International SOS
| Founded | 1985 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | London, UK |
| No. of locations | Global |
| Founder(s) | Arnaud Vaissié and Pascal Rey-Herme |
| Employees | 11,000 |
| Slogan(s) | Worldwide reach Human touch |
| Website | www.internationalsos.com |
International SOS is a firm that provides integrated medical, clinical, and security services to organisations with international operations. Services include planning and preventive programs, in-country expertise, and emergency response. It has approximately 11,000 employees, led by 1,200 full-time physicians and 200 security specialists and provides health and security support to members in 89 countries. Its clients include 81% of the Fortune Global 100 and 61% percent of the Fortune Global 500 companies.[1] The company's core offering is its medical, security and membership services that enable employees to get pre-travel advice, medical and security assistance abroad and emergency help.[2]
Organisation
International SOS has nine regional centres — in Baku, Beijing, Dubai, Jakarta, London, Paris, Philadelphia, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo — as well as a network of assistance centres. The centres are staffed by physicians, operations managers, multilingual coordinators and logistics support personnel. The company has dual headquarters in London and Singapore.[3] Approximately 33 percent of the organisation's total workforce are medical professionals.[4] The organisation often uses hospitals accredited by international accreditation groups, such as JCI in Singapore and Trent Accreditation Scheme in Hong Kong. The company has 79,000 accredited network providers: hospitals, ambulances, specialist doctors, charter aircraft and local hospitals which provide on-the-ground healthcare services to International SOS members.
History
AEA International was founded in 1985 by Pascal Rey-Herme and Arnaud Vaissié. The organisation focused specifically on providing medical assistance services to multinational companies operating in Asia Pacific. Over the following decade, the company grew from its base in Singapore and Indonesia into a pan-Asian corporation, creating operating companies in Hong Kong, Australia, Japan and mainland China. In 1995, AEA International launched subsidiaries in France and the USA. In 1998, AEA International acquired International SOS Assistance, creating the largest medical assistance company in the world. For a while, it was known as AEA International SOS. The organisation was renamed International SOS in 1999.[5]
It can be noted that International SOS (1999) is often confused with the similar Scandinavian company SOS International (since 1961. www.sos.eu).
2008:
- International SOS launched a "strategic alliance" with Control Risks, to offer combined medical and security services.[6]
- International SOS acquired MedAire,[7] a provider of remote medical services for aviation and maritime.
2009:
- International SOS announced it had acquired a majority stake in Abermed, the UK-based provider of occupational health and remote medical services to the energy sector, including specialised services such as hyperbaric medicine, UK-trained rig medics and occupational health services.[8]
2010:
- On October 12, 2010, International SOS announced a strategic alliance with RMSI, a specialist in the provision of medical services for hostile environments. RMSI operates in extreme risk environments including Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia and Pakistan.[9]
2011:
- On January 11, 2011, International SOS announced its merger with VIPdesk, the North American provider of concierge services, customer care and loyalty programs. Under the terms of the deal, VIPdesk continues to operate as the US-based, wholly owned subsidiary of International SOS, under the leadership of its founders and management
- On January 25, 2011, International SOS acquired SMI (Service Médical International), the France-based manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies to the aviation, maritime, and oil industries as well as to various NGOs and international organisations.[10]
- VIPdesk, the North American provider of concierge services, customer care and loyalty programs merges with International SOS.
- International SOS acquires SMI, a French medical supply company
- International SOS and International Health Care launch a joint venture in Brazil
- International SOS expands medical distribution services through acquisition of L.E. West, EMC, Shenton Pharmacy and Nutracare Pharma
2012:
- International SOS expands its China Clinic Network to TEDA
- International SOS acquires EMSM, a leading concierge and lifestyle company in South Korea.
- International SOS moves its UK headquarters to Chiswick Park, West London.
2013:
- Aspire Lifestyles, a brand for loyalty, concierge and assistance solutions, launched.
- International SOS strengthens its occupational health and medical staffing services through the acquisition of SBHT and KBHT in Norway.
2014:
- In October International SOS announced evacuation for patients with active clinical symptoms of Ebola is extremely limited and may not be achievable if patients have any uncontrolled body fluids, such as vomiting, diarrhoea or bleeding.[11]
International SOS Foundation
Launched in March 2012, the International SOS Foundation is a registered charity and was started with a grant from International SOS. It is a fully independent, non-profit organization.
See also
References
- ↑ International SOS - Medical and Security Solutions, Products and Assistance
- ↑ Hermann Simon mentioned this company in his correspondent Book as an example of a "Hidden Champion" (Simon, Hermann: Hidden Champions of the 21st Century : Success Strategies of unknown World Market Leaders. London: Springer, 2009.- ISBN 978-0-387-98147-5.)
- ↑ International SOS Assistance Centers Around the World
- ↑ International SOS Staff: doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, security experts & aviation specialists
- ↑ International SOS History - Providing worldwide medical assistance for 25 years
- ↑ Continuity Central - International SOS and Control Risks form joint venture
- ↑ - MedAire, an International SOS Company, to Deliver New Levels of Medical Assistance
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑ Cohn, Carolyn. "Medical evacuation services balk at flying out Ebola patients". Reuters. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
External links
- Control Risks in talks with rival
- Financial Times - Executives seek five star security
- Financial Times - US companies look to bird flu' danger
- bbc.co.uk - "Britons stranded after Wilma hits"
- - Vipdesk-merges-with-International-SOS"
- Financial Times - MBAs face employment lesson
- Financial Times - Key man insurance: steps to secure against the loss of mission-critical staff
- Financial Times - Business turns attention to staff safety
- New York Times - For Travelers in Danger, Someone to Swoop In
- Wall Street Journal - International SOS Uses Its Global Reach
- Wall Street Journal - Foreign companies step up evacuation efforts
- Independent International SOS, How to avoid turning a crisis into a drama
- China Daily - Rescue Team Grow to Meet Demand
- The Straits Times - Security risks business travellers and companies should note in 2012