Governance

Our commitment to corporate governance goes beyond compliance with accounting rules, government regulations, and SEC requirements. We share information frequently and candidly through a variety of tools from news releases to social media. We meet regularly with investors to understand their concerns. We tie executive compensation strongly to financial performance. And we are governed by a Board consisting of 15 independent directors out of 16. Most importantly, a clear set of Corporate Values guides everything we do: Quality, Integrity, Performance, Leadership, Innovation, Independence, and The Individual. We live all seven, all the time, all around the world.

We recently implemented several changes to our governance based on feedback from shareholders, and we will keep the dialogue going in our quest for continuous improvement.

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Corning’s Code of Conduct addresses how Corning employees align their behavior with the company's Values. By following the Code, we act in accordance with our Values and we ensure that we are in full compliance with the laws and government regulations that apply to Corning. The Code of Conduct provides guidance on risk areas that may arise in Corning’s businesses, informs employees how to report concerns, and states Corning’s commitment to investigate and remediate violations and to protect individuals from retaliation.

In order to ensure the effective implementation of Corning’s Code of Conduct, Corning maintains a Compliance Council, made up of senior leaders, that oversees Corning’s Compliance Program. Under the authority of the Compliance Council, employees are assigned to complete training regarding Corning’s Code of Conduct, as well as training on other compliance topics such as anti-corruption and antitrust and competition. The frequency of this training varies depending on employee role, level, and location.

Corning makes the Code of Conduct available to all employees electronically, in 13 different languages. We also provide posters in local language explaining how to report Code of Conduct violations and reinforcing our commitment against retaliation. Through a contract with a third-party, we provide a service allowing employees and persons outside of Corning the ability to report concerns anonymously, in local language, either by phone or internet, all day and every day, around the world. In order to ensure the effectiveness of our reporting mechanism, we regularly review and analyze data showing our reports by location and function. We also work with the third-party service provider to update and upgrade our reporting mechanism as required to ensure it is available to our employees and other stakeholders around the world.

As explained in Corning’s Speak Up Policy, which applies equally to employees and those outside of Corning who report alleged misconduct, the leaders of Corning’s Compliance Program review all reports received and determine the level of action and investigation required. Corning’s internal processes are followed to ensure consistent investigation, reporting, and remedial actions are taken in each case. The results of all Code of Conduct investigations are periodically reported to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. Corning does not retaliate, and has not retaliated, against employees or others who have brought forward concerns in good faith. 

For more information regarding the cases reported and investigated by Corning during the previous calendar year, see the linked document.

As a leading global innovation company, employees understand that intellectual property is the lifeblood of Corning’s business. In order to maintain and sustain Corning’s competitive advantage, Corning needs to protect its intellectual property from all internal and external security threats. Effective Information Security requires active participation from all employees throughout the organization. Gaining and sustaining this engagement requires Corning to invest time, money, and resources to develop a detailed understanding among all employees regarding what needs to be protected, why it needs to be protected, how it will be protected, and the role they play in protecting Corning’s intellectual property.

At Corning, we take the protection of intellectual property seriously, particularly when it is being transferred across borders among the Corning group of companies.

Data Privacy at Corning is also paramount. Protecting the personal data of employees, customers, suppliers and contingent workers is imperative. The Data Privacy Office created policies, procedures, and programs necessary to adhere to the requirements of the US-EU and US-Swiss Safe Harbor Frameworks, successfully certifying in 2011 and 2012, respectively. After securing Safe Harbor certification, our privacy journey continued as Corning committed to the requirements of Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs), a comprehensive global ‘code of conduct’ for all personal data processing activities, obtaining BCR certification in 2015. Furthermore, we have embedded intellectual asset protection, our five Information Security behaviors and privacy into our culture.

Corning Global Security plays a critical role in Corning’s core mission to invent, make, and sell. The function continually evolves and adapts based on the growth and risk exposure of the corporation, allowing innovation to occur safely and effectively across borders and barriers while providing security for our people and facilities all around the world.

Corning Global Security also helps ensure business continuity and policy compliance through various methods:

• The Visitor Management System registers all guests – vetting their identification and ensuring that they are properly protected and accounted for while in a Corning facility. 
• The travel risk management team continuously analyzes and assesses potential security threats around the world and compares high-risk areas with employees’ travel itineraries. Global Security proactively reaches out to travelers when a potential threat or risk surfaces.
• Business continuity and emergency response plans that sustain and continually improve Corning's ability to protect and quickly recover critical activities and resources.
• Our program around the prevention of workplace violence helps employees understand key issues and works to ensure that our workplace is supportive and safe.
• Extensive cooperative relationships with law enforcement agencies throughout the world help develop a broad understanding of risk and enable timely support when needed.

Corning Global Security is headquartered in the Global Security Operations Center (GSOC), a state-of-art, 24-hour-a-day, 365 day-per-year “first call” for reporting all global events that could impact Corning.

Corning Global Security, whose mantra is “Protecting People, Property, and Values,” is proud that its goals and function naturally and essentially strengthen Corning’s strategy around sustainability.