Immediately following the devastating earthquake that hit Sichuan, China in May 2008, Business Roundtable’s Partnership for Disaster Response activated its international emergency network to assess needs and help respond to the disaster.

Click here to see the full press release. Member companies have donated more than $69 million to the immediate relief and recovery effort.

To build on the outpouring of corporate support, Business Roundtable met with President Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson to discuss how the business community can support the long-term recovery process. Following that meeting, a corporate delegation working with USAID traveled to China to meet with Chinese officials and assess how the business community can assist them.

The Chinese government identified critical needs in six areas and the following companies are taking leadership roles in each area:

1. Education:
Procter & Gamble
Carolyn L. Brehm
Vice President, Global Government Relations

Cisco, Inc.
Michael Timmeny
Senior Director, Federal Government Affairs

2. Energy:
Chevron
Peter Robertson
Vice Chairman, Chevron Corporation

3. Healthcare:
Johnson & Johnson
Brian D. Perkins

Merck & Co.
Ellen W. Lambert
Executive Director, Corporate Contributions, The Merck Company
Foundation, Merck & Co., Inc.

4. Infrastructure:
Honeywell
Thomas L. Buckmaster
Vice President, Corporate Communications, Honeywell International

5. Technology

TBD

6. Disaster preparedness

TBD

The Business Roundtable’s Partnership for Disaster Response is tracking individual company efforts. Click here to see how member companies are contributing. If your company is currently contributing to the rebuilding effort, please contact Molly Malloy at molly.malloy@edelman.com