Games in 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012, and the 2010 Asian Games.[29]

In 2006, International SOS's medical transports became the first direct flights between mainland China and Taiwan to be flown since 1949.[30]

New services

2001 Travel locator services were added to the online platform.

2008 TravelTracker launched, a travel tracking service combining the Control Risks' and International SOS' existing services.[31] The application now tracks more than 2.5 million travellers per year.[32]

2010 Began to offer preventive programmes to help companies meet duty of care obligations to employees abroad.[33] This led to the distribution of medical and security information and alerts online, and developing travel preparation and risk mitigation programmes.[5][34]

2011 Launched the International SOS Assistance App – the Android and iPhone iOS mobile phone apps.

2015 Launched updated version of Pandemic Information, an online portal featuring information on, and analysis of, emerging infectious disease outbreaks.[35] It also became first company in the world to be certified in the delivery of Telehealth services[36] with international standard ISO/TS 13131:2014 ED1.

2017 Achieved ISO/IEC 27001 Certificate for Information Security Management in relation to the development and support of all International SOS digital medical and travel security services.

2018 sign partnership agreement with Chatham House. Launched Medsea Marine Medical Assistance Chinese services

2018 Enhanced Security Intelligence with GeoSpark Analytics AI

2020 Partnership with Occu-Med on new MOD-15 Medical Screening Assessment for Deployment Service, IQARUS launched COVID-19 MEDEVAC Service (CMED). MedAire launched new pre-flight COVID-19 Screening Service. Launched ICC AOKpass with ICC, MedAire launched first aid for aviation virtual training, Launched WorkReady and WORKSAFE Solutions.

Awards

International SOS has received the following recognition and awards:

2009 Arnaud Vaissié awarded Ernst and young Entrepreneur of The Year Award.[37]

2012 The publication ‘Duty of Care Benchmarking Study’ won ‘Best Research Study of the Year’ EMMA.[38]

2015: TravelTracker 6.0 won the Business Travel Awards ‘Best Specialist Business Travel Product/Provider;[39] the firm won Best Specialist Business Travel Product/Provider award - Business Travel Awards.[40]

2016 International SOS and Control Risks received the Individual Alliance Excellence Award from the Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals.[41]

2017: Risk Management Product of the Year, CIR Risk Management Awards for TravelTracker and Incident Management Services,[42] International Healthcare and Risk Management Provider of the Year, FEM EMMA EMEA Award,[43] and winner in four categories at the Americas EMMAs: Best Use of Data Analytics within Global Mobility, Most Innovative Use of Technology in Global Mobility - Assignee Management, International Healthcare and Risk Management Provider of the Year and Thought Leadership – Best Survey or Research Study of the Year.[44]

2018 International SOS Assistance UK LTD. Recognised as an investor in people, ISOA VANGUARD Award for Initiatives in post-conflict environments, Global Certification to ISO 9001 2015 Quality Management System, FEM APAC EMMA’s AWARD[45]

2018 Aspire Lifestyles chosen as The Official Concierge Partner of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2018 Awards[46]

2018 International SOS appointed as Fortune Global Forum’s Preferred Medical Partner[47]

2019 Aspire Lifestyles chosen as the Official Concierge Partner of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards 2019[46]

2019 International SOS ‘Event Support’ won Best Specialist Business Travel Service[48]

2019 MedAire named Security Information Provider of Choice by top airlines[49]

2019 International SOS received the ISOA Vanguard Award for initiatives in post-conflict environment, awarded ISO 27001 Certification for Best Practice in Information Security Management, CIR Risk Management Award for Event Support[50]

2019 International SOS recognised as the International Healthcare & Risk Management Provider of The Year at the 2019 FEM APAC EMMAS[51]

2019 International SOS – Johannesburg, Angola, Nigeria and Ghana awarded The Prestigious Top Employer Africa Certification[52]

2020 International SOS recognised as a Top Employer in the UK for 2020[53]

2020 2020 Aspire Lifestyles became the Official Concierge Partner of the World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards[54]

