Overview
°µÍø½ûÇø’s more than 80,000 colleagues continue to confront many of the most complex ESG challenges of our time, on behalf of clients and the larger society that surrounds us all. We are pleased to highlight examples of what the company has accomplished to date and share aspirations for a sustainable future.
We made progress against our 2021 climate commitments and have made new commitments in 2022, including our intention to become net-zero across our operations globally by 2050.Dan Glaser, President and CEO, °µÍø½ûÇø
Environmental
The next decade will require significant action across all business sectors to mitigate the impacts of a warming world. °µÍø½ûÇø is focused on developing solutions to help keep the projected global temperature increase to 1.5°C, and helping our clients embed pragmatic strategies to adapt and prepare for these changes.
From navigating the transition to a resilient, low-carbon economy to managing the physical risks associated with extreme weather events, °µÍø½ûÇø is helping evolve commerce while applying this expertise internally and empowering our colleagues to lead the way. 2021 highlights:
Internal
- We achieved certification as a CarbonNeutral® company for all of our global operations.
- We announced our goal of reducing emissions from Scopes 1, 2 and business travel 15% below 2019 levels by 2025.
- We eliminated single-use plastics in 50% of office pantries.
External
- At the invitation of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, °µÍø½ûÇø joined the as part of the Sustainable Markets Initiative. °µÍø½ûÇø co-led the product and services development work stream of the ITF.
- Oliver Wyman launched its Climate Action Navigator, an interactive tool designed to help senior leaders explore the actions they need to take to enable us to halve emissions by 2030, keeping a 1.5 degree temperature rise in reach.
- Guy Carpenter developed the , which provides a transparent approach to severe thunderstorm hazard assessment to afford clients an independent and current viewpoint of risk.
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Harnessing the energies of °µÍø½ûÇø’s more than 80,000 colleagues and the institutional weight of our businesses can lead to meaningful, measurable change. From volunteering for environmental causes to reducing the impact of our offices along with ongoing education, our colleagues have shown a demonstrated interest in advancing our sustainability objectives. Learn more:
In November, a group of 40 Oliver Wyman colleagues volunteered with GrowNYC, a New York City nonprofit organization, to revitalize a community garden in Brooklyn. The group cut wood, planted bulbs and built and painted new wooden benches.
On Earth Day, Marsh colleagues in Singapore spent the morning at East Coast Beach cleaning up the beach and surrounding park. The group collected garbage and other debris that had washed up on the coast line.
Oliver Wyman colleagues in Amsterdam spent a day volunteering with Natuurmonumenten, the largest private Dutch nature conservation organization. The group removed unwanted vegetation from the ‘Marker Wadden’, a land reclamation project that aims to boost plant, shellfish, bird and fish populations by creating new habitats. The volunteer day was in conjunction with a 6-week pro bono project that Oliver Wyman conducted for the organization, which provided a business case for the further extension of the Marker Wadden project.
Colleagues from our Reading and Theale offices in the UK volunteered to clean up a local beach.
Social
For 150 years, the people of °µÍø½ûÇø have shaped our shared enterprise to address the challenges of their time and to make a difference in the moments that matter for clients, communities and each other.
Today, our priorities inside the organization are the same as our aspirations for business and society: to help people realize their individual and collective potential; to advance belonging, opportunity, health and well-being; and to change what’s possible through partnerships and shared solutions.
As we adapt to new ways of working, we are creating new possibilities for our colleagues to help enable them to do their best work and lead their best lives. 2021 highlights:
Internal
- We grew to more than 80,000 colleagues.
- 80% of our colleagues participated in the All-Colleague Survey.
- On both pay and total compensation, we achieved less than 1% difference between women and men on a global basis and between non-White and White colleagues in the US as of April 1, 2021, after making certain adjustments.
External
- Mercer launched the Inclusive Partner Network,Ìýa specialty practice group focused on collaborating with our clients and suppliers on innovative ways to promote supplier diversity.
- The accelerated solutions to the crisis of high cost and poor quality healthcare that afflicts systems around the world.
- Marsh collaborated with RIMS to publish on how inclusion and diversity initiatives succeed and where they often fall short.
The most important thing we can do as an organization is create a culture where everyone feels welcomed, and that their ideas belong. A sense of belonging is an aspiration that we can all share. To belong at °µÍø½ûÇø means each of us can be ourselves in any role and see our individual contributions in the work we do together. Together, we create a culture of belonging in the ways we show up, big and small, every day. Learn more:
In September 2021, Oliver Wyman launched an inaugural Inclusion Festival, creating a space for colleagues to learn, share, celebrate and make new connections. The 20+ sessions offered to participants covered inclusion topics curated in partnership with external speakers.
