 | This article contains promotional content .(January 2017) |
 | |
| Founded | 1985 |
|---|---|
| Founders | Arnaud Vaissié Pascal Rey-Herme |
| Headquarters | |
Area served | Global |
Number of employees | 10,994 |
| Website | www |
International SOS is a health and security service firm. The company takes around four million assistance calls every year [1] and has almost two-thirds of the Fortune Global 500 companies as clients. [2]
International SOS aims to reduce exposure to and mitigate health, wellbeing and security risks for organisations and their staff. [3] Their services include providing a feed of 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, security specialists, 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.[ citation needed ]
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]
International SOS is a privately owned company. They work with educational organisations, [8] corporate clients (including the majority of the Fortune Global 500), [2] corporate clients (including 89% of the Fortune Global 100 and 64% of Fortune Global 500), governmental organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).[ citation needed ]
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 firm takes around 4 million assistance calls every year with 99 languages and dialects spoken in their Assistance Centres, clinics and offices. [1]
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. [10]
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. [11]
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. [12]
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.
Pascal Rey-Herme, a doctor, and Arnaud Vaissié, a businessman, founded AEA International a company registered in Indonesia (also known as PT Asih Eka Abadi) 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. [2] Initially, it was known as AEA International SOS, and was renamed International SOS in 1999. The acquisition extended the company beyond Asia.[ citation needed ]
In 2012, International SOS moved its UK headquarters to Chiswick Business Park, West London.[ citation needed ]
In 2006, International SOS opened an Assistance Center in Dubai, where the company would manage services for the Middle East and northern Africa. [13]
In 2008 the firm launched a strategic alliance with Control Risks to offer combined medical and security services, [14] and acquired MedAire, a provider of remote medical services for aviation and maritime founded by Joan Sullivan Garrett. [15]
In 2009, the company acquired a majority stake in Abermed, a UK-based provider of occupational health and remote medical services to the energy sector. [16] 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.
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 West African Rescue Association (WARA), a clinic and medical services company in West Africa. [17]
In 2016, it entered a strategic partnership with Everbridge.[ citation needed ] In that same year, International SOS became the first company in the world to be ISO/TS 13131 certified, dealing in the processes and practices of telehealth care. [18]
In 2017, it entered a Duty of Care integration with Rocketrip, started joint venture partnerships with Global Excel and Iqarus, acquired International Health Solutions [19] and launched a digital consultation service from Aberdeen Health Centre. [20] It also started the world's first emotional support service for the mobile workforce.
In 2018, International SOS partnered with Al Rushaid to form a joint venture, providing medical services tailored to the construction, infrastructure and entertainment industries, while also providing services to the Saudi government. [21]
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.
In December 2022, the firm signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates to strengthen cooperation and partnership in providing health care services to UAE nationals abroad. [22]
International SOS has provided medical advice, assistance, and travel safety services during and after a number of major incidents. [23] These include the COVID-19 pandemic, [24] the Jakarta unrest, [23] the Mumbai terrorist attacks by helping those directly impacted by the event, [25] and the Yemen crisis. [26]
It has provided service during disease crises, including the provided medical assistance during the global COVID-19 pandemic, the 2003 SARS outbreak, [27] the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, [28] [29] [30] and the escalation of the 2016 Zika virus. [31] It also provided assistance to victims of the 2002 Bali terrorist bombing [32] and the 2019 Sri Lankan bomb attacks. [33]
It has dealt with major natural disasters such as the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, the 2005 Hurricane Wilma, [34] the 2010 Haiti earthquake, [35] the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, [36] the 2014 Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu, [37] the Sabah earthquake in Malaysia, [38] and the 2023 Typhoon Mawar in Guam. [39]
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. [40]
In 2006, International SOS's medical transports became the first direct flights between mainland China and Taiwan to be flown since 1949. [41]
In 2021, International SOS coordinated a multiple patient COVID-19 evacuation from La Réunion Island to Paris. [42]