Publications

International SOS has been listed as a publisher on several publications covering research into duty of care and travel risk management. Notable publications include works by Professor Dr. Lisbeth Claus[55][56] and ACTE (Association of Corporate Travel Executives) International.[57]

2009 ‘White Paper: Duty of Care of Employers for Protecting International Assignees, their Dependents, and International Business Travellers’, written by Professor Dr Lisbeth Claus, published by International SOS.[55]

2010 ‘Briefing Paper: Every Ash Cloud has a Silver Lining – Lessons Learned from the 2010 Icelandic Volcano Crisis’, published by ACTE (Association of Corporate Travel Executives) Global and International SOS.

2011 ‘Duty of Care and Travel Risk Management Global Benchmarking Study’, written by Professor Dr Lisbeth Claus, published by International SOS.

2015 ‘Travel Risk Management, European Trends’, written in partnership with FERMA and DLA Piper.

2015 ‘Scholastic sector's duty of care: Managing the pursuit of education while abroad’ written by Dr Lisbeth Claus, Professor of Global Human Resources at the Atkinson Graduate School of Management of Willamette University, and Robert L. Quigley, Regional Medical Director and Senior Vice President of Medical Assistance, Americas Region for International SOS.

2016 ‘Managing the safety, health and security of mobile workers: an occupational safety and health practitioner's guide’ by International SOS Foundation and the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health.

2017 ‘Investing and Operating in Russia’ white paper launched in partnership with Enhesa

2018 'Investing and operating in Mexico: How to Mitigate Occupational Health Risks and Achieve Regulatory Compliance'

2019 ‘White Paper: Risks of the Road for the International Traveller: the Leading Global Killer Often Overlooked in Duty of Care’ by International SOS foundation in partnership with the Global Road Safety Partnership.[58]

2019 ‘Biggest Influences of Health, Safety and Environment Practices by 2030 Report.’ by International SOS Foundation[59]

2019 ‘Operating in China: Mitigating Human Capital Risks and Occupational Health Challenges in China’ white paper launched in partnership with Enhesa.[60]

International SOS Foundation

The International SOS Foundation launched in March 2012 with a grant from International SOS as a registered charity that is a fully independent and non-profit organisation.[61]

The Foundation has the goal of improving the safety, security, health and welfare of people working abroad or on remote assignments through the study, understanding and mitigation of potential risks. It has published, and acts as a repository for, a number of academic papers, articles and advisory notes on these topics.[62]

In 2016, the Foundation introduced the Duty of Care Awards to recognise organisations and individuals who have made a significant contribution to protecting their staff as they travel and work overseas.[63]

In 2017, the Duty of Care Summit was launched, bringing together industry leaders to share best practices in the safety and security of the mobile and remote workforce; this event took place on the day of the Duty of Care Awards.

Notable publications include:

  • The ‘Global Framework on Safety, Health and Security for Work-related International Travel and Assignments’, compiled by Dr David Gold. In 2014, the ‘Global Framework’ won the award for ‘Thought Leadership’ in the Expatriate Management and Mobility Awards (EMMA), for the Asia Pacific region.
  • ‘Return on Prevention’, published by Prevent and commissioned by the International SOS Foundation in March 2015, investigates the risks associated with international assignments and the cost of a failed assignment.
  • 'Travel Risk Mitigation Bowtie', International SOS Foundation 2015.
  • ‘Occupational Health & Safety And Workplace Wellness Reporting Guidelines For A Global Workforce: A Practical Guide For Internationally Operating Employers’ in partnership with Sancroft in 2017.

See also

References
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  2. "Interview: International SOS taps China market on B&R initiative - Xinhua | English.news.cn". xinhuanet.com. Retrieved 2019-04-12.
  3. "The Times - Raconteur Business Risk Strategies" (PDF). The Times - Raconteur Business Risk Strategies. The Times. June 11, 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
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