Israel's leading CEOs joined in a special zoom meeting and virtual opening bell ceremony at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, on the occasion of the release of Maala – Business for Social Responsibility's 2020 CSR Index..
TA-Maala index, launched in 2005, serves as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) benchmark for major corporations operating in Israel. This year, 153 of those, were assessed on the basis of newly updated criteria, including new methods for the support, advancement and education of employees in the face of global developments. The number of companies that were rated this year, almost identical to the previous year, reflects the major corporations' continual commitment and dedication to social responsibility management even during the Covid-19 crisis.
Maala's CEO, Momo Mahadav, , presented the highlights of the 2020 index results and the companies awarded with the platinum+, platinum gold and silver ratings. Mahadav stated that: “The Maala 2020 index was submitted by the companies and is being published amidst the Covid-19 crisis. In response to this unprecedented crisis, on both the national and the global level, companies stepped up and gave a helping hand wherever necessary. The rating reflects that. The heightened sensibility to social solidarity is met by the majority of rated companies with a deeper and heartfelt social responsibility. This year's ratings also delineate the routes that will require dedication of significant inputs by companies, such as: professional and digital training, post-retirement employment issues, alternatives to working from the office, improvement of health and safety in the workplace, better environmental and energy efficiency and more."
Chairman of the Board of Directors of TASE, Amnon Neubach, said: “I am delighted to be opening the first virtual trading day on TASE, in the spirit of the Covid-19 period, on the occasion of the release of Maala's 2020 Corporate Social Responsibility Index . Corporate social responsibility, alongside corporate governance and transparency, is important for all of the companies, in the capital market and in the Israeli society as a whole, and more so in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis. The capital market knows how to calculate companies' CSR performance and proper management, from a long-term strategic perspective, and I am confident that we will be seeing more and more companies take up corporate social responsibility."
Speakers in the event:
Giora Bardea, CEO of Strauss Group; Orit Benvenisti, CEO of Tigbur Manpower; Itzik Abercohen, CEO of Shufersal; Itzik Benbenisti, CEO of Partner; Yossi Ofek, CEO of Teva Israel; Prof. Shuki Shemer, Chairman of Assuta; Michal Dan-Harel, CEO of Manpower; Itamar Ben-Meir, CEO of Ayalon Highways; and Amnon Neubach, TASE Chairman.
Among the participants in the virtual opening bell ceremony were: Chairperson of Maala's Board of Directors and CEO of G1, Micky Adiv; CEO of Unilever Israel, Cem Tarık Yüksel; CEO of ICL, Raviv Zoller; CEO of Mizrahi Tefahot Bank, Moshe Vidman; CEO of Zim, Eli Glickman; CEO of Netafim, Gaby Miodownik; Termokir's CEO, Elie Cohen, and Chairman, Asher Grinbaum; CEO of Migdal, Ran Oz; CEO of Tigbur Manpower, Orit Benvenisti; CEO of PEI (Petroleum and Energy Infrastructures Ltd.), Eran Haimovitz.
Photography credit: Omer Messinger. The photo is free of charge.
