Ethics & Governance
Action in 2023
The Action Story
Taking Action
Ethics & Governance
Appendix
Action is committed to sound governance. It’s the cornerstone of a successful business and helps us contribute positively to both shareholders and society. Good governance, we believe, is about making sure we comply with laws and regulation, and that we uphold high standards of ethics in our own business.
And that we conduct business responsibly. To ensure this, we have a Code of Conduct that applies to all Action employees. This sets out our expectations, as a company, in areas such as health and safety, product quality, customer services, and compliance, as well as how we uphold fairness and respect in the workplace. Alongside our Code of Conduct, we have a series of internal policies and controls; these are grouped within our new Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence framework.
Our country managers focus on store performance and operations. In carrying out their work, they are supported by central functions such as Commerce, Supply Chain, and Store Operations, as well as supporting departments like HR, Finance and Sustainability, based at Action international headquarters at Zwaagdijk-Oost in the Netherlands.
We have two Executive Directors – our CEO and CFO. Together, they are responsible for the executive management of the company, as well as all decisions on strategy and risk management. Our Executive Directors are assisted by a senior leadership team, comprising sixteen managers from across our businesses. This team – plus our CEO and CFO – make up Action’s Executive Committee.
We have a one-tier board structure; this Board of Directors comprises our two Executive Directors and seven non-executive directors. The Board meets, on average, 5-7 times a year, providing guidance to management and approving strategic objectives and policies.
Board membership is balanced between those with a finance background and those with direct industry experience, a reflection of Action’s business and ownership structure. As we do across the company, Action believes in the strength of gender diversity and inclusion and aims for diversity in the composition of its Executive Directors and one-tier board. When selecting new Board members, gender diversity is considered though, ultimately, the capabilities of the selected candidates are assessed irrespective of the candidate's gender and the most qualified candidates are nominated for appointment. As it stands, we have a 50:50 split between men and women at Executive Director level, while our one-tier board includes, in addition to the two aforementioned Executive Directors, seven non-executive members, all of whom are men.
We believe that every person involved in our business from employees and customers to our suppliers deserves fair treatment, safe working conditions and respect for their fundamental rights. To support this, we encourage a speak-up culture within Action – we want people to be able to raise concerns without fear of retaliation. Employees and other parties may report violations, or suspected violations, internally or in confidence through our Alert hotline or ethics point website. Those working at our suppliers or factories may contact us directly via the amfori Speak for Change programme. Speak for Change was first launched in Vietnam in 2022, and was extended to Turkey, Bangladesh and India in 2023. It will be extended further in the coming years.
We have made stakeholder engagement a priority. It’s important that we understand what stakeholders expect of us when it comes to the impact of our business on the environment or the rights of workers in our supply chain.
Action is committed to sound governance. It’s the cornerstone of a successful business and helps us contribute positively to both shareholders and society. Good governance, we believe, is about making sure we comply with laws and regulation, and that we uphold high standards of ethics in our own business.
And that we conduct business responsibly. To ensure this, we have a Code of Conduct that applies to all Action employees. This sets out our expectations, as a company, in areas such as health and safety, product quality, customer services, and compliance, as well as how we uphold fairness and respect in the workplace. Alongside our Code of Conduct, we have a series of internal policies and controls; these are grouped within our new Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence framework.
Our country managers focus on store performance and operations. In carrying out their work, they are supported by central functions such as Commerce, Supply Chain, and Store Operations, as well as supporting departments like HR, Finance and Sustainability, based at Action international headquarters at Zwaagdijk-Oost in the Netherlands.
We have two Executive Directors – our CEO and CFO. Together, they are responsible for the executive management of the company, as well as all decisions on strategy and risk management. Our Executive Directors are assisted by a senior leadership team, comprising sixteen managers from across our businesses. This team – plus our CEO and CFO – make up Action’s Executive Committee.
We have a one-tier board structure; this Board of Directors comprises our two Executive Directors and seven non-executive directors. The Board meets, on average, 5-7 times a year, providing guidance to management and approving strategic objectives and policies.
Board membership is balanced between those with a finance background and those with direct industry experience, a reflection of Action’s business and ownership structure. As we do across the company, Action believes in the strength of gender diversity and inclusion and aims for diversity in the composition of its Executive Directors and one-tier board. When selecting new Board members, gender diversity is considered though, ultimately, the capabilities of the selected candidates are assessed irrespective of the candidate's gender and the most qualified candidates are nominated for appointment. As it stands, we have a 50:50 split between men and women at Executive Director level, while our one-tier board includes, in addition to the two aforementioned Executive Directors, seven non-executive members, all of whom are men.
We believe that every person involved in our business from employees and customers to our suppliers deserves fair treatment, safe working conditions and respect for their fundamental rights. To support this, we encourage a speak-up culture within Action – we want people to be able to raise concerns without fear of retaliation. Employees and other parties may report violations, or suspected violations, internally or in confidence through our Alert hotline or ethics point website. Those working at our suppliers or factories may contact us directly via the amfori Speak for Change programme. Speak for Change was first launched in Vietnam in 2022, and was extended to Turkey, Bangladesh and India in 2023. It will be extended further in the coming years.
We have made stakeholder engagement a priority. It’s important that we understand what stakeholders expect of us when it comes to the impact of our business on the environment or the rights of workers in our supply chain.
