Ethics and accountability

We operate under the belief that transparency, honesty and fairness should always be paramount, without exception
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At Stryker we are committed to doing what’s right. Good corporate governance is essential. We conduct our affairs in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations and in accordance with the highest ethical standards.

The values we share alongside our mission embody our commitment to ethics and accountability. Integrity– We do what’s right. Accountability – We do what we say. We build a shared understanding of the importance of these values by incorporating them into our leadership practices and through comprehensive quality and compliance procedures and training programs.

At the forefront of our organization is a winning team that measures the success of the Company not only by financial growth, but by how well we meet our own high standards of accountability. Our Board of Directors is elected annually and consists entirely of independent directors (with the exception of our Chairman and CEO, Kevin Lobo). Together, the Board of Directors combines education, experience and a rich history of commitment to Stryker in making decisions that benefit our Company, our shareholders, and ultimately, the lives of the patients we serve.  

 

 

Unwavering quality, ethics and compliance 
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At Stryker, quality is first in everything we do. We are driven to make healthcare better for our customers by providing innovative products and services that meet regulatory requirements through our effective quality system.  

We hold ourselves accountable to a high standard, as outlined in our code of conduct and code of ethics.   

Code of conduct Code of ethics


Our training programs empower employees to make sound business decisions through education and collaboration. Training and communication are focused on providing our employees with education on policies, procedures and guidance which facilitate ethical business practices. Auditing and monitoring of our business activity allow us to drive continuous improvement in support of Stryker’s core values, and our legal and ethical standards. Together, these programs create a culture which guides employees to be personally accountable for compliance and to champion ethical behavior.  


We have an Ethics Hotline providing all employees and business partners an avenue to report concerns of improper or unethical behavior in a confidential, and if desired, anonymous manner. For situations that require anonymity, employees and business partners may call a toll-free number or go online to report their concern, access updates to issues they previously reported or share additional information as an investigation proceeds. All reports are promptly investigated by a fair and unbiased team and any retaliation against any employee or business partner for reporting a violation is not tolerated. One of the things that makes Stryker so special is the safe environment we’ve built, and we’ll do what it takes to maintain that high level of trust in our workplace. 

Leadership
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Our commitment to ethical conduct extends across our organization, from our Board of Directors and leadership team, to every employee around the world.  

Board of Directors

Leadership team

Corporate governance practices
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Stryker is committed to exercising good corporate governance. Our policies and practices in this regard include the following:

  • Proxy Access for Director Nominations
  • Majority voting in uncontested elections
  • The Lead Independent Director position entails significant responsibility related to Board leadership and governance
  • All directors are independent other than the CEO
  • Regular executive sessions of independent directors
  • All members of Board Committees are independent
  • Multiple Audit Committee members are "audit committee financial experts"
  • Annual Board and Committee self-evaluations
  • Annual independent director evaluation of the Chairman and CEO
  • Active Board and Committee oversight of risk and risk management
  • Commitment toward corporate social responsibility and sustainability
  • No use of corporate funds for political contributions and careful oversight of lobbying activities
  • No "poison pill" takeover defense plan