Mercedes 2012 Annual Report Download - page 18

1 | To Our Shareholders | Chairman’s Letter
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In this way, we will ensure that we are profitable even under difficult market
conditions and that we maintain our financial strength for continued future
investments. In a parallel effort, we are also pressing forward with structural
improvements to our global business systems: Doing business efficiently
and growing profitably – those are two sides of the same coin.
I’d like to thank you, our shareholders, for your trust and support. We also
owe thanks to our employees. They are the ones who make a difference with
their professional expertise and personal dedication. Superior performance
is not a question of race, gender or age. That’s why we promote diversity in our
workforce, the professional development of highly qualified women and the
management training of local executives.
Finally, sustained success requires a solid ethical foundation. What does
that mean exactly? That is something thousands of Daimler employees through-
out the Group, of all ranks and at all levels, have discussed as part of our
“Integrity Dialog.” The result: Virtually everyone wants clear rules, responsible
behavior and mutual respect. That has flowed into our new “Integrity Code.”
The consensus was also that, as much as guidelines serve as important “safety
belts,” they cannot replace the “inner compass” that keeps us on course and
acting responsibly, even where there are no clear rules.
In any case, the same goes for our corporate culture as it does for all of
the Daimler Group: We are on the right track and will continue to move forward.
We look forward to you accompanying us into the future.
Sincerely,
Dieter Zetsche