New York – February 4, 2009 – Today marks the start of the first annual Global Ethics Summit sponsored by the Ethisphere Institute and Dow Jones that brings together Fortune 500 CEOs, nonprofit directors, general counsel, government officials and influential leaders in the business ethics space. The event will continue throughout today and tomorrow (February 4 and 5, 2009) at the Waldorf=Astoria in New York City.

“With corporate scandals emerging on a seemingly constant basis, and these issues garnering an increasing amount of media attention and sanctions from governments at home and overseas, it is critical for companies to actively seek and familiarize themselves with the latest strategies and best practices to fight corruption on the global, regional and local levels,” said Alex Brigham, Executive Director of the Ethisphere Institute. “Our aim is for these presentations, panels and networking events to provide professionals and executives from many industries the opportunity to share and learn proactive approaches for fighting corruption and the catastrophic damage their companies face if these issues are overlooked.”

The Global Ethics Summit will host representatives from leading companies including Siemens, BAE Systems, Transparency International, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Accenture, Dell, KPMG, Chiquita Brands International, Corpedia and others to offer expert commentary on anti-corruption topics. In addition, the event will include discussions on the special challenges presented by doing business in certain high-risk regions.

Keynote speakers include:

• Chad Deaton – Chairman, President & CEO, Baker Hughes: Mr. Deaton will candidly discuss how to address effectively and rebound from noncompliance issues as corporate leaders face this challenge in an increasingly global setting.
• Brackett Denniston – Senior Vice President & General Counsel, General Electric: Mr. Denniston will share strategies for compliance and anti-corruption policies, highlighting what works and what doesn’t and those issues currently of most concern.
• Colin Dyer – Director & CEO, Jones Lang LaSalle: Mr. Dyer will outline how to tackle compliance issues in the real estate space while balancing relationships with landlords, tenants and government officials.
• Ben Heineman – Senior Fellow, Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Law School, Harvard University: Mr. Heineman will explain what corporations can and should be doing to fuse high performance with high integrity while discussing why the failure to do this has eroded trust in the free enterprise system and created a crisis in global capitalism.
• Walter Massey – Director, McDonald’s and Delta: Mr. Massey, president emeritus of Morehouse College, will talk about what board members can and should be doing to ensure corporate executives are taking the necessary steps to keep companies out of trouble.
• Paul McNulty – Former Deputy Attorney General, United States Department of Justice & Partner, Baker & McKenzie: After revising the guidelines for and measures of corporate cooperation during an FCPA investigation as Deputy Attorney General, Mr. McNulty will discuss the changes and the steps companies facing an investigation should consider.
• Mark Mendelsohn – Deputy Chief, Fraud Section, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice: Mr. Mendelsohn will provide a comprehensive overview of the Department’s efforts to combat corruption to date and discuss what trends in enforcement can be anticipated in 2009.

Registration information and a full agenda are available at www.globalethicssummit.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 group, the Ethisphere Council, is a forum for business ethics that includes over 200 leading corporations, universities and institutions. The Ethisphere Council is dedicated to the development and advancement of individuals on its membership council 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. More information on the Ethisphere Institute, including ranking projects and membership, can be found at http://www.ethisphere.org.

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