Ethisphere Institute’s Unveiling of 2012 World’s Most Ethical Companies to Feature Keynote by Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Ethisphere Institute, a leading international think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability, announced today that the official unveiling of the 2012 World’s Most Ethical (WME) Companies will take place at an Honoree Dinner at New York’s Grand Hyatt Hotel on March 15, 2012, with former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright serving as the event’s keynote speaker.

“Each year the competition for World’s Most Ethical Companies intensifies as the number of nominations submitted for consideration grows”

This year’s WME honorees promote ethical business standards and practices by exceeding legal minimums for compliance, introducing innovative ideas that benefit the public—forcing their competitors to follow suit. They demonstrate how corporate citizenship is undoubtedly tied to the success of a company’s brand and bottom line.

“Each year the competition for World’s Most Ethical Companies intensifies as the number of nominations submitted for consideration grows,” said Alex Brigham, executive director of Ethisphere. “This year’s winners know that a strong ethics program is a key component to a successful business model, and they continue to scrutinize their ethical standards to keep up with an ever-changing regulatory environment.”

Secretary Albright serves as chair of Albright Stonebridge Group, a global strategy firm, and chair of Albright Capital Management, an investment advisory firm focused on emerging markets. She was the 64^th U.S. Secretary of State, the first female to serve this position, and, at that time, the highest-ranking woman in the history of the U.S. government. She will share insights on the geopolitical environment to help leading companies successfully navigate complex jurisdictions, while mitigating risk and enabling growth.

Visit us at http://ethisphere.com/wme-honoree-dinner/ for information about the WME Honoree Dinner and to purchase a seat at the dinner program.

Global Ethics Summit

The WME Honoree Dinner is hosted in conjunction with the fourth annual Global Ethics Summit, co-sponsored by the Ethisphere Institute and Thomson Reuters. The Summit, held March 15-16 in New York, offers business leaders the opportunity to gain critical and timely insight into the risks and challenges of conducting business, as well as best practices to mitigate the threats they pose. By bringing together CEOs, board chairs, GRC leaders and government and regulatory officials, this event offers an in-depth and multi-faceted learning experience that encourages the sharing of best practices for navigating an increasingly complex global corporate landscape.

A few of the confirmed panelists at the 2012 Global Ethics Summit include:

Brackett Denniston, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, General Electric
Lee D. Augsburger, Senior Vice President, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, Prudential Financial Inc.
Doug Lankler, Executive Vice President, Chief Compliance and Risk Officer, Pfizer Inc.
Christopher Leslie, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Hitachi Data Systems
Nancy J. Laben, Senior Vice President, Legal, and General Counsel, AECOM Technology Corporation
Sheila Penrose, Chairman of the Board, Jones Lang LaSalle, and Board Member, McDonald's Corporation
William Lytton, former Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Tyco International, and former Vice President and General Counsel for International Paper

A full agenda can be found at http://www.globalethicssummit2012.com/agenda.

Media credentials:

A limited number of media credentials will be available for the World’s Most Ethical Companies Honoree Dinner and the Global Ethics Summit. To apply, please email Gabe Roth at groth@rubenstein.com.

About Ethisphere Institute:

The research-based Ethisphere® Institute is a leading international think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability. Ethisphere Magazine, which publishes the globally recognized World’s Most Ethical Companies Ranking™, is the quarterly publication of the Institute. Ethisphere provides the only third-party verifications of compliance programs and ethical cultures that include: Ethics Inside® Certification, Compliance Leader Verification™ and Anti-Corruption Program Verification™. The Institute’s premier membership group, the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance™, is a business ethics forum that includes more than 100 leading corporations, universities and institutions that collectively leverage their experience, expertise and innovative ways to address emerging compliance challenges. More information on the Ethisphere Institute, including ranking projects and membership, can be found at http://www.ethisphere.com.