APX Business Travel Efforts for Canterbury Recognised

Atlantic Pacific American Express (APX) Business Travel Extraordinary Efforts ‘Above and Beyond’ Recognised Champion Canterbury Awards

Auckland, 29 September, 2011 - Leading corporate travel management company, Atlantic Pacific American Express (APX), was last week recognised at the Champion Canterbury Awards in the ACC Staff Well Being: ‘Above and Beyond’ category.

The programme and associated award ceremony which was presided over by Mayor Bob Parker and Prime Minister of New Zealand, Rt. Hon. John Key, paid tribute to those companies who had excelled through adversity during the recent earthquakes.

APX’s Colombo Street offices were in the CBD ‘red zone’ with staff being evacuated and setting up work-stations from home and temporary sites. Seven months on, APX Christchurch staff are gearing up for their return to Colombo Street.

APX Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Dale received a magnum of Deutz and a certificate on behalf of his Christchurch team and heaped praise on the efforts of every individual in the Christchurch office and the wider APX group.

Citing a company wide preparedness to respond to an emergency situation, Mr. Dale said “despite the enormous personal impact on staff, they responded effectively and immediately to the situation at hand, putting colleagues and customers first. “

Within 48 hours of the February tragedy, additional supplies of essential food items, and a few comfort treats were delivered by a van driven by APX team members from the Wellington office. This caring for colleagues was extended to a company wide counseling service being available and ongoing support for the team.

“The 22nd of February is a date indelibly etched on the minds and hearts of all New Zealanders, however amongst the tragedy and personal trauma of this event, our staff rose above and beyond the call of professional duty to serve others. This included Christchurch based staff attending a meeting in Wellington, returning to Christchurch as quickly as they could to assist others” said Mr. Dale.

The APX team had a number of high profile New Zealand organizations located within the Canterbury region who had immediate and urgent travel needs as a result of the February quake. The Christchurch based team was up and running from its local base within 24 hours of the quake striking, clients having been temporarily redirected to Wellington and Auckland based teams. Mr. Dale was quick to point out that amidst these extremely challenging times the Christchurch team then outperformed once again, a few weeks later when Japan was hit by its double tragedy of a massive earthquake and Tsunami. With clients directly affected by this event, and widespread flight disruptions, the APX team once again rose to the challenge, which they met head on and delivered in spades.

At the awards evening, guests also heard of how a strong network and superior technology enabled staff to work by tele-remote from home, minimizing the disruption to their own lives and those of their customers. “The flexibility and strength of the APX network enabled the entire team to be fully operational within a week, with immediate back up support fulfilled by Auckland and Wellington” said Mr. Dale. In addition to trying to retain as normal a work life as possible, the APX group also responded to the emotional needs of their colleagues. Travel vouchers were donated which enabled staff to have a break from the city, and pizza shouts, along with morning teas and a family fun day at Woodend Rugby Club were also organized.

For now, the team is delighting in the recognition that the Champion Canterbury Awards has made of their extraordinary effort, and look forward to returning to their Colombo Street offices in the near future.

The 2011 Champions of Canterbury Awards is in its ninth year and this year focused on the resiliency, leadership, staff wellbeing and examples of creativity within the business community. The awards feature five categories.

Further information:
www.apx.co.nz
www.championcanterbury.org.nz

ENDS

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