NY-ETHISPHERE

Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, today announced the 132 honorees representing 51 countries and 21 industries that have earned the coveted designation of World’s Most Ethical Companies® in 2020 . This is the 14^th annual recognition of those who prioritize ethical behavior as a means to improve the world, while enhancing business performance.

In 2020, 14 companies appear on the prestigious list for the first time, while seven have been named every year since 2007.

“This is truly a time to celebrate incredible achievements. When we initiated the World’s Most Ethical Companies recognition in 2007, the concept of companies proactively aligning profits and purpose seemed unlikely. However, leading CEOs and organizations continue to prove our long-held hypothesis that conducting ethical business is the key to maximizing profits,” explained Ethisphere CEO, Timothy Erblich. “In addition to congratulating all 2020 honorees, we commend their commitment to continuous improvement and raising the collective bar for all companies.”

“Being a company with the highest integrity and commitment to our core values has always been at the heart of who we are as a company and is fundamental to building trust with all of our stakeholders—including our people, our clients and our communities,” said Accenture CEO, Julie Sweet. “Our fundamental belief is that businesses not only have an opportunity, but an obligation, to be a force for good in the world. This commitment is more important than ever. We are honored to be recognized again as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies.”

“It’s easier to live your values when things are going well, but it’s more difficult when the going gets tough,” said General Motors Chairman and CEO, Mary Barra. “At General Motors, we are determined to lead the automotive industry in creating a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion, and to doing it with integrity. This recognition as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies is a testament to the men and women of General Motors who are committed to doing the right thing, even when it’s hard.”

Ethisphere’s research supports the conclusion that ethics and financial performance go hand-in-hand. Our annual practice of tracking how the stock prices of publicly traded honorees compare to the Large Cap Index found that listed 2020 World’s Most Ethical Companies outperformed the large cap sector over five years by 13.5 percent. This “Ethics Premium” forms the basis upon which companies can correlate responsible behavior with shareholder value.

“Operating with ethics and integrity is at the heart of Fresnillo plc purpose: ‘To contribute to the wellbeing of people through the sustainable mining of silver and gold,’ which is why we are proud to be named for the first time as one of the 2020 World’s Most Ethical Companies,” said Fresnillo CEO, Octavio Alvídrez.

Ethisphere will hold a celebratory gala dinner on March 31, 2020 at Cipriani 42^nd Street® in New York City where Make-A-Wish CEO, Richard K. Davis, will deliver the keynote address. Ethisphere has partnered with Make-A-Wish, an organization dedicated to granting life-changing wishes to children diagnosed with critical illnesses, to support the inspirational work that they do.

Methodology & Outcomes

Grounded in Ethisphere’s proprietary Ethics Quotient®, the World’s Most Ethical Companies assessment process includes more than 200 data points on culture, environmental and social practices, ethics and compliance activities, governance, diversity and initiatives to support a strong value chain. The process serves as an operating framework to capture and codify the leading practices of organizations across industries and around the globe. Best practices and insights from the 2020 honorees will be released in a report and webcast in March and April of this year.

All companies that participate in the assessment process receive an Analytical Scorecard providing them a holistic assessment of where their programs stand against the demanding standards of leading companies.

Honorees

The full list of the 2020 World’s Most Ethical Companies can be found at https://worldsmostethicalcompanies.com/honorees/

Follow the conversation on Twitter under 2020 #WorldsMostEthicalCompanies.

About the Ethisphere Institute

The Ethisphere® Institute is the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices that fuel corporate character, marketplace trust, and business success. Ethisphere has deep expertise in measuring and defining core ethics standards using data-driven insights that help companies enhance corporate character and measure and improve culture. Ethisphere honors superior achievement through its World’s Most Ethical Companies recognition program and provides a community of industry experts with the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA). More information about Ethisphere can be found at https://ethisphere.com .

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