Experian 2007 Annual Report Download - page 38

36 |Experian Annual Report 2007
Corporate responsibilities
Strategy and definition
Experian is a fast growing business and financial success
is a key measure of that growth. However we don’t exist
in a vacuum. By measuring ourselves against other
societal impacts and targeting ourselves to improve we
can ensure we have a sustainable business and that we
maintain and improve societies’ understanding and
respect for what we do.
Since our listing as an independent company on 11
October 2006, we have undertaken a review of our
wider responsibilities, consulting relevant people within
the business and drawing on external evaluations from
analysts and commentators. As a result we have chosen
six essential responsibilities to provide the framework and
direction for our work:
We believe we have a responsibility to:
1Use and protect data properly, respecting all the
relevant laws, helping evolve industry guidelines and
new legislation and ensuring a culture of setting and
complying with the highest standards of integrity.
2Create social and economic benefit through our
products services and capabilities, balancing
commercial benefit with consumers’ rights and needs.
3Inform and empower consumers and ensure that those
who interact directly with our company receive fair and
honest treatment.
4Be a good employer to all, establishing a set of
expected behaviours and values, ensuring that
everyone working for us is treated fairly, given the
maximum opportunity to fulfil their potential and that
all our workplaces are safe and healthy.
5Minimise as far as possible the environmental impacts
associated with our business and enable employee
participation, with a particular concentration on the
reduction of energy use and its effect on global warming.
6Play an active part in social and economic regeneration
in our communities, be they local, national or global.
Discharging these six responsibilities effectively helps
reduce risk and presents us with opportunities. In
essence, we think that taking proper account of social
issues makes us a better business in the long term. We
are committed to dialogue, transparency and the need
for good quality benchmarks and indicators of our non-
financial performance.
Management and accountability
This year we appointed a Group Company Secretary,
Charles Brown, and gave him overall responsibility for
Corporate Responsibility (CR), ensuring that it features
regularly on the Board agenda. The Board’s first action
has been to approve an outline strategy in early 2007,
based on the six responsibilities above.
We have appointed a Head of
Global CR, reporting to Charles
Brown, to direct and co-ordinate
efforts across the Group. Experian is
structured into regional businesses, each
of which has appointed a CR management
champion. These champions will meet regularly
chaired by the Company Secretary and led by the Head
of Global CR, to give strategic input and direction. They
will consider risks and opportunities and ways in which
we can embed social considerations into our everyday
decision-making processes. There is also a small network
of CR co-ordinators who are the principal contacts for
the Head of Global CR to share information about
relevant risks and opportunities, develop initiatives and
report performance.
Experian is currently listed in the FTSE4Good Index.
We have produced a comprehensive CR Report online
(accessible via the Company website and at
www.experiancrreport.com). The following sections
present a summary from that document.
Performance during 2007
Data management- using and protecting data properly:
Experian has established a lead position as the trusted
steward of sensitive consumer data. We have an
obligation to protect and secure data from wrongful
access or misuse. We have dedicated Compliance and
Information Security teams who have overall
responsibility for ensuring a culture of awareness and
compliance within the business. In the past year, these
teams have improved physical security measures and our
management of digital identity and access to our
systems, as well as gaining ISO international certification.
More widely, we have undertaken a general programme
of employee education including defining a new global
policy and have taken the lead in industry-wide initiatives
regarding the safe transfer of data.
Products and services – social benefits of our services:
Experian plays an important role in maintaining a healthy
economy, and many of our core products have strong
social benefits. For example we are a leading player in
reducing fraud, in helping lenders and individuals avoid
over-indebtedness, reducing junk mail and ensuring those
in need are targeted to receive state aid. Activities in the
past year have included:
•Development of our predictive tools to ensure lenders
can pick up the very early signs of over-indebtedness.
•Establishing a Victims of Fraud service to support those
whose identities have been transgressed.
•Launching tools to directly help consumers better
understand how their behaviour affects their
credit rating.
Introduction | Business review | Governance | Financial statements
6
We have chosen six
essential responsibilities
to provide the
framework and direction
for our CR programme