October 2015 - We at GE have long been happy to have a reputation as being an honest and trustworthy company, one that respects the legal and ethical principles in every country it operates. This reputation strengthens our relationships with customers, investors and public administration. It also makes GE stand out in the market.
In 2015, for the ninth time in a row, GE has been recognized by the US Ethisphere Institute as one of the most ethical companies in the world - we are very proud that our efforts to maintain the highest standards are reflected in practice. We have operated for more than 130 years, are active in 175 markets around the world and employ over 300,000 people.
It is true to say that at GE, diversity and change determine our everyday life. Thanks to our internal procedures we are able to respond quickly and to report any concerns. In 2011, we launched a system of open reporting of concerns, and, moreover, employees now have access to a network of more than 600 advocates of ethical conduct.
At the end of 2014, together with our partner PKN Orlen and the national daily newspaper Puls Biznesu, and with support from PwC, we initiated the project “Ethical Company”, which promotes ethical behavior and starts an important debate about values in today’s business. Those values do not only pertain to profits or market share, but also a company’s honesty, respect for stakeholders and efforts to build an ethical business environment. I am delighted that the initiative has been so well received by Polish companies - last year 59 companies filled in a detailed questionnaire, and among the winners of the competition we commended 15 companies with the highest score.
While opening the second edition of the “Ethical Company” competition, I sincerely hope that we will get even more declarations in 2015. I strongly believe that companies making a great effort to formalize the rules of proper conduct through the adoption of appropriate internal codes should be rewarded. It is worth playing fair!
Beata Stelmach, GE’s CEO for Poland and the Baltics