A Code of Conduct for all
Clients, staff, shareholders, investors, regulators and supervisors, and suppliers: all of Societe Generale group’s stakeholders expect us to act with responsibility.
The integrity of the individual and collective behaviour of our staff is the way we earn the lasting trust of our clients.
By developing a culture of responsibility built on our day-to-day actions, we make a clear contribution to upholding the Group's long-term reputation.
For all these reasons, Societe Generale has chosen to adopt a Code of Conduct which requires all of our staff members, whether permanent or temporary, to follow specific commitments.
A precise control, measurement and risk assessment system has been put in place. It guarantees the solid commitment to a healthy corporate culture and to honest, ethical and responsible conduct.
Key figures
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97 %
Staff have been trained about the Code of Conduct
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21
Languages in which the Code of Conduct is available
Defining the founding principles of our professional ethics, the Societe Generale Code of Conduct is not limited to the strict application of the laws, standards and regulations in force in the various countries in which we operate. It implements the highest ethical standards to which the Group wishes to adhere, both in terms of respect for human rights and environmental protection. Action has also been taken in other fields as well, including the prevention of conflicts of interest and corruption, the fight against money laundering, the application of sanctions and embargoes. Respect for market integrity, data protection and responsible purchasing are also at the heart of our practices.
These internal commitments are formally stated in several charters and compilations of guiding principles, such as:
The Code of Conduct calls on each of our staff members to exercise their individual responsibility in practical terms. All are invited to express their questions and possible concerns to ensure there is no danger of a failure to apply the Code of Conduct. Societe Generale has set up a whistleblowing system enabling any employee to report, anonymously or otherwise, any situation that does not comply with the rules governing the conduct of the Group’s activities, the expected ethical standards or that could breach applicable laws and regulations. A secure external platform enables alerts to be collected and processed, guaranteeing the protection of personal data and strict confidentiality. Societe Generale prohibits all forms of retaliation or discriminatory measures against whistleblowers and any person with this status or any person who has participated or contributed to a whistleblowing investigation, or who may be subject to retaliation in the course of his or her professional activities.
Our Code of Conduct is part of the more general framework of the Culture and Conduct set up. The Group nurtures and promotes its corporate culture by integrating the Culture and Conduct dimensions into the activities of the Business and Service Units with annual roadmaps aligned with their strategic and risk management objectives. The Human Resources and Compliance functions ensure a steering role for the system and a solid and sustainable governance of the corporate culture. The Group strengthened its set up in 2024 creating a new role of Group Head of Culture and Conduct, reporting to General Management and responsible for supervising and promoting the design, implementation and application of ethical programmes and standards across the Group.