Celebrating the 2023 World's Most Ethical Companies

Today is one of my favorite days of the year, because it is when Ethisphere announces its annual list of the World’s Most Ethical Companies? honorees. This is our 17th (!!!) annual recognition of companies that have demonstrated a commitment to ethical business practices through programs that positively impact all of their stakeholders and advance sustainable, profitable long-term business performance.

Like previous years, the 2023 honorees represent an amazing breadth, depth, and diversity of excellence in action and a commitment to integrity. This year’s list—which you can find here—includes 135 companies representing 19 countries and 46 industries. Seven of them are first-time honorees, a landmark achievement that for those who have championed their program’s steady progress over the years. And six companies have been recognized an incredible 17 times—every year this honor has existed.

The levels of dedication and consistency we see among every World’s Most Ethical Companies honoree is especially inspiring at a time when the kinds of practices that lead a company to be on our list—superior ethics programs and governance practices, significant culture measurement efforts, and conscious ESG impact programs, to name a few—are receiving pushback from certain quarters. At times like this, it is easy to lose focus or choose a path of lesser resistance. But what we see in every one of our honorees is an example of how strong ethics is good business, and that values-based leadership can unify people around a cause like nothing else can.

Transparency and communication is a hallmark of great ethics and compliance programs. And while we might be able to see the value generated by ethical culture, sustainability, and accountability to be self-evident, the truth is, not everyone does. The most powerful part of business integrity is the story it tells. Every honoree has an incredible story, and I encourage you to embrace this opportunity to share that story with all of your stakeholders so they can better understand how to succeed in the ethics economy.

Today is a day of celebration. But the hard work that got every honoree where they are has not ended. Tomorrow, it all begins again because ethics isn’t a one-time thing and doing good has always been a work in progress.

Congratulations to every one of our 2023 honorees. Your example helps everyone better understand what good looks like.