Ethisphere announced its annual List of 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics on December 16, 2009. The year 2009 saw increased scrutiny of corporate transparency, oversight and ethics.
“This year we not only saw the catastrophic consequences that ethical failings can have on an organization and industry at large, but we were also able to observe the profoundly positive impact that sound corporate ethics can have on the long-term health and wealth of a company,” said Stefan Linssen, Editor-in-Chief of Ethisphere Magazine. “These individuals have impacted the way we think about, practice and oversee ethics in ways that will continue to resonate with the business community for many years to come.”
The winners are broken down into the following eight core categories: Government and Regulatory, Business Leadership, Non-Government Organization (NGO), Design and Sustainability, Media and Whistleblowers, Thought Leadership, Corporate Culture, and Investment and Research.
The top 10 list:
John Kopchinski – Former Sales Representative, Pfizer
Peter Solmssen – General Counsel, Siemens
Mary Schapiro – Chairman, SEC
Keith Jubah – Head of Public Procurement and Concessions Commission, Libya
Neelie Kroes – Commissioner for Competition, EU
Mike Duke – CEO, Wal-Mart
Carter Roberts – CEO, World Wildlife Fund
Sir David Walker – Senior Adviser, Morgan Stanley International
Huguette Labelle – Chair, Transparency International
Dame Deirdre Hutton – Chair, Food Standards Agency, UK
Further information about each winner can be found at:
Ethisphere also released its annual list of the Top 10 People We Won’t Miss, which includes: Charles Conaway, the former CEO of K-Mart; Steven Cauley, a partner at Cauley, Bowman, Carney & Williams; and Tom Petters, founder of Petters Group Worldwide LLC.
“While it’s true that much of the advancement in business ethics occurs as a result of forward-thinking, positive individual and organizational action,” continued Linssen, “the missteps of these 10 individuals have undoubtedly, though inadvertently, brought about improvements in and increased awareness of business ethics.”
The full rankings with descriptions of the recognized individuals and activities and list of advisory panel members are available in the fourth quarterly issue of Ethisphere Magazine and online at http://ethisphere.com/2009s-100-most-influential-people-in-business-ethics/.
Ethisphere Magazine, which publishes the globally recognized World’s Most Ethical Companies Ranking™, is the quarterly publication of the Institute.
More information on the Ethisphere Institute, including ranking projects and membership, can be found at http://www.ethisphere.org.