TE Connectivity's 12-Year Ethical Streak: A Blueprint for Corporate Integrity

GALWAY, Ireland – March 18, 2026 – For the twelfth consecutive year, TE Connectivity, a global leader in industrial connectors and sensors, has been named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute. This sustained recognition places the company in an elite group of organizations that are actively defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, distinguishing it as one of only five honorees in the highly competitive electronics and components industry for 2026.

The achievement is not a matter of chance but the outcome of a deeply embedded corporate strategy that prioritizes integrity from the boardroom to the factory floor. In an era where corporate accountability is under intense scrutiny, TE Connectivity's consistent performance offers a compelling case study in how to build and maintain a culture of ethics that withstands the complexities of a global marketplace.

The Architecture of Integrity

At the heart of TE Connectivity's long-running success is a robust internal framework designed to make ethics a shared responsibility among its 90,000 employees worldwide. This is not merely a top-down mandate but a pervasive cultural element reinforced through continuous training and engagement. In the past year alone, the company conducted over 142,000 ethics and compliance training sessions, resulting in more than 99% of its global workforce completing the comprehensive Guide to Ethical Conduct training.

"TE has always been and remains committed to the highest ethical standards," said CEO Terrence Curtin in a statement. "Every day, our 90,000 employees work to secure TE's place as a trusted partner to our customers and a leader in our industry. Their commitment strengthens our culture, supports our long-term performance, and positions us to continue advancing the technologies that make the world safer, sustainable, productive and connected."

This commitment is dynamic, not static. The company reported that in 2025, it actively strengthened its ethics and compliance program to align with emerging leading practices. This included integrating new technologies into its risk management processes and enhancing its reporting channels, demonstrating a proactive approach to evolving ethical challenges rather than resting on past laurels. This continuous improvement cycle is crucial for a company operating in approximately 130 countries, each with its own regulatory and cultural nuances.

Ethisphere's Seal of Approval: More Than Just an Award

The "World's Most Ethical Companies" designation is conferred by Ethisphere, a for-profit institution that has established itself as a global authority on ethical business standards. The selection process is grounded in its proprietary Ethics Quotient® (EQ), a rigorous assessment that requires applicants to provide over 240 documented proof points. This data-driven methodology evaluates companies across five key domains: the ethics and compliance program, the culture of ethics, corporate citizenship and responsibility, governance, and third-party management.

The comprehensive nature of the EQ framework ensures that the recognition is more than a public relations accolade. It serves as an independent validation of a company's internal programs, a factor increasingly emphasized by regulatory bodies like the U.S. Department of Justice. By undergoing this exhaustive review annually, companies like TE Connectivity not only benchmark their performance but also receive critical insights for further improvement.

"As we mark the 20th class of honorees, this group continues to raise the bar for business integrity by embedding ethics into everyday decision-making and long-term strategy," noted Erica Salmon Byrne, Ethisphere's chief strategy officer and executive chair. She added that "Companies with strong ethics, compliance and governance programs are built for better long-term performance." This sentiment is backed by Ethisphere's "Ethics Premium" analysis, which has historically shown that the stock prices of its recognized public companies outperform a comparable index of large-cap companies, suggesting a tangible financial benefit to a strong ethical posture.

The Ripple Effect: Ethics in the Global Supply Chain

TE Connectivity's role as a foundational technology provider means its ethical standing has implications far beyond its own corporate boundaries. The company's connectors and sensors are critical components in next-generation transportation, renewable energy networks, automated factories, and the data centers that power artificial intelligence. For the myriad of businesses that rely on these components, sourcing from an ethically vetted partner is a significant form of risk mitigation.

In a global economy increasingly focused on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria, a supplier's ethical record is a crucial part of a customer's own value proposition. A twelve-year streak of recognition from Ethisphere provides a powerful signal of reliability and trustworthiness to customers, investors, and regulators. It demonstrates a commitment to responsible sourcing, fair labor practices, and transparent governance that cascades through the supply chain.

This consistency helps build resilient partnerships, as customers can have greater confidence that their supply chain is not exposed to the reputational and financial risks associated with unethical behavior. As companies worldwide face pressure to ensure their entire operational ecosystem is clean, TE Connectivity's long-term investment in its ethical framework provides a competitive advantage and sets a high benchmark for the entire industrial technology sector. The message is clear: in a world where every connection counts, the integrity behind those connections matters just as much.