Aon leads COVID-19 recovery coalition with Zurich, CNA, Allstate

Re/insurance broker Aon has formed a coalition of key companies and organisations from a broad set of sectors to collectively work towards economic recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Insurance companies such as Zurich, Allstate and CNA are among the initial group of coalition members. Other companies include Abbott, Accenture, Beam Suntory, BMO Harris, CDW, ComEd, ConAgra, Exelon, Fortuna Brands, Hyatt, JLL, McDonald's, Mondelez, Morningstar, Motorola Solutions, Sterling Bay, Ulta Beauty, United Airlines, Walgreens, Whirlpool, and more.

Starting in Chicago, the coalition will create a first-of-its-kind benchmark model and framework to develop key recommendations and guidelines that will help restart the economy. Aon said the intention is to scale this work to other key geographies including London, New York, Singapore and Tokyo.

The focus of the coalition will be around work, travel and convene efforts across businesses. The goal is for member companies to share key learnings and insights related to planning and operations, to assess impact and measurement of efforts, to evaluate the latest technologies, and to develop a set of guidelines that can help navigate the challenges businesses face as society reopens throughout the recovery phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coalition held its founding members virtual kickoff meeting recently. Its initial report is expected in November 2020.

"We have used our expertise to assist clients in maintaining operations and mitigating risk during the pandemic—and believe we have a responsibility to play a larger role in helping the private and public sector navigate the recovery," said Greg Case, Aon CEO. "This coalition of some of the world's leading organizations will support local leaders to help the economy come back better and stronger than before. We are deeply committed to the communities we operate in around the world and are excited to begin this important work in Chicago. We know with the collaborative efforts of these companies, we can help businesses and cities around the world open safely and continue to grow and thrive."

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot commented: "I applaud Aon, as well as all of the coalition participants, for their leadership and commitment to getting Chicago's businesses back on track and our residents back to work in the wake of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. Just as it has throughout our city's history, the civic passion of our business community will play a central part in our transformational recovery effort as we join together in our shared mission to make Chicago more inclusive, more equitable, and more successful than it's ever been."

Dan Ryan, president of JLL's Central Region, said: "As a global leader in commercial real estate, we understand the challenges large employers face as they prepare their organizations to return to the workplace and ensure a safe and positive re-entry experience. This is a critical time for us to come together as a coalition of business leaders in Chicago and leverage our capabilities. JLL's deep industry expertise combined with the collective knowledge of this impressive coalition will guide a successful reentry to the workplace and drive economic growth in Chicago and beyond."

Jim Coleman, senior managing director, who leads Accenture's Chicago office, said: "As Illinois reopens, businesses will have the opportunity to reinvent how they operate and compete. We are proud to join Aon and other leading Chicagoland companies to revitalize a sustainable, thriving economy for our city and state."