HNA Group Chairman Joined UNICEF's Inaugural International Council

UNICEF recognizes Chairman Chen Feng's longstanding contributions to the United Nations and children's causes on behalf of HNA Group

NEW YORK, Nov. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- HNA Group Co-Founder and Chairman Chen Feng was invited to join UNICEF's inaugural International Council in recognition of his philanthropic endeavors supporting children's and United Nations causes through HNA Group.

UNICEF's inaugural International Council is comprised of UNICEF's top individual and family philanthropist contributors making multimillion dollar contributions annually to UNICEF. International Council members gathered for their first annual summit on November 16^th and 17^th to engage with UNICEF leaders on the strategic direction of the organization as well as to bolster their understanding of children's needs around the world to be more effective advocates for children.

During the Summit, Chairman Chen was honored with the opportunity to address his fellow philanthropists. "It is a great honor to today join UNICEF's inaugural International Council. When we founded HNA Group 24 years ago, philanthropy was one of our core objectives, and we take this commitment to making the world a better place extremely seriously. I look forward to further co-operation with UNICEF to achieve our common goals in this regard."

Along the sidelines of the Summit, Chairman Chen also met with UNICEF's Deputy Director, Justin Forsyth, to discuss future areas of collaboration between UNICEF and HNA Group.

"We are proud to welcome Chairman Chen Feng as a member of UNICEF's International Council," said Forsyth. "Mr Chen's lifelong commitment to philanthropy is very much aligned with the goals of UNICEF, and we have a long and productive history of co-operation with HNA Group to help children around the world."

HNA Group, a global Fortune 500 company focused on tourism, logistics and financial services, has a rich history of citizenship and philanthropic endeavors.  Realizing HNA Group's motto of doing something for society, doing something for others, under Chairman Chen's leadership, HNA Group has been involved in more than 40 charity projects and provided millions of dollars of funding over the past 24 years, focusing on societal benefits with an emphasis on children's causes.

HNA Group partners with some of the world's leading not-for profit organizations, including UNICEF and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). Notable CSR projects include:  

Partnerships with UNICEF:

• HNA New Life Protection Initiative: Announced in June 2017, this project involves a US$25 million grant to support obstetric emergency and neonatal care services in five countries. The initiative also establishes local obstetric technology training and exchange centers to provide training to doctors and nurses in these communities. The initiative is expected to help more than 3.3 million pregnant women and newborns by 2022.
• Inspired Gifts: HNA Group joined UNICEF's Inspired Gifts initiative in June 2016, pledging to donate 10 million RMB (US$1.51 million) in the coming five years. HNA Group funded the donation of tents, blankets and children's nutrition kits that UNICEF will send to vulnerable communities suffering from human and natural disasters.  
• Change for Good: HNA Group portfolio company Hainan Airlines became mainland China's first commercial air carrier collecting spare change and donations from passengers to raise funds in support of UNICEF's work in China and around the world. Beginning in 2013, HNA Group committed to raising 10 million RMB (US$1.51 million) over five years to support UNICEF.
• Haiti Earthquake Relief: Responding to a UNICEF emergency appeal, HNA Group supported UNICEF's response to the Haiti earthquake by funding short and long-term care to those who lost their homes.

Partnerships with WFP:

• Bolstering food security in the Middle East: In November 2017, HNA Group provided WFP with a US$5 million grant to bolster food security among refugee and displaced person populations in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey. HNA Group committed to providing 13 million meals in total over the next three years.  
• Ghana Food Meals Program: HNA Group committed to a 10 million RMB (US$1.51 million) donation to the WFP to provide highly nutritious school meals for children in Ghana.

Other notable philanthropic endeavors:

• Brightness Action: In China, Africa, and Cambodia, through partnerships with NGOs, HNA Group has provided thousands of free cataract surgeries to vulnerable populations. Beginning in July 2014, HNA Group's commitment to the Brightness Action campaign extends nearly 14 years.
• Send Love Home: HNA Group donates plane tickets from HNA Group aviation companies to students and migrant workers in China's underdeveloped regions, allowing them to go home to their families during the Spring Festival.
• MIT China Food Safety Research Program: HNA Group contributes to the "China Food Safety Research Program" at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which aims to find solutions to prevalent food safety issues. In total, HNA Group has committed to donating US$2.5 million to MIT's Sloan School of management and Biomedical Innovation Center toward this initiative.
• Harvard University: HNA Group has committed to donating US$25 million to Harvard University to support educational excellence.
• Tsinghua University Schwarzman Scholars: In partnership with Tsinghua University, HNA Group contributes to the Schwarzman Scholars program, allowing young leaders from around the world to live and learn in China. HNA Group has committed to US$25 million in donations over a three-year period. Additionally, HNA Group is providing scholars with access to 1,450 domestic plane tickets to allow scholars to experience China beyond the traditional gateway hubs.
• Peking University HNA Education Fund: HNA Group is committing 150 million RMB (US$22.58 million) to establish the Peking University HNA Education Fund, aimed at bolstering the university's contributions to academia and improving the educational experience for students.
• "One Billion Yuan in 10 Years" Project: HNA Group announced it would invest one billion RMB (US$150 million) over 10 years across Hainan Province to support ecological preservation and to fund poverty alleviation projects. HNA Group was originally founded in Hainan Province in 1993.
• Courageous Acts Fund: In 2012, HNA Group started a 5-year strategic cooperation with the China Foundation for Justice and Courage. Through a 5 million RMB (US$1.5 million) donation, HNA Group has been able to assist 232 families across China with housing, all of whom have a family member recognized as having conducted a courageous act.

-Ends-

About HNA Group

HNA Group is a global Fortune 500 company focused on tourism, logistics and financial services. Since its founding in 1993, HNA Group has evolved from a regional airline based on Hainan Island in southern China into a global company with approximately $145 billion of assets, over $90 billion in annual revenues, and an international workforce of 410,000 employees, primarily across America, Europe and Asia. HNA's tourism business is a fast-growing, vertically-integrated global player with market-leading positions in aviation, hotels and travel services. HNA operates and invests in nearly 3,200 hotels with over 380,000 rooms across major markets, and has 1,250 aircraft carrying nearly 100 million passengers to 270 cities worldwide. HNA's Logistics business is a leader in logistics and supply chain management with capabilities in shipping and equipment manufacturing, maritime transportation, third-party payment platforms and project finance. In financial services, HNA is China's largest non-bank leasing company, and a leading provider of a diverse set of businesses in equipment leasing, insurance, asset management, investment banking and credit services. For more information, visit www.hnagroup.com

Media Inquiries:

For more information, please contact:

Daniel Workman, Edelman
Tel: 202-386-0393
Email: [email protected] 

SOURCE HNA Group