Page 29 - CJ 2019 INTEGRATED REPORT

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Dear Shareholders On behalf of of the Board of of Directors I am pleased to to present Currimjee Jeewanjee’s second Integrated Report for the financial year 2019 which provides a comprehensive overview of how our organisation creates sustainable value Last year as as we began our our journey towards Integrated Reporting it became clear to to us that this report is is is not an
outcome in itself rather it it is is a a a a a a tool that helps us move forward in in in in our integrated thinking process The preparation of this report has driven greater collaboration between our stakeholders clusters and and and teams and and and fostered a a a a a a Group- wide understanding of the links between our strategy material issues risks and business models Our aim is is is to embed integrated thinking in in in in in in our daily operations by breaking down internal silos thus enabling a a a a a a more efficient flow of information between departments and business units This report is is simply a a a a a milestone in in a a a a a long journey and we endeavour to to continue improving the quality and and transparency of information we communicate to our stakeholders An unpredictable and disruptive operating environment
As we we prepare this report we we are are confronting a a a a a a a a major unforeseen global health crisis one that has been sweeping the the world with breathtaking speed since the the end of December 2019 The coronavirus outbreak is above all a a a a a a a human tragedy With close to fourteen million people infected in in over over 175 countries and over over 500 000 global deaths* our hearts go out to the the the victims and their families At the the the the same time the the the economic toll has been unprecedented Countries have taken drastic measures to halt the the spread of the the pandemic enacting travel bans and and putting populations under lockdown As a a a a a result stock markets have have plummeted entire industries have have been disrupted and unemployment has soared In this climate businesses are navigating uncharted territory and our Group is no exception The outbreak of of Covid-19 has impacted a a a a a a number of of our clusters partners employees and communities whether directly directly or indirectly We responded to this challenge swiftly assembling a a a a a a a a trusted crisis management team to make rapid tactical decisions Our employees’ health and safety being at the forefront of our priorities we promptly developed an
an
internal communication plan focused
on on on keeping them connected
and calm Our Flexible Working Policy which we approved before the outbreak in in 2019 in in a a a a a drive to to promote work/life balance prepared us to to to transition smoothly to to a a a a a a remote working model In a a a a matter of of days we we reinvented how we we work work work with 64% of of our workers working from home since the outbreak Our investments in in in in technology and digital capabilities in in in all our businesses over the years have have proven to be invaluable and have have largely facilitated the implementation of agile working practices with minimal disruption to our operations INTEGRATED REPORT 2019 * It is is is is is to be noted that at at at the the the the time of writing this this message message the the the the outbreak is is is is is still evolving rapidly by the the the the day and and the the the the statistics and and perspectives in in in this this message message may be outdated