| Year | Recognition | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | The publication 'Duty of Care Benchmarking Study Archived 2015-04-20 at the Wayback Machine ' won 'Best Research Study of the Year' EMMA. | [43] |
| 2015 | TravelTracker 6.0 won the Business Travel Awards 'Best Specialist Business Travel Product/Provider; the firm won Best Specialist Business Travel Product/Provider award - Business Travel Awards. | [44] [45] |
| 2016 | International SOS and Control Risks received the Individual Alliance Excellence Award from the Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals. | [46] |
| 2017 | Risk Management Product of the Year, CIR Risk Management Awards for TravelTracker and Incident Management Services, International Healthcare and Risk Management Provider of the Year, FEM EMMA EMEA Award, 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. | [47] [48] [49] |
| 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. Aspire Lifestyles chosen as The Official Concierge Partner of the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2018 Awards. International SOS appointed as Fortune Global Forum's Preferred Medical Partner. | [50] [51] [52] |
| 2019 | Aspire Lifestyles chosen as the Official Concierge Partner of Asia's 50 Best Restaurant Awards 2019. International SOS 'Event Support' won Best Specialist Business Travel Service. MedAire named Security Information Provider of Choice by top airlines. 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. International SOS recognised as the International Healthcare & Risk Management Provider of The Year at the 2019 FEM APAC EMMAS. International SOS – Johannesburg, Angola, Nigeria and Ghana awarded The Prestigious Top Employer Africa Certification. | [51] [53] [54] [55] [56] [57] |
| 2020 | International SOS recognised as a Top Employer in the UK for 2020. 2020 Aspire Lifestyles became the Official Concierge Partner of the World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards. | [58] [59] |
LexisNexis Risk Solutions is a global data and analytics company that provides data and technology services, analytics, predictive insights, and fraud prevention for a wide range of industries. It is headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, and has offices throughout the U.S. and in Australia, Brazil, China, France, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Israel, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom.
The Cigna Group is an American multinational for-profit managed healthcare and insurance company based in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Its insurance subsidiaries are major providers of medical, dental, disability, life and accident insurance and related products and services, the majority of which are offered through employers and other groups. Cigna is incorporated in Delaware.
McKesson Corporation is a publicly-traded American company that distributes pharmaceuticals and provides health information technology, medical supplies, and health management tools. The company delivers a third of all pharmaceutical products used or consumed in North America and employs over 51,000 employees. With $308.9 billion in 2024 revenue, it is the ninth-largest company by revenue in the United States and the nation's largest health care company. The company is headquartered in Irving, Texas. It is a member of the S&P 500 and New York Stock Exchange, where it is traded under the ticker symbol NYSE: MCK.
Axa S.A. is a French multinational insurance corporation headquartered in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. It also provides investment management and other financial services via its subsidiaries. As of 2023, it is the largest financial services company by revenue in France, and the 4th largest French company.
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated is an American multinational for-profit company specializing in health insurance and health care services, based in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Selling insurance products under UnitedHealthcare, and health care services under the Optum brand, it is the world's ninth-largest company by revenue and the largest health care company by revenue.
Ecolab Inc. is an American corporation headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It develops and offers services, technology and systems that specialize in treatment, purification, cleaning and hygiene of water in a wide variety of applications. Founded as Economics Laboratory in 1923 by Merritt J. Osborn, it was eventually renamed "Ecolab" in 1986.
Markel Group Inc. is a group of companies headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, and originally founded in 1930 as an insurance company.
Falck A/S is a Danish multinational corporation with activities in most areas of Europe and representation on five continents. It has four business areas: healthcare, assistance, safety services and emergency assistance. The firm has 25,000 employees in 26 countries. The company's current CEO is Jakob Riis.
Assurant, Inc. is a global provider of risk management products and services with headquarters in Atlanta. Its businesses provide a diverse set of specialty, niche-market insurance products in the property, casualty, extended device protection, and preneed insurance sectors. The company's main operating segments are Global Housing and Global Lifestyle.
