Some significant changes have taken place in Patria’s top management recently; there is a new Chairman of the Board, Esa Rautalinko, and Chief Financial Officer Ville Jaakonsalo acts as the CEO for the transition period. Nevertheless, they both share their predecessors’ views on defence industries’ and Patria’s way of operation.
Why is ethical code of conduct so important to Patria? - It is important to be compliant and act ethically in all business. This is of special interest in the defence industry that in some respects is a controversial issue for many. Therefore it is important for us to keep all our stakeholders abreast with the development of compliance issues, states Esa Rautalinko.
What is the Board’s role in it? - In Patria, we have taken corporate social responsibility and ethical code of conduct into special review. We in the Board follow those activities closely. Patria has a zero-tolerance towards corruption. That naturally applies also to any other unethical activity. Also here we want Patria to be a leader among its peers, Rautalinko continues.
How is this taken into practice? - We are committed to complying with the laws and regulations of the countries in which we operate. We respect commitments to the international declarations, agreements with our partners as well as the rules of good governance. Our practices are based on principles of integrity, transparency, accountability and sustainable development. Patria has zero tolerance for corruption and bribery. We do not accept unethical or corrupt conduct by our employees or business associates, and actively seek to prevent it. We have a solid ethical code of conduct defining and ensuring ethical way of working in various situations. This guideline is complemented by more detailed policies and guidelines. Our practices are continuously developed and they are monitored by the Board of Directors, Audit Committee and the Board of Management, says Jaakonsalo.