SUMMER 2025
Excellence for All to See

How this year's honorees shared the news of their recogntion is as varied and inspiring as the honorees themselves

by BILL COFFIN

_{SUMMER 2025 |}_FEATURE

Excellence for All to See

How this year's honorees shared the news of their recogntion is as varied and inspiring as the honorees themselves

by BILL COFFIN

One of the most delightful aspects of when the World’s Most Ethical Companies^® honorees are announced each year is the utter explosion of celebration it prompts from those companies who have worked so hard to receive this recognition. We see it at every level of an organization, from their brand to their top leadership, the E&C team, and most memorably, from the employees themselves who take personal ownership - and pride - in the enterprisewide effort to uphold a commitment to honesty, transparency, and doing right by their stakeholders.

For them, most of all, the World's Most Ethical Companies is not an award. It is a confirmation that the professional mission, vision, and values they agreed to uphold are, in fact, alive and well. And if that's not worth celebrating, then nothing is. ■

More than an achievement, this recognition also served as a valuable benchmark to assess the maturity of our ethics and compliance programme. We remain humble and committed to continuous improvement, recognising that that an ethical culture can never be taken for granted.

RAYMOND BONCI
VP, Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer
Airbus

While it's nice to get recognized, that's not our "why" for us doing what we do. It's not about saying we're one of the most ethical companies, it's about demonstrating it through our actions. Every day, with every employee. It's also important to avoid the trap of singing the Lego Movie "Everything is Awesome" song to yourself. I view the vetting process for World's Most Ethical Companies as an opportunity to make sure we aren't living in that echo chamber. 2 times vetted, 2 times awarded! And we plan on keeping it going.

STEVE HELVIN
VP and Deputy General Counsel
Verizon

I keep a photo of our founder,
Edward Temple, in my office. More than a tribute to our company’s
humble beginnings, it’s a reminder of who we are. Integrity was engrained
in Edward Temple, personally and professionally. He founded The Bankers Life, now Principal Financial Group, based on an earnest belief that there must be a better way for everyday people to protect their families. And we’ve kept integrity at the core of everything we do. Today, for the 14th time, we’ve been recognized by as one of the 2025 World’s Most Ethical Companies. I’m grateful to our founder for his lasting legacy of doing what’s right, and to all 20,000 Principal employees who live that same core value every day, deepening the trust we build with our clients and communities. You make me proud!

DEANNA STRABLE-SOETHOUT
President & CEO
Principal Financial Group