ADM & Kao Named 2020 World's Most Ethical

Feb 26th, 2020

Jessie Kern

Kao Corporation and ADM are two of the 132 companies to be recognized on Ethisphere's 2020 World's Most Ethical Companies list.

The Ethisphere Institute has released its 2020 World’s Most Ethical Companies honoree list, which names Kao Corporation and ADM.

This honor recognizes companies that take the long view with a purpose-based strategy and strive to create positive change throughout their global communities.

For 2020, the list names 132 companies spanning across 21 countries and 51 industries.

To receive this recognition companies are evaluated by five metrics:

Ethics and Compliance Program
Reputation, Leadership and Innovation
Corporate Citizenship and Responsibility
Governance
Culture of Ethics

This marks Koa’s 14th consecutive year of earning the recognition, having been chosen every year since the Institute began compiling the list in 2007.

“We are deeply honored to have been recognized as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for 14 consecutive years,” Michitaka Sawada, Kao's president and CEO, said. “Last year, the Kao Group announced a major new development in our ESG management strategy, with the implementation of initiatives that position Integrity—a value which constitutes a core value of the Kao Way—as the foundation for ESG activities. In addition, we have made the securing of inclusion in the World's Most Ethical Companies list a key performance indicator (KPI) for our executive officers, so that we can all work together to thoroughly implement Integrity.”

“Congratulations to everyone at Kao Corporation for earning this recognition,” Ethisphere CEO Timothy Erblich said. “Kao is the only company in Japan that we have honored on the World's Most Ethical Companies list every year since the award’s inception. This honor underscores Kao commitment to integrating integrity as one of the core values to its company management since its establishment. In tune with increased expectations of society for companies to contribute to a sustainable society, we hope that Kao will continue to promote ESG management and lead the industry across the globe in advancing ethical standards and practices.”

ADM is one of six companies in the food, beverage and agriculture industry to be named on Ethisphere’s list.

“Each day, our world-class team of 40,000 works to enrich the quality of life for people the world over, and it’s absolutely paramount that every aspect of that work follows the highest standards of honesty and integrity at all times,” Juan Luciano, ADM chairman and CEO, said. “We are extremely proud to be recognized for our company-wide commitment to ethical business practices, transparency and corporate citizenship.”

“Congratulations to everyone at ADM for earning this recognition,” Erblich said. “This is a moment to acknowledge the leaders working to advance corporate cultures defined by integrity and affirm those companies contributing to broader societal imperatives and the greater good.”