°µÍø½ûÇø has committed to becoming an Autism Confident employer in the UK. A comprehensive review of our HR policies is underway, as well as a physical and sensory workplace assessment of our primary offices, beginning with Tower Place in London. In 2022, we will develop a policy to improve inclusion and recruitment practices for autistic talent and launch a colleague focus group with lived experience to support decision making. We’ve also committed to a partnership through 2023 with Ambitious about Autism, a UK nonprofit advancing employment opportunities for autistic young people.
At °µÍø½ûÇø, leadership is a mindset, not a title. We are working to empower all of our colleagues to become leaders in their sphere. In 2021 we codified what great leadership looks like—and feels like to others—so we could put it into practice at every level, across our businesses and everywhere we operate.
In Europe and the Pacific region, Marsh’s #Care&Grow initiative helps working parents balance their responsibilities. Elements of these programs include transition coaching for those returning from parental leave and guidance for their managers. Additionally, the Care & Living with Mercer (CaLM) initiative in the Pacific region helps colleagues and our clients organize living arrangements and ongoing care for aging family members.
Governance
At °µÍø½ûÇø, understanding governance risks and opportunities in decision-making is a fundamental part of what we do. Our governance practices underpin our corporate purpose, and allow us to better support our clients, colleagues and communities. Indeed, our commitment to strong governance has been the foundation of all of our ESG efforts. 2021 highlights:
Internal
- We created a stand-alone Chief Compliance Officer position, separating it from the Deputy General Counsel & Corporate Secretary role.
- 90% of colleagues who responded to our 2021 Engagement survey felt that ethical expectations had been clearly communicated.
- We launched new required training on privacy and security best practices as part of our #BeCyberSmart initiative.
External
- We launched the °µÍø½ûÇø Cyber Risk Analytics Center, an enterprise-wide resource that brings together the cyber risk data and analytics expertise of Marsh, Guy Carpenter and Oliver Wyman to provide clients with a comprehensive view of their cyber threats, the maturity and availability of their existing and future controls, and the economic impact of their risk.
- We partnered with the World Economic Forum to publish the Global Risks Report that highlights the disruptive implications of major risks, including the COVID-19 pandemic, that were predicted to reshape our world in 2021 and over the next decade.
- Martin South, Vice Chair, °µÍø½ûÇø and CEO of Marsh, at a Senate Banking hearing on the role of insurance in managing pandemic risk.
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Our comprehensive governance policies and robust system of internal controls help safeguard our culture and promote our corporate purpose. Externally, we strive to engage in the issues of the day as part of responsible corporate citizenship. Learn more:
In 2021, Kate Brennan, General Counsel of McLennan, was named Governance Professional of the Year by Corporate Secretary Magazine. At °µÍø½ûÇø, good governance is more than just policies, transparency and oversight—it's how we live our values. Kate's leadership of our Crisis Management, ESG and Compliance teams during 2021 illustrated our values and commitments to our corporate purpose.
In April 2021, Marsh hosted a two-part web series featuring executives from SolarWinds, a US information technology company that experienced a serious cyberattack. The attack on SolarWinds underscores the potential vulnerability of every organization and highlights the importance that companies have structures in place to quickly respond and start the remediation process. During the webcast, representatives from SolarWinds shared information about the unique attack, how it affected the company and its supply chain, and the actions the company took—and is still taking—to remediate and improve its security. A crucial step was close coordination between all stakeholders—between in-house legal and outside counsel and finance teams and insurance partners like Marsh. This enabled SolarWinds to quickly assess and respond.
The Greater Good is the cornerstone of our culture of integrity. Available in 13 languages, it underpins our values, ethical commitments and standards of business integrity and professionalism. It supports colleagues in making decisions in situations where it may not be clear—or easy. The Greater Good provides guidance on myriad topics including anti-corruption, data handling, conflicts of interest, trade sanctions, anti-money laundering and environmental and social responsibility. It applies to our directors, officers and other colleagues and requires the company’s agents, subcontractors and suppliers to comply with relevant aspects of our compliance policies.
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At °µÍø½ûÇø, we bring our values and know how to conversations in Washington, London and Brussels. We connect policymakers with our expert colleagues and industry-leading solutions to help advance healthy societies, cybersecurity, pandemic resilience and social justice. For example, Group President & Chief Operating Officer John Doyle testified before the House Financial Services Committee on the authorization of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program in October 2019.
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