Canadian Underwriter

“We found very few companies adequately prepared to protect their people or ensure the continuity of their business in the event of a pandemic,” John Merkovsky, president of Marsh’s risk consulting unit, said in a statement. Marsh officials say discussions with global companies reveal the majority of them believe it’s unlikely that a pandemic could strike their operations, the release says, adding that one in four businesses in Asia has a plan to keep operating when a pandemic happens.

“But the fallacy in this thinking is found in a narrow view that does not take into account the global interdependence of today’s economy,” the statement says. “Said differently, a pandemic outbreak in Dubai could easily have far-reaching effects in Dublin and Dallas.”