As one of the major worldwide agencies, we believe that public relations can make its most significant contribution when it is free to provide counsel and service based on independent judgment. Our independent status, comparatively rare among large agencies, is one of our greatest assets. We have the freedom to invest in our staff and resources and determine our priorities on the basis of our independent judgment rather than in response to demands of a parent company that is interested only in financial returns.

We also have the freedom to monitor and respond to ethical issues raised by members of our staff. A pioneer in exploring the ethical foundation of our business, Ruder Finn has the longest-operating ethics committee in the field, established more than 30 years ago and still a vital part of the firm. With the help of an outside scholar in the field of business ethics, this enables us to explore issues that are raised by members of the staff in connection with special client assignments, professional practices, internal relationships and other subjects.

Ruder Finn has long been committed to contributing to the on-going dialogue on the role of business in the cultural, intellectual and ethical life of the community. For nearly fifty years, our co-founder and Chairman, David Finn, has combined compelling images of sculpture with thought-provoking quotes in a series called Thoughts & Images. These Thