TOP Sponsors Speak to Uncertainty With Trump Immigration Ban

(ATR) IOC TOP sponsors Coca-Cola, GE, and Proctor & Gamble say the companies will protect employees affected by a United States immigration and travel ban.

Each company spoke to media outlets in the wake of the recent executive order released by the Trump administration temporarily barring travel and immigration from seven countries. As global companies, all three are set to be impacted by the travel ban, which has been characterized by its chaotic rollout and protests from the American public at airports around the country.

Even without voting representatives, TOP sponsors remain influential in the Olympic Movement and each's opinions are well respected. The United States is currently bidding for the 2024 Olympics, and speculation began immediate after the order's implementation if the bid could be harmed from its effects.

"Coca-Cola Co. is resolute in its commitment to diversity, fairness and inclusion, and we do not support this travel ban or any policy that is contrary to our core values and beliefs," Muhtar Kent, Coca-Cola chief executive, said in a statement to Bloomberg. "We are continuing to assess any potential impact to our employees, and will provide them with appropriate support as needed."

GE’s chief executive Jeff Immelt has been advising newly-elected President Trump like his counterpart from Dow Chemical. In a blog post in the wake of the executive order Immelt said employees and customers from countries named in the order were "critical to our success and they are our friends and partners".

"We stand with them and will work with the U.S. Administration to strive to find the balance between the need for security and the movement of law abiding people," Immelt said. "We will continue to make our voice heard with the new administration and Congress and reiterate the importance of this issue to GE and to the business community overall."

Procter & Gamble took a similar stance to Coca-Cola and GE, saying the company needed time to assess how the order would impact its employees. A Procter & Gamble spokesperson told Cincinnati.com that the company would "[provide] our full support and assistance during this period of uncertainty".

"For the broader P&G community, we reiterate our unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion and creating an environment where all people are welcome, all people are valued and all people are respected," the spokesperson added.

Coca-Cola, GE, and Procter & Gamble are just three of the six companies based in the United States on the TOP Sponsor program. Neither Dow nor McDonald’s, two other companies with large international customers and workforce, returned request for comment about the executive order.

Written by Aaron Bauer

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