TIAA Named One of 2018 World’s Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute for Fourth Consecutive Year

NEW YORK, Feb. 12 -- The Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association issued the following news release:

TIAA, a leading financial services provider, today announced its fourth consecutive annual recognition as one of the 2018 World's Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices.

This year, 135 honorees, spanning 23 countries and 57 industries, were recognized for their commitment to transparency, diversity and inclusion, measuring and improving culture and leading authentically. All had record levels of involvement with their stakeholders and the communities they serve.

"It is an honor to be named a World's Most Ethical Company(R) for the fourth consecutive year," said Rohan Kohli, chief compliance and ethics officer of TIAA. "This recognition is a tribute to the more than 16,000 TIAA employees who are passionate about living our values and achieving our mission, while putting our clients first in all they do."

"I am proud to come to work every day with colleagues who are dedicated to helping our clients in education, healthcare and other nonprofit professions succeed," said Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., president and CEO of TIAA. "As we celebrate our centennial year, this recognition affirms our mission of serving those who have dedicated their lives to making a difference in this world, and to helping deliver the financial outcomes they deserve."

The World's Most Ethical Companies assessment is based upon the Ethisphere Institute's Ethics Quotient(R) (EQ) framework, which offers a quantitative way to assess a company's performance in an objective, consistent and standardized manner. The information collected provides a comprehensive sampling of definitive criteria of core competencies rather than all aspects of corporate governance, risk, sustainability, compliance and ethics.

Scores are generated in five key categories: ethics and compliance program (35 percent), corporate citizenship and responsibility (20 percent), culture of ethics (20 percent), governance (15 percent) and leadership, innovation and reputation (10 percent). All companies that participate in the assessment process receive their scores, providing them with valuable insights into how they stack up against leading organizations.

The full list of the 2018 World's Most Ethical Companies can be found at https://worldsmostethicalcompanies.com/honorees .