Ford Motor Company has been named to Ethisphere Institute’s 2015 list of World’s Most Ethical Companies®

• Ford named to Ethisphere Institute’s 2015 list of World’s Most Ethical Companies^® – the only automaker to earn the recognition
• Ethisphere honours companies for leading in ethics and compliance; corporate citizenship and responsibility; culture of ethics, governance and leadership; innovation; and reputation
• A company’s reputation for ethics and trust plays a role in customer purchase decisions, research finds

Ford Motor Company has been named to Ethisphere Institute’s 2015 list of World’s Most Ethical Companies^®. The honour comes at a time in which the way a company conducts its business is viewed as every bit as important as the products and services it provides, new research shows.

“This award celebrates doing business the right way, and making the right choices every day,” said Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman, Bill Ford. “Ethics and corporate citizenship are important factors that affect a company’s reputation and success, and we are proud Ford is the only automaker to have received this honour for six consecutive years.”

The World’s Most Ethical Company assessment is based on a framework developed by the Ethisphere Institute to assess an organisation’s performance in an objective, consistent and standardised manner. The honour is given based on top ratings in five categories – ethics and compliance; corporate citizenship and responsibility; culture of ethics, governance and leadership; innovation; and reputation.

“The World’s Most Ethical Companies embrace the correlation between ethical business practice and improved company performance,” said Timothy Erblich, Ethisphere chief executive officer. “Earning this recognition involves the collective action of a global work force from the top down. We congratulate everyone at Ford for this extraordinary achievement.”

The honour correlates with research showing a reputation for ethics and trust plays a role in consumers’ purchase decisions. Last year, according to the 2015 Harris Poll Reputation Quotient, 53 per cent of the U.S. public learned more about a company before doing business with the organisation. More than one third of the respondents decided not to do business with a company based on the perception of a negative reputation.

Ford sees this trend shaping consumers of all ages – especially younger customers. Generation Z members born after 1993 are 54 per cent more likely than their millennial counterparts to say they want to have an impact on the world, and these consumers do business with companies that share their values, according to a study from research firm Sparks & Honey.

For more information about the methodology and to view the complete list of the 2015 World’s Most Ethical Companies, visit http://ethisphere.com/worlds-most-ethical/wme-honorees/.

Ford debuts New Mustang on the 112th floor of the Burj Khalifa, the Tallest building in the world.

• Bill Ford helps inaugurate Ford’s latest business unit, Middle East and Africa, an exciting, vibrant region that represents the final frontier for growth in the auto industry
• Ford pledged to launch 25 vehicles in region by 2016, including the all-new Mustang debuting next year
• Industry sales in Middle East & Africa are expected to grow 40 per cent to 5.5 million vehicles by 2020

Ford Motor Company underscored its growing ambitions in the Middle East and Africa, with the dramatic introduction of the all-new Mustang on Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.

Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford capped the live-action event by delivering the iconic pony badge to the 2015 yellow Mustang on the 112^th floor of the skyscraper. 

The event was viewed live around the world on YouTube as well as by approximately 10,000 fans gathered in the Dubai Downtown area, overlooking the Dubai Fountain and Burj Khalifa. (To see a replay, click on this link.)

“Today we planted the Ford flag in the Middle East & Africa, an exciting, vibrant region that represents the final frontier for growth in the auto industry,” Bill Ford said. “We also sent a message to the world that Mustang is going global after 50 years as America’s greatest motoring icon.”

Ford established its new Middle East & Africa business unit this year, which covers the company’s automotive business in 67 Ford markets in North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa and Middle East regions. Industry sales in Middle East & Africa are expected to grow 40 percent to 5.5 million vehicles by 2020. To meet new customer demand, Ford pledged to launch 25 vehicles in region by 2016, including the all-new Mustang debuting next year.

Viewers of the light-hearted action spectacle witnessed a dramatic journey that started with a hero atop a cliff in Arizona taking an urgent call. The unknown protagonist raced via horseback, airliner, car, helicopter and jet ski to Dubai to deliver the iconic pony badge. Only in the final scene on the 112^th floor of the Burj Khalifa – 399 metres (1,300 feet) above the ground – was the protagonist revealed with a wink and a nod as Bill Ford, the great-grandson of Henry Ford.

“A century ago Henry Ford had a vision to open the highways to all mankind,” said Jim Benintende, president, Ford Middle East and Africa. “Placing our regional headquarters in Dubai lets us tap the innovation and imagination that’s flourishing here, helping us to bring our founder’s vision to this part of the world.”

In addition to the new Mustang, Ford also previously announced a plan to introduce new vehicles such as the Ford Focus, Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKC in the Middle East and Africa. The company also announced the accelerated rollout of many new technologies to the region, including EcoBoost engines, SYNC in-car connectivity, inflatable rear seat belts, MyKey and other driver assist technologies.

For the first time in its 50-year history the Ford Mustang will be available in a factory-built right-hand-drive configuration in the UK with deliveries from autumn next year.