ICMIF member Thrivent (USA) recently celebrated being named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the 10th year in a row—a full decade of being recognised as a corporate leader that is doing the right thing for its clients, its workforce and its communities.
Reflecting on this exciting milestone, CEO Terry Rasmussen said: “A decade is a meaningful milestone; it’s a foundational element of building a history. And our history at Thrivent is what’s supported us for hundreds of years and led to our strength and reputation.”
A robust application process narrows the field
The list, established by Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, recognises a select group of companies demonstrating exceptional programmes and practices. Participating companies are measured on their culture of ethics, ethics and compliance programme, environmental and societal impact, governance, and leadership and reputation.
Commenting on the application process, Terry Rasmussen said: “Each year, we must demonstrate that we have the robust structure and systems in place to ensure we’re doing the right thing. That we’re living out our values. That we’re thorough in our response if something doesn’t seem aligned with who we are. And that we’re continuing to look to the future as a leader in business ethics.”
This year, the process was streamlined, and the question set was expanded to gauge how applicants were adapting and responding to the global health pandemic, environmental, social, and governance factors, safety, equity, and inclusion and social justice. Terry Rasmussen says that the more rigorous criteria make her even prouder that Thrivent is one of 135 companies recognised around the globe by Ethisphere, and one of only six companies in the financial services category.
How Thrivent’s history continues to guide it today
A commitment to ethics and integrity isn’t new for Thrivent. For over a century, the organisation has been helping people build their financial futures and live more generous lives. Thrivent started out back in 1902, and Terry Rasmussen says the values and ethics that steered the company then are the same ones that compel it still in 2021.
Looking back at last year, Terry Rasmussen says: “Like so many companies in 2020, we were compelled by the pandemic to move to a virtual environment. Even in the midst of these changes, we never lost sight of our commitment to act with integrity and ethics. We worked diligently through the ups and downs and through it all, we upheld our focus on ethical business practices.”
Timothy Erblich, Ethisphere CEO says: “While addressing the tough challenges of 2020, we saw companies lead—above all other institutions—on earning the trust of stakeholders through resilience and a commitment to ethics and integrity. The World’s Most Ethical Companies honourees continue to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to the highest values and positively impacting the communities they serve. Congratulations to everyone at Thrivent for earning the World’s Most Ethical Companies designation.”
An ongoing commitment to doing the right thing
One of the core values at Thrivent is doing what’s right. Terry Rasmussen says “We treat one another with respect and honesty. By acting with integrity, we build trusted relationships and do right by the clients and communities we serve.”
She continued: “Receiving this honour for 10 years in a row wouldn’t be possible without the daily commitment of our workforce to carry out our organisation’s values in everything they do. Our workforce demonstrates our values in their care for our clients and commitment to bringing Thrivent’s purpose and promise to life so we can help people make the most of all they’ve been given. I couldn’t be prouder of the high standard they continue to set for our organisation.”
