Holiday Inn 2011 Annual Report Download - page 32

MANAGING RISKS
Our corporate reputation and the
standing of our seven brands have been
built on guests’ great experiences, strong
business relationships, sustained
financial performance, and our drive to
be a responsible business. Protecting
this trusted reputation and achieving our
long-term business objectives motivates
us to manage risks proactively. We
ensure risks are clearly identified,
robustly assessed and prioritised, with
clear accountability, effective controls
and mitigation actions. We have a central
risk management team that strives to
integrate risk management into our
business decision-making and planning.
This supports the business with best
practice in risk and crisis management.
A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR
GUESTS AND EMPLOYEES
The risks faced by our hotels are many
and varied, ranging from fire, food hygiene
and health and safety to issues arising
from terrorism and organised crime.
Providing our guests and visitors with an
environment in which they feel safe and
secure is essential.
A key focus of our risk management team
and responsible business agenda is to
ensure that all our hotels and corporate
offices are safe and secure. We have
developed our own IHG Brand Safety
Standards for hotels and these are
integrated with our quality inspection and
compliance process. Quality inspectors visit
all hotels to make sure they consistently
meet our high standards. Recognising the
importance of embedding safety into the
business, we have developed numerous
self-assessment checklists and risk
management, safety and security training
courses and materials that have been
endorsed by the Chartered Institute of
Environmental Health and other recognised
external bodies. These are delivered by
eLearning, face-to-face training and video.
RESPONSIBLE BRANDS THAT
GUESTS TRUST
We take sustainability, our responsibility
to the environment and our responsibility
to the communities in which we operate
extremely seriously.
Our Corporate Responsibility (CR) team
works within the wider BRR team to
deliver the Board’s policy on social and
environmental responsibility. During 2011
the Board’s CR priority was to ensure
that IHG’s CR strategy is rooted in our
strategic and brand planning processes,
thereby protecting and creating value for
IHG and its brands.
A more detailed review of the CR team’s
work during 2011 can be found on pages
32 and 33. That review focuses on three
key initiatives, Green Engage, the IHG
Shelter in a Storm Programme and the
IHG Academy programme.
INTERNAL CONTROLS
AND GOVERNANCE
The Directors are fully committed to
maintaining the highest standards of
internal control and corporate governance.
Supporting this commitment is the BRR
team of lawyers, chartered secretaries
and internal auditors who monitor changes
to legal and regulatory compliance and
the implementation of the Board’s internal
controls and policies.
30 IHG Annual Review and Summary Financial Statement 2011
BUSINESS REPUTATION
The Business Reputation and Responsibility (BRR) team has a unique perspective of IHG’s business.
The team comprises specialists in risk management, sustainability, internal audit, legal and
compliance, and representatives sit on all our main operating committees. We provide support to
ensure our brands are trusted; we provide a safe and secure environment for guests and employees;
and we maintain our global reputation by ensuring, amongst other things, that the Group has
appropriate internal controls and governance so that hotel owners and shareholders feel confident
about doing business with, and investing in, IHG.
“The BRR team’s primary area of
focus is to champion and protect
the trusted reputation of IHG
and its brands. We believe this is
fundamental to our commitment
to be a responsible business
and an integral part of fulfilling
our Vision to become one of
the world’s great companies.”
George Turner
Executive Vice President,
General Counsel and
Company Secretary