CEOs have to think about the unthinkable, says George B. Abercrombie, president and CEO of Hoffmann-La Roche in Nutley, N.J., such as a pandemic of avian flu. "What do you need to do to keep your company going and to protect your employees? Something like this can only be successful if it's sponsored and driven by the CEO."
Abercrombie, whose company manufactures Tamiflu, used to treat those stricken with the virus, says the U.S. government has recommended that corporations put pandemic plans together. "Every company needs to say, 'What will my workforce, my suppliers, my vendors, my trucking lines look like if a pandemic occurs?'"
The Department of Health and Human Services, has told communities and companies not to expect the federal government to come swooping in and save the day, Abercrombie says. "You have more control over helping your employees than we do. If you're the CEO of a company, now is the time to put a pandemic plan together."
Source: Chief Executive, http://www.chiefexecutive.net