The saying goes that “business is business,” but many experienced executives in this industry have come to learn that a few ounces of compassion and understanding can sometimes be both necessary and appreciated. Operations don't always go as planned; we know that uncontrollable, tragic incidents may occur, and we want to be sure we're there for our customers and partners when they need it the most.
This time of need often presents itself during a significant crisis, such as the one Puerto Rico experienced and continues to face from the devastation of two major hurricanes in September 2017. Hurricane Maria, which made landfall on Sept. 20, and was considered a “catastrophic event,” brought intense rain and wind to the island for longer than 30 hours, leaving residents without power, communication and water.
