2010/03/23

Kao (President and CEO: Motoki Ozaki) was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies 2010, announced by Ethisphere Institute, a U.S. think tank, on March 22, 2010 (U.S. time). Since the first listing in 2007, Kao is the only Japanese company that has been included in the lists for four consecutive years.

Ethisphere Institute specializes in research on corporate ethics and social responsibility. Since 2007, Ethisphere Institute has analyzed companies around the world to select World's Most Ethical Companies, based on seven distinct categories: Corporate Citizenship and Responsibility; Corporate Governance; Innovation that Contributes to Public Well Being; Industry Leadership; Executive Leadership and Tone from the Top; Integrity, Track Record and Reputation; and Internal Systems and Ethics/Compliance Program. This year, companies in over 100 countries and 36 industries were surveyed. The number of candidate companies is increasing year by year. Even among global companies, only very few companies have had the honor of being recognized for four consecutive years.

As a foundation of its business activities, Kao advocates Integrity. This principle, inherited from the Kao founder, indicates that Kao is committed to abiding by laws and ethics to engage in honest and healthy corporate activities. To enable this value to penetrate among all Group members worldwide, Kao provides Group members with training programs that take into consideration the characteristics, culture and circumstances of each individual country.

As part of the CSR activities, Kao announced the Environmental Statement in June 2009 to promote ecological management with a focus on the environment as a core management element. Incorporating a CSR perspective into its businesses, Kao will continue to evolve "Yoki-Monozukuri"* to contribute to the achievement of the sustainability of earth and society, in accordance with our corporate message: "enriching lives, in harmony with nature."


* Kao defines "Yoki-Monozukuri" as "a strong commitment by all members to provide products and brands of excellent value for consumer satisfaction." In Japanese, "Yoki" literally means "good/excellent," "Monozukuri" means "development/manufacturing of products."