London insurance executives are trading their business attire for sleeping bags in Kyiv, Ukraine, to partake in a fundraising event marking the two-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Mike O’Halloran, partner and director of global assistance at Inherent Risks, spearheads this initiative alongside colleagues with military backgrounds.
Inherent Risks responded swiftly to the invasion on February 24, 2022, by deploying to Ukraine within 36 hours to assist with emergency evacuations. The firm has remained in the country, providing a range of services including medical evacuations, crisis response, and insurance support to various groups such as journalists, NGOs, and war crimes investigators.
Reflecting on the firm’s commitment, O’Halloran emphasised the long-term nature of their mission in Ukraine, pledging to continue making a positive impact.
The upcoming sleep-out event aims to highlight the harsh realities faced by displaced civilians in Ukraine, especially during the freezing winter nights. All proceeds from the fundraiser, hosted on a GoFundMe page, will be directed to RE:ACT Disaster Response to aid the most vulnerable populations in Ukraine.
Joining O’Halloran in this initiative are British military veterans Dan Kaine, managing partner at Inherent Risks, and Matt Hooper, partner and director of risk advisory. The trio, who have previously collaborated on high-profile assignments, including providing security for journalist Piers Morgan and other dignitaries, will experience the cold and discomfort faced by homeless and displaced individuals firsthand.
In addition to the sleep-out, the team will distribute humanitarian aid to local community initiatives throughout their stay.
“When we arrived at the Ukrainian Border in the wake of the invasion, witnessing tens of thousands of people fleeing the country with only what they could carry, we knew then that as a risk advisory and crisis response firm our services in the country were going to be needed for a long time to come. We made a promise then to do as much good as possible while we are here, and with this latest initiative we are continuing on that promise,” O’Halloran said.
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