Selflessness and compassion amid trying times

The last several weeks have brought untold destruction and devastation. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. The Mexico City earthquakes. The shocking events in Las Vegas. And now the raging wildfires in Northern California. Each of these instances has brought its own challenges and sorrow — and for many, the difficult journey forward is just beginning.

And yet I have to say that, in the face of such tragedy, it's been remarkable to see how people have stepped up, time and time again, to help out their communities and those who've been impacted.

Here at UBS, so many have donated their time and money to help those in need. To me, it's further proof of the special people who work here and the culture of service that exists across our offices. Our colleagues in Weehawken, NJ, Nashville, TN, Napa, CA and throughout South Florida exemplify this type of dedication and selflessness.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and the unprecedented destruction in Puerto Rico, Sam Kalchuk, Mandy Murgia and Audrey Sikhu Page from our Nashville office volunteered to work with a UBS client who offered his personal airplane to deliver desperately needed supplies to our employees, their families and their neighbors on the island.

Over a 48-hour period, they worked tirelessly to procure water, food, personal hygiene products and other household essentials – all of which were paid for by generous donations from our Capital Markets group. Sam, Mandy and Audrey filled an entire plane with as much as was physically possible. When the weight on the plane became an issue, they found an alternative way to get 18 hundred-pound duffel bags and 12 backpacks filled with supplies to Puerto Rico the next day.

Similarly, Brad Rosenberg and his team in Aventura, Florida also took it upon themselves to pitch in. As word began spreading of the ongoing needs and devastation, employees in Aventura and across South Florida began collecting supplies for Puerto Rico – 11,000 pounds of goods in total!

Brad and volunteers from his office then rented a U-Haul, gathered items from local branches and drove to the hangar where UBS colleagues spent hours in the rain loading the provisions onto a chartered flight. Afterwards, facing a full plane and many leftover supplies, Brad tracked down another relief flight to take the remaining items to Puerto Rico. 

In the Napa area, Erin Borger collected provisions from every branch in the local market, then assembled a convoy of vehicles to deliver the supplies to employees, clients and local shelters who were impacted by the wildfires. 

Sam, Mandy, Audrey, Brad and Erin didn't have to do any of this — but like so many, when they saw people in need, they simply asked, "How can we help?"

I'm really proud of them, and of all my UBS colleagues who've risen to the occasion over the past few weeks. There's a lot more work to do and a very long road to recovery ahead, but when I see the worst possible situations bringing out the best in people, it gives me a measure of hope that we can get through these tough times together.