Ethisphere Executive Director Alex Brigham (center) with William Ford (left) and Alan Mulally (right)
Ethisphere Executive Director Alex Brigham Presents Award to Ford Leadership Team, Citing Ford’s Innovation, Transparency, Communication and Citizenship as Key Factors in “Outpacing Competitors”
New York – June 16, 2010 – In the wake of a global economic crisis and increasing scrutiny on the automotive industry from the government and public, executives from the Ethisphere Institute, a leading international think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics and compliance, presented the executive leadership team of Ford Motor Company with their trophy for being one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for 2010. Ford, the only automaker to receive the honor in 2010, is among 100 global companies chosen for the designation from a field of thousands of companies in more than 100 countries and 36 industries.
Alan Mulally, Ford President and CEO, and William Clay Ford, Jr., Ford Executive Chairman, were on hand to accept the award, and were joined by executives from Ford’s compliance, sustainability and communications departments.
“Ford ‘gets it.’ Ford scored extremely well on virtually all of our measurement criteria,” Ethisphere Executive Director Alex Brigham cited in prepared remarks during the presentation of the award. “As we all know…our country and world has been suffering from a global economic shock. The auto industry, without question, has been near the epicenter of this crisis. However…we see that Ford is not shirking its ethical commitments and emphases on being a responsible corporate citizen. Instead, Ford remains morally strong and thoroughly communicates that to employees and the public.”
“We were honored to be recognized [as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies] and remain humbled to serve such a large and far-reaching organization,” said David Leitch, Group Vice President and General Counsel for Ford, who was also in attendance. “We remain firmly committed to doing all we can to do business in an ethical, compliant, and sustainable manner. [This] recognition of our efforts…will inspire greater success.”
While citing the importance of tone from the top and constant communication with employees in establishing and maintaining a culture of ethics, Mr. Mulally lead a tour of a conference room in which he hosts weekly meetings with division executives with a goal of promoting the solicitation of honest and valuable feedback from employees throughout the organization. The group also toured Ford’s famous Rouge facility, among others, on a Ford Hydrogen-powered V-10 E-450 shuttle bus.
For more information on the 2010 World’s Most Ethical Companies Ranking or to subscribe to Ethisphere Magazine, please visit www.ethisphere.com.
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About Ethisphere Institute
The research-based Ethisphere Institute is a leading international think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability. The Institute’s associated membership groups, the Ethisphere Council and Business Ethics Leadership Alliance, are forums for business ethics that includes over 200 leading corporations, universities and institutions. These groups are dedicated to the development and advancement of members through increased efficiency, innovation, tools, mentoring, advice, and unique career opportunities. Ethisphere Magazine, which publishes the globally recognized World’s Most Ethical Companies Ranking™, is the quarterly publication of the Institute. Ethisphere provides the only third-party verifications of compliance programs and ethical cultures, Ethics Inside Certification® and Compliance Leader Verification. More information on the Ethisphere Institute, including ranking projects and membership, can be found at http://www.ethisphere.com.
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