IQVIA, formerly Quintiles and IMS Health, Inc., is an American Fortune 500 and S&P 500 multinational company serving the combined industries of health information technology and clinical research. IQVIA is a provider of biopharmaceutical development, professional consulting and commercial outsourcing services, focused primarily on Phase I-IV clinical trials and associated laboratory and analytical services, including investment strategy and management consulting services. It has a network of more than 88,000 employees in more than 100 countries and a market capitalization of US$49 billion as of August 2021. As of 2023, IQVIA was reported to be one of the world's largest contract research organizations (CRO).
The International Health Regulations (IHR), first adopted by the World Health Assembly in 1969 and last revised in 2005, are legally binding rules that only apply to the WHO that is an instrument that aims for international collaboration "to prevent, protect against, control, and provide a public health response to the international spread of disease in ways that are commensurate with and restricted to public health risks and that avoid unnecessary interference with international traffic and trade". The IHR is the only international legal treaty with the responsibility of empowering the World Health Organization (WHO) to act as the main global surveillance system.
British United Provident Association Limited, trading as Bupa, is a British multinational health insurance and healthcare company with over 43 million customers worldwide.
Towers Watson & Co. was a global professional services firm that provided risk management services, human resource consulting, actuarial services, and investment management. The company operated in 37 countries. Customers included 92% of Fortune Global 500 companies and 84% of Fortune 1000 companies.
John M. Noel is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist best known for founding Travel Guard International, the world's largest travel insurer and a division of the American International Group subsidiary, Chartis.
Global Rescue is a crisis response, Medical Evacuation and security evacuation company. Founded in partnership with Johns Hopkins Medicine, Global Rescue identifies, monitors, and responds to potential threats. The company performs field rescues, sending critical care paramedics and military special forces veterans to the site of an emergency. Global Rescue provided services to its members during major events including the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, the 2011 tsunami in Japan, the 2013 civil unrest in Egypt, and the April 2015 Nepal Earthquake.
Robin Ingle is a Canadian entrepreneur and a specialist in special risk insurance, travel security and healthcare who currently serves as the chairman and CEO of MSH Americas. Ingle has been in the insurance industry for over 40 years. He is frequently consulted by the media and the insurance industry as an authority on travel insurance, global security and health care issues. Ingle is also actively involved in the film and media industry, working as an executive producer and writer for media production companies DreamMore Films and sisu production. His experience in this space includes the creation of independent films, documentaries and corporate videos.
Organizations from around the world responded to the West African Ebola virus epidemic. In July 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) convened an emergency meeting with health ministers from eleven countries and announced collaboration on a strategy to co-ordinate technical support to combat the epidemic. In August, they declared the outbreak an international public health emergency and published a roadmap to guide and coordinate the international response to the outbreak, aiming to stop ongoing Ebola transmission worldwide within 6–9 months. In September, the United Nations Security Council declared the Ebola virus outbreak in the West Africa subregion a "threat to international peace and security" and unanimously adopted a resolution urging UN member states to provide more resources to fight the outbreak; the WHO stated that the cost for combating the epidemic will be a minimum of $1 billion.
Aspen Medical is a privately owned Australian-based health service company with operations in several countries, including Australia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Somalia, the US, and Ukraine. The company headquarters are in Canberra with additional offices in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, and international offices in Washington, D.C., Abu Dhabi and Port Moresby. Aspen Medical was founded in 2003 by Glenn Keys AO and Dr. Andrew Walker.
Daniel Carlin is the founder and CEO of the connected care telemedicine practice WorldClinic. He is a former U.S. Navy chief medical officer who has served as a refugee camp physician on the Afghanistan–Pakistan frontier. Carlin is board certified in Emergency Medicine and holds a consultant-staff appointment at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in suburban Boston. He has been in practice for 29 years.
PassportCard is part of the Davidshield Group, an international travel insurance and private medical insurance focusing on markets in Germany, Australia and Israel.
{{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)[ permanent dead link ]