CEO CRITICAL

48 hours after an accident in Namibia, Tim Brown was back at the New York Hospital of Special Surgery.

In March 2024, Tim Brown, International Chair of the Board 2023-2024, was on a pre-safari event outing in Namibian deserts when the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) he was riding lost traction and flipped.

He recalls, “Towards the end (of the day), we were going up the side of a sand dune when my ATV lost transaction and rolled. The top of my right shoulder took the brunt of the fall and the vehicle rolled on top of me. I broke two ribs in my upper back and tore the main ligaments in my right shoulder.”

Within hours, basic imaging from a clinic in Namibia was reviewed by the CEO on-site doctor and sent to orthopedic specialists in the U.S. for initial opinions. The specialists believed surgery may be required, but further shoulder examination tests were needed. Meanwhile, Tim was in a desert far from any medical center, and in immense pain.

CEO Critical mobilized the on-site team in Namibia to secure ground transportation, private charter flights, and commercial flights to get Tim and his wife Louise to New York as quickly as possible. With less than 24 hours’ notice, and only two remaining seats, the team was able to book on the only available flight from Cape Town to Newark the following evening. “The CEO staff and International SOS scrambled and were able to quickly get us on flights back to the U.S. after a five-hour drive through the desert,” says Tim.

With the help of CEO partners HealthNetwork Foundation, Tim’s appointment was confirmed with world-renowned orthopedic surgeon David W. Altchek, MD, at the Hospital of Special Surgery in New York. “A few hours after we arrived in New York City on Sunday, Dr. Altchek’s physician assistant called me. I had an MRI on Monday and met with Dr. Altchek Wednesday morning.”

The doctor advised that no surgery would be required, as there were no broken bones, rotator cuff or nerve damage. He referred Tim to the top upper extremity physiotherapist at the Hospital for Special Surgery who immediately put him on an intensive physical therapy program. “This is the best outcome I could have hoped for.  Now, I just need to be patient—not one of my strengths—for the recovery,” says Tim, who a few days later was on his way to his next CEO food event in Charleston, South Carolina, before heading for another event, the Kimberley Coast cruise in Australia.

Vikram Schroff leveraged his contacts to help a member's son get visa approval when held by Customs in India.

While the strength of the CEO network is in its global connections, the local and regional knowledge and connections of individual members is what sets them apart in emergency situations.

Local knowledge of culture and bureaucracy was particularly useful when, in November 2023, CEO Member Alexander Weindling reached out to CEO Critical with distressing news regarding his son.

Matthew, a 19-year-old who had been teaching at an impoverished village in India for six months, arrived at Mumbai Airport late December on his way home to the US for the holidays. Instead of boarding the plane as planned, he was told by Customs that he would need to travel, alone, to the visa office in Calcutta (1,200 miles away) to resolve an issue with his visa.

Concerned about Matthew’s lack of familiarity with the local language and government regulations in a foreign country, Alexander reached out to CEO Critical. Within minutes, Vikram Schroff, a fellow member who Alexander never met, was informed of the situation to see what could be done. Vikram quickly jumped into action, reaching out to his contacts within the Indian government to expedite the visa process. Remarkably, Vikram’s intervention led to the approval of the visa within a mere hour, sparing Matthew from the arduous journey to the visa office in Calcutta.

In addition to facilitating the visa approval process, Vikram also sent his personal assistant to accompany Matthew, ensuring a smooth passage through Customs at Mumbai Airport—all the while communicating with his father at every step of the way.

Commenting on hyper-responsiveness provided by CEO Critical and a fellow member during a stressful ordeal on the other side of the world, Alexander says, “I am so grateful for Vikram’s prompt willingness to intervene and come to our son's aid. I have been coming to India regularly since 1987, so I remained optimistic. But I understand too well that one never knows.”

He adds, “I am also grateful to be included in a group that features such caring and capable people in the membership and the administration. I hope you won't ever hesitate to seek my help if ever I can return the service.”

New member Chris Hurn contacted CEO Critical to rescue an Afghani translator and his family.

As evacuations from Afghanistan scrambled ahead of the end of August withdrawal deadline, Abdullah*, an Afghani interpreter who served with U.S. forces, knew his situation was getting desperate. Working alongside the U.S. military meant that he would be a prime target for Taliban retribution. But a world away, the outreach effort of one U.S. Marine and a group of global leaders connected by CEO Critical came to the rescue.

Abdullah’s story reached Christopher Hurn, a new CEO member who, only ten days earlier, learned urgent help was available to him in life-threatening situations through a member service called CEO Critical.

Hours later, Abdullah, his wife, and six young children, including five girls, were on a flight to Qatar, leaving for a safe but uncertain future in the United States.

The hardships of leaving their homeland and starting a new life remain daunting for Abdullah and his family, but they face them with gratitude, relief, and hope.

A place to stay gave the Greene’s a calm port in stormy seas.

“When our son James was diagnosed with cancer, we immediately reached out to Bill Raleigh and the Health Network Foundation. As a member of the CEO International Board, I was familiar with CEO Critical, but I never imagined we’d need to use the service ourselves. While it was a challenging time for our family, the support we received made an incredibly difficult situation much more manageable. Thanks to Bill and his team, we quickly connected with a top doctor in New York. But the assistance didn’t stop there. CEO members Talia and Danny, whom we barely knew, opened their hearts and their apartment to us during James’ treatment—a comfortable sanctuary amidst the stress and uncertainty.

The compassion and generosity we experienced have inspired us to pay it forward. We hope to one day offer the same level of support to another family in need. Our deepest gratitude goes out to the CEO Critical network and its members who make these vital connections possible. It truly is a lifeline in moments of crisis.”

— David Greene, CEO Member

“I have seen the value of CEO Critical.”

“Thank you to the CEO Critical Team for helping my close friend whose family fled from Ukraine to Poland and were trying to get to the US. They were travelling with 4 children and the youngest child, an infant, did not have a US Visa. Within minutes of requesting help, I got a call from CEO Critical to gather information and the staff immediately followed up with an email to my friend offering resources here in the US and on the ground in Poland. The staff stayed in constant touch throughout the coming days to ensure the case was progressing and to offer additional help if needed.

As a new member of CEO, I was asked to be interviewed for CEO Critical to share how I could help if another CEO member is in need. This situation showed me firsthand how valuable the CEO Critical benefit truly is. I am grateful for those who have been interviewed for the program allowing and I will certainly be available to offer help for another member if I am able.”

— Marc Ellman

Bill Krul was able to use the relationships CEO had built to access the best in 24 hours, 10,000 miles away.

“I recently was faced with a serious medical issue with my son, Matthew. He came down with deep vein thrombosis while he was working in the Canary Islands. I called Bill Rowley and Healthnetwork. That was when Bill told me about CEO Critical—a powerful, new network created to help CEO members and their families when in danger by accessing the resources of CEO members around the world. The CEO Critical team went to work and within hours we got the best advice, the name of the best Canary Island hospital, access to the president of the hospital, and made a transfer immediately to the ICU at Hospiten Rambla Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Matt remained in the hospital in stable but healing condition for a month.

I was able to use the relationships CEO had built to access the best in 24 hours, 10,000 miles away. My deepest gratitude to all of you who have contributed to building the CEO Critical database with your connections and local influence – they are a lifeline at the right moment. WOW! What a journey!”

— Bill Krul, CEO Member