Editor’s Note
This article outlines VINCI’s foundational commitment to ethics and compliance, highlighting how core values of integrity and respect are embedded in its corporate culture and stakeholder relationships. The Group’s formal Ethics Charter and Code of Conduct underscores this commitment, applying to all employees and upheld by senior leadership.
VINCI is built upon strong values that shape its culture and guide its actions. Ethics are at the heart of all business relationships between VINCI and its stakeholders. The Group expects impeccable behavior from all its employees, based on integrity, loyalty, and respect for dignity and individual rights. This commitment is upheld at the highest level of the Group.
The Ethics Charter and Code of Conduct formalizes all principles of professional ethics that apply in all circumstances and in all countries where the Group operates, to all its companies and employees. It is accompanied by an Anti-Corruption Code of Conduct which clarifies the rules for preventing acts of corruption, notably by identifying risks in business processes and specifying prohibited behaviors.
These two documents are available in 31 languages on the Group’s intranet (as well as on its website). They are thus accessible to nearly 100% of employees in the official language of their country and are part of the onboarding package for new hires. The Group’s 53,000 key managers have committed to respecting and enforcing them within their areas of responsibility.
To ensure all employees can effectively contribute to the prevention and detection of corruption, specific training programs are designed and deployed at each organizational level, depending on their assigned duties. These complement generalist e-learning modules available on the Group’s platform, such as those titled “Anti-Corruption – Stakes and Risks” or “Conflicts of Interest.”
The requirement for integrity and transparency applies not only to the Group’s companies and employees but also to its partners and subcontractors. Their evaluation, in addition to their technical skills and ability to fulfill their missions, also covers their own commitments regarding respect for human rights and business ethics.
Following a favorable opinion from the European Works Council, the Group’s whistleblowing system was supplemented from January 1, 2019, by the digital reporting platform VINCI Integrity. Accessible in five languages via the Group’s intranet and website, this secure system allows employees and stakeholders to report any inappropriate conduct concerning human rights, business ethics, prevention of environmental risks, or health and safety. It guarantees the traceability and confidentiality of exchanges.
The Ethics and Vigilance Department reports to the Chairman and CEO. In close collaboration with the divisional managements, corporate functions, and the Group’s Ethics and Vigilance Committee, and relying on internal expertise (Legal, Audit, Human Resources departments, Ethics and Compliance club, “GDPR” steering committee, “Human Rights” steering committee) or external expertise, it coordinates the implementation of the prevention system.
The Ethics and Vigilance Committee, established in 2018, consists of seven members, five of whom are part of VINCI’s Executive Committee. It ensures the deployment and evolution of compliance systems covered by the Ethics Charter and Code of Conduct, particularly concerning the detection and prevention of corruption and the prevention of serious harm to human rights and fundamental freedoms, people’s health and safety, and the environment resulting from the Group’s activities.
It supervises updates to the Ethics Charter and Code of Conduct and the Anti-Corruption Code of Conduct.
The challenges VINCI and its entities may face are often complex and involve numerous actors throughout the value chain. While risk management and prevention systems are continuously strengthened, VINCI’s position in the value chain and the cyclical nature of its activities do not always allow for sufficient influence to act fully.
This is why, in addition to internal actions, VINCI has decided to join several external groups and initiatives to work collectively with a range of stakeholders on tools, methodologies, and actions in favor of respecting human rights, thereby being better equipped to face these challenges.
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