Boskalis Annual Report 2020

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ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

report of the board of management ANNUAL REPORT 2020 – BOSKALIS During the course of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic inevitably had a large impact on our people, our projects and the day-to-day operations. Despite the challenges faced, together we maintained the continuity of our business and initiated many new projects. COVID-19 When the magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic became apparent in March, an Emergency Response Team (ERT) was mobilized and convened with the Board of Management on a daily basis; by closely following developments on the projects and vessels, they set priorities to safeguard our employees’ health. As time progressed, many of the COVID-19-related actions were delegated to the Travel Emergency Team and other operational departments. With a core team in the Netherlands and support colleagues around the world, the Travel Emergency Team focused on ensuring safe travel to and from vessels and projects while also arranging tailor-made travel options and relief procedures. The team also

Construction of new sea defences in Southsea, UK

arranged appropriate documentation for travelers and dealt with the unpredictable logistics of quarantine. In addition to legal measures that restricted travel in some countries, the impact of the pandemic on the aviation industry that came to a grinding halt had a crippling effect. Boskalis organized numerous private charter flights to provide relief and to keep projects moving. The role of internal communications has been critical throughout the pandemic. CEO Peter Berdowski shared frequent COVID-19 updates via e-mail and video messages, and in early May, held an interactive livestream answering questions from colleagues around the world. Since then, regular livestreams and interviews were held to keep the organization informed and connected – both by the CEO and Board members within their respective divisions. Through our global internal communications platform Yourizon, conveniently launched in February 2020, we were able to share stories and pictures from projects, vessels or colleagues working from home, to keep everyone up-to-date on the latest developments.