The most transparent companies in the US! As determined by an independent Transparency Scientific Committee for the first time! I am pleased to share the winners of the 2024 Transparency Awards (the “6th Annual” in the US), as noted in this press release and on the “Transparency Awards” website – both of which also recognize the top transparent companies by industry as well as “Top 20” most transparent companies (scroll to the bottom for each).
As I announce in this 8-minute Awards Ceremony Video, the “Top 3” winners by category are:
- Best Overall Transparency: Intel
Showcasing true transparency, Intel earned top marks for its consistent and thorough disclosures, effectively communicating its mission, vision, and strategy with clear introductions and summaries across all documents. The company aligns board priorities with its strategy and uses graphics to clarify key metrics and processes. Dow and Mastercard ranked second and third.
- Best Proxy Statement: Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin excels in providing a clear and easy-to-navigate proxy statement that balances summaries, details, and visuals throughout. It effectively outlines and connects Board priorities, engagements, core competencies, and strategic skills. Freeport-McMoRan and Gilead Sciences received the next highest rankings.
- Best ESG Report: Ecolab
Ecolab takes top honors and was awarded a precision score of 93.2%, which measures the completeness and prioritization of voluntary information shared. The company is recognized for its comprehensive goals overview, progress summary, and insights on how ESG aligns with their mission, vision, and purpose. Prologis and Dow placed second and third.
- Most Improved Overall: Ford Motor Company
Ford’s dedication to addressing stakeholder needs is evident in its impressive 116-place leap, driven by significantly improved scores for their proxy and ESG reports. They also placed 14 among the top 20 most transparent companies, underscoring their commitment to transparency. CVS Health and Ecolab received the next highest rankings.
- Best Form 10-K: ConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips delivered a document that is easy to read and well designed, going beyond human capital management requirements to include global workforce statistics on gender and race, as well as employee turnover metrics. Moody’s Corporation and Bank of America placed second and third.
- Best Investor Relations Website: Bank of America and Honeywell International
Marking the award’s first tie, Bank of America and Honeywell International stand out for IR websites that are easy to navigate, offering key information for readers only a few clicks away and dedicated landing pages for the annual meeting. Runner up: Cognizant Technology.
- Best Code of Conduct: NextEra Energy
NextEra Energy puts readers first with intuitive navigation, featuring direct links to policies throughout the document. The introductory letter sets the tone by emphasizing the importance of ethics, compliance, integrity, following the code, and reporting concerns. AIG and Procter & Gamble received the next highest rankings.
- Most Efficient Plain Language – Proxy Statement: Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Automation provided transparent communication in its proxy statement by usingclear, concise language to build value and trust between stakeholders and the company. Johnson & Johnson and John Deere rank second and third.
