THE ADVOCATE Q4

 

Special Message from Alex Kroon
President and CEO
CMN Global Inc. - A Europ Assistance Group Company

 

Dear Clients, Partners, Colleagues and Friends,

 

Another dramatic year is coming to a close. On behalf of the leadership team at CMN and Europ Assistance Canada, we hope that you were able to manage the challenges of 2011, and we wish you and your families the best for the holidays and 2012.

 

Much of the world continues to struggle economically, while every government and company deals with growing health costs. This year brought the end of the space shuttle, the beginning of the Arab Spring, some tragic natural disasters and we welcomed the 7 billionth fellow citizen on earth. I have learned it is better to always “compare down”. We all have our challenges, but in relation to millions of people around the world, we are blessed.

 

On a personal note, I had another reminder of the importance of our commitment to Care. I suffered a detached retina that required multiple hospital treatments and the insertion of a bubble in my left eye. I had to be positioned on my left side for over a week. Being a patient is a good reminder that, in addition to reducing costs for our clients, your members (our patients) require assistance, compassion and support. It remains our honour and responsibility to help patients to the best of our abilities while trying to reduce the overall cost of quality care.    

 

For years, our CMN signature has been Managing With Care. This year, Europ Assistance (our parent company), globally launched its new logo You Live, We Care. In 2011, we have continued to grow, to invest in our business, and to expand our reach. With the re-organization we announced this year, we are investing more heavily in our medical network, both in the US and in an ambitious program to develop a global medical network to support health insurers. This year also marked the first time we held a joint client conference with GMMI, which is the other cost containment company I am honoured to lead, that provides similar services to other global markets.

 

We exist due to our clients, and we strive to be both great and great to work with. As we approach the holiday season, I would like to wish you a peaceful and special time with your family and friends. While we are all stewards of our respective businesses and departments, it is our health, our relationships and family that remain the most important.

 

Kind Regards,

Alex