Washington – Business Roundtable today issued the following statement from Joshua Bolten, President & CEO of Business Roundtable, regarding efforts to respond to COVID-19:
“Business Roundtable CEOs are closely monitoring the coronavirus situation to protect the health and safety of their employees and customers and to mitigate impacts to the U.S. economy. They remain confident in our country's ability to address challenges raised by the outbreak and urge Americans to continue to act with prudence and preparation.
“A number of our nation’s leading companies have been contributing to response and relief efforts and are deploying their expertise, products and services to safeguard public health. America’s largest employers will work with the U.S. government on solutions to minimize any public health and economic impact in the short term, while working to strengthen global health security in the long term.
“We applaud Congress for expeditiously passing bipartisan funding legislation to combat coronavirus. As the situation evolves, Business Roundtable urges Congress and the Administration to continue to work on bipartisan policy responses to ensure the health and safety of American citizens and a vibrant U.S. economy.”
Business Roundtable is establishing a CEO COVID-19 Task Force co-chaired by Arne Sorenson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Marriott International, Inc. and Chair of the Business Roundtable Health and Retirement Committee, and Lance Fritz, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Union Pacific and Chair of the Business Roundtable Trade and International Committee. The group, representing leaders from across industries, will share information among Business Roundtable member companies and provide a forum for coordination between the private sector and the U.S. government.
Other leaders on the Task Force include:
- Albert Bourla, Chairman & CEO of Pfizer Inc.
- Jamie Dimon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of JPMorgan Chase & Co.
- Adena Friedman, President and CEO of NASDAQ
- Alex Gorsky, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Johnson & Johnson
- Jim Keane, President and CEO of Steelcase Inc.
- Jim Loree, President and CEO of Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.
- Craig Menear, Chairman, CEO and President of The Home Depot, Inc.
- Larry Merlo, President and Chief Executive Officer of CVS Health
- Oscar Munoz, Chief Executive Officer of United Airlines
- Doug Parker, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of American Airlines
- Julie Sweet, Chief Executive Officer of Accenture
Out of an abundance of caution, Business Roundtable will postpone the CEO Innovation Summit, a large public event originally scheduled for March 18. The organization will aim to reschedule the Summit for a future date. Business Roundtable plans to proceed with its regularly scheduled quarterly meeting, a convening of member CEOs in Washington, DC, on March 17-18.