SM Prime Holdings President Hans T. Sy was invited and is now part of the prestigious United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) Private Sector Advisory Group.  The group brings together leading global private sector players who are aware of the benefits that preventive actions have to their businesses and thus demonstrate their will to make the world more resilient to disaster.

In the UNISDR’s letter of invitation, Margareta Wahlstrom, Special Representative of the Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction said that, “SM Prime has shown true leadership in disaster risk reduction by hosting the first Top Leaders Forum – Building an Asian Private Partnership to Make Corporations Safer Against Disasters in Manila in September, 2012.”

Moreover, “SM Prime Holdings has been clearly living by example by sharing with their private sector colleagues how Business Community Planning can be an effective way to make businesses more resilient against disasters in Asia.  I believe that many can learn and benefit from your engagement in disaster risk reduction.”

Recognizing the significant role the private sector plays to raise national and local resilience to disasters through awareness-raising and partnerships, the UNISDR has worked since October, 2010 with a group of private companies through its Private Sector Advisory Group.

“The private sector is the perfect advocate for resilient thinking because of its direct relationship with customers, suppliers, and everyone else in between,” says Wahlstrom.  Likewise, it also drives a large percentage of a country’s economy and is strategically placed to make communities safer.

The UNISDR Private Sector Advisory Group is an invitation only group.  Other members include Aris Papadopoulos, CEO Titan America; Ajit Gulabchand, Chairman and Managing Director, Hindustan Construction Co., LTD;  Maxime Chretien, Associate Partner, Forensic and Dispute Services Deloitte SA; Philip Verges, Founder Small Equity Initiative; Sandra Wu, President and CEO Kokusai Kogyo Holdings, Co. Ltd; and Thomas R. Loster, Chairman MunichRe Foundation.

The Private Sector Advisory Group will be playing a significant role at the 2013 Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction in May in Geneva, Switzerland.