Increased risk for overseas operations amid global change

International SOS executives highlighted on Friday increased risks for companies' overseas operations amid the current fragmented global landscape, emphasizing the need for proactive preventive strategies to enhance business resilience.

"Risks include maintaining stable business operations in regions impacted by geopolitical conflicts, and the safeguarding of employees' physical and mental well-being," said John Williams, managing director of International SOS China.

Enterprises are suggested to proactively adopt a preventive approach with foresight by leveraging information-driven insights and fostering cross-departmental collaboration, said Sally Llewellyn, global security director at International SOS. The goal is to quickly identify and address the escalating risks and bolster their business resilience.

Li Xia, medical director at International SOS China assistance services, highlighted that an increasing number of Chinese companies are placing a growing emphasis on the mental health of their employees, actively investing in this area.

Zhang Yingyan, senior travel risk manager at International SOS China, further underscored the challenges faced by many Chinese energy companies that have business operations in high-risk areas overseas, particularly those located in remote areas and underdeveloped regions.

"These clients frequently seek guidance on how geopolitical conflicts impact their employees' security. I recommend acquiring reliable and timely information, establishing contingent plans to safeguard personnel and assets, and making in-time decisions to manage crisis scenarios such as airspace closures, port disruptions, and interruptions in transportation and communication," she said.

"It is also important to establish a proactive crisis management framework that covers quickly evaluating the impact of crises, technologies to restore communication, and provide employees with diverse communication tools like satellite phones under local regulations," Zhang added.

International SOS released its 2025 Risk Outlook report on Friday, revealing insights into the mounting challenges for organizational and workforce resilience, alongside risk predictions for the forthcoming year.

The research uncovers a fragmenting world with 65 percent of the surveyed senior risk professionals perceiving that risks have increased over the past year, and 69 percent predict significant impacts from geopolitical challenges alone in 2025. This comes as 78 percent predict that burnout and stress are likely to have a major impact on businesses in the year ahead.