illycaffè Named One Of The 2019 World's Most Ethical Companies® By Ethisphere For Seventh Year In A Row

NEW YORK, Feb. 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- illycaffè S.p.A., the global coffee industry leader in quality, direct trade and ethical supply chain practices, has been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, as one of the 2019 World's Most Ethical Companies.

illycaffè has been recognized for the past seven years, is one of only three honorees in the Food, Beverage & Agriculture industry, and the only company from Italy to receive the distinction of The 2019 World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere. Ethics are a core value for illy, which focuses on creating and sharing superior stakeholder value over time through its commitment to improvement, transparency, sustainability, and people development.

In 2019, 128 honorees were recognized spanning 21 countries and 50 industries. The thirteenth class of honorees profoundly illustrate how companies continue to be the driving force for improving communities, building capable and empowered workforces, and fostering corporate cultures focused on ethics and a strong sense of purpose.

"Ethics are essential to the long-term sustainability of any organization, which is not built overnight, but as a core value that is aligned with measurable commitments and actions", said Andrea Illy, chairman of illycaffè S.p.A. and author of A Coffee Dream and Espresso Coffee: The Science of Quality. "The role of the private sector is key to creating a sustainable society, of which companies represent the building blocks. If we want a better society for the next generations, we need to start from better companies. We are proud to be recognized by The Ethisphere Institute and thank them for their continued role in recognizing ethics leadership and building a community that advances ethical business practices."

"Today, employees, investors and stakeholders are putting their greatest trust in companies to take leadership on societal issues. Companies that take the long view with a purpose-based strategy are proven to not only outperform but last," said Ethisphere's Chief Executive Officer, Timothy Erblich. "I congratulate everyone at illycaffè for earning this recognition."

Methodology & Scoring
The World's Most Ethical Companies assessment is based upon the Ethisphere Institute's Ethics Quotient^® (EQ) framework, which offers a quantitative way to assess a company's performance in an objective, consistent and standardized manner. The information collected provides a comprehensive sampling of definitive criteria of core competencies rather than all aspects of corporate governance, risk, sustainability, compliance and ethics.

Scores are generated in five key categories: ethics and compliance program (35 percent), culture of ethics (20 percent), corporate citizenship and responsibility (20 percent), governance (15 percent) and leadership and reputation (10 percent). All companies that participate in the assessment process receive their scores, providing them with valuable insights into how they stack up against leading organizations.

­­Honorees
The full list of the 2019 World's Most Ethical Companies can be found at https://worldsmostethicalcompanies.com/honorees.

Best practices and insights from the 2019 honorees will be released in a report and webcast in March and April of this year. Sign up to receive the report.

About illycaffè
illycaffè is an Italian family business, founded in Trieste in 1933 and committed to offering the greatest coffee to the world. illy is the world's most global coffee brand, producing the unique illy 100% Arabica blend made of 9 of the world 's best selections of Arabica;  each day more than 7 million cups  are served in over 140 countries in the finest cafés, restaurants, hotels and in offices and homes. illy has become the standard forerunner  of espresso, and thanks to three critical innovations, is considered the leader in the science and technology of coffee. With the bestowing of the first  "Ernesto Illy Award  for quality espresso coffee" in 1991 in Brazil, illy also pioneered direct sourcing, sharing know-how and paying a premium price for the best quality, based on partnerships underwritten by the principles of sustainable development. The company also founded the University of Coffee with the aim of fostering and spreading its culture, providing comprehensive academic and hands-on training for coffee growers, baristas and coffee lovers in order to cover every aspect of the product. Everything 'made in illy' is enhanced by beauty & art, which represent founding values of the brand, starting from its logo – designed by an artist, James Rosenquist – and including the renowned illy Art Collection, comprised of over 100 cups designed by international artists. In 2017 the company was employing 1,290 people, and posted consolidated revenues of €467 million. There are approximately 244 stores and mono-brand illy shops in 43 countries.

About the Ethisphere Institute
The Ethisphere® Institute is the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices that fuel corporate character, marketplace trust and business success. Ethisphere has deep expertise in measuring and defining core ethics standards using data-driven insights that help companies enhance corporate character and measure and improve culture. Ethisphere honors superior achievement through its World's Most Ethical Companies recognition program and provides a community of industry experts with the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA). More information about Ethisphere can be found at: https://ethisphere.com.

SOURCE illycaffe