Corporate Responsibility Office
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Public Policy Committee (PPC)
The Public Policy Committee (PPC) of Baxter International's board of directors is responsible for reviewing the policies and practices of the company, and its subsidiaries, on a worldwide basis to assure that they are consistent with Baxter's responsibility to employees, customers and society. As part of that responsibility, the PPC oversees the company's ethics and compliance standards.
Baxter's Corporate Responsibility Office (CRO)
To assist the PPC in carrying out these responsibilities, the board of directors created a Corporate Responsibility Office (CRO) in 1993. The CRO is accountable directly to the chairman of the Public Policy Committee and regularly reports on its activities and significant ethics and compliance issues at PPC meetings.
Mission
The Corporate Responsibility Office (CRO) actively supports Baxter's commitment to the highest standards of ethics and integrity in all of our business practices. The CRO is accountable to the Public Policy Committee of the board of directors and:
- Assures the development and communication of appropriate Ethics and Compliance policies and initiatives;
- Develops and maintains independent, corporate-level resources and processes for employees and key constituencies to provide guidance on the company's Ethics and Compliance policies and for reporting potential Ethics and Compliance violations;
- Ensures that each business unit has adequate processes for:
a) providing guidance on the company's Ethics and Compliance policies,
b) the reporting and investigation of Ethics and Compliance issues, and
c) notifying the CRO of significant Ethics and Compliance issues; and - Verifies the adequacy of, and compliance with, the company's Ethics and Compliance policies, application of those policies, and responses to non-compliance.
Regional Compliance Committees (RCCs)
To carry out its activities on a global basis, the CRO established Regional Compliance Committees in 1996. Through the CRO, the RCCs are accountable to the Public Policy Committee of the Board of Directors. RCCs exist in Europe, the Asia/Pacific and the Intercontinental regions, and the U.S., Canada and Caribbean region. These committees are responsible for implementing the CRO's mission and key activities within their regions.
Ethics and Compliance
The Ethics and Compliance department provides the CRO with the day-to-day resources to accomplish its mission. It assists the CRO with all of its key activities, including management of the CRO's toll-free number and post-office box as well as the annual certificate of compliance process. It also serves as a resource and liaison to the Regional Compliance Committees. Additionally, the Ethics and Compliance department provides resources and guidance for employees, supervisors, and managers who have questions concerning the application of the company's Code of Conduct or who wish to report a possible violation of those standards.
Management
Each Baxter manager has special responsibilities to act and communicate in a manner that is consistent with Baxter's business practice standards. Managers also must create a work environment which:
- Inspire those with whom you interact to be accountable for delivering results with integrity
- Create an open environment to aid and support others so they may successfully raise compliance questions without hesitation
