March 16: A message to our clients and community about COVID-19

Dear clients and community,

I know we have all received numerous messages about COVID-19. As a firm, we seek to understand situations before defining a path forward and we did not want to react quickly without fully understanding. Now that we know the gravity of the situation, we felt it necessary to reach out. 
 
Over the past couple weeks and the nearly constant state of change we are living in, our primary focus has been—and will continue to be—our people, our clients, and our communities. 

Over the course of our nearly 18-year history, we have found when we rely on our values, they steer us in the right direction, and that is what we are doing today. We are people-first, stewards in our communities, nimble, and committed to delivering outstanding client service—guiding values that matter especially in challenging times like these. Over the past few weeks and for the foreseeable future, our executive team has been monitoring the situation around the clock and makes decisions daily based on those values as we adapt to this unprecedented and evolving situation. Now is the time for transparency, collaboration, and partnership. Every business’ future—including yours and ours—will be determined by how we respond to this situation in the coming weeks. We are intentionally keeping open lines of communication and will continue to conduct business.

We are taking every necessary precaution to protect our employees, clients, and communities, and have outlined below an overview of our initial approach. But as this situation rapidly evolves, we will be communicating more—and most importantly I want you to know that we are here. Now is the time to increase our communication as partners. Whether simply a conversation or more, together we can navigate the impacts of this situation—today, tomorrow, and in the months to come. Do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Sincerely,

Kevin J. McCarty, Chairman & CEO
 

West Monroe’s current approach to COVID-19 is centered on protecting people—and remaining nimble in our response. 

Changed ways of working

As an already-mobile workforce, West Monroe employees are always prepared to work remotely. But we have quickly mobilized to make sure they have the tools and technologies required to keep our collective work moving forward during this prolonged period. We know in this time, many of us are craving information on how to maintain productivity while we shift to remote workforces, and we are dedicated to finding digital channels to provide this information to our clients and partners – quickly and regularly.  

We are canceling near-term in-person events and making alternative arrangements for conferences, tradeshows, and sporting events that have been canceled. We are focused on continuing to serve our clients and making alternative work arrangements and decisions that are supportive of one another to keep our families safe and healthy. With information changing quickly, our task force meets and sends a daily communication to provide updates and next steps for our people. 

Travel policy

 At this point, we have restricted all international travel and have eliminated almost all domestic travel based on the guidance from federal, state, and local officials. We continue to monitor and follow CDC guidelines. Please feel free to reach out to your account director directly to discuss your organization’s specific policies, requests, and needs. We are here to support!  

Client communications

We are working diligently to minimize disruption to current engagements. In cases of disruption, our teams are working together—swiftly—to understand and mitigate impacts. We encourage current clients to work with your account director to talk through any concerns specific to your engagement. We’re here to work with you.

What's next

As COVID-19 concerns continue to evolve, many organizations are scrambling to keep up with what feels like an ever-changing business environment. We know disruptive market conditions may be putting a strain on your people as well as your business. No matter your organization’s level of preparedness, it is necessary to mobilize and get out in front of this new way of “always-on” and remote working. We’re here to help.

As a committed partner, we want you to know that we are here for you and your organization during this challenging time. Being here as a trusted advisor to you and your business is our job. Undoubtedly, new challenges are arising—and quickly—that will need to be addressed. We are committed to staying at the forefront of trends to help you run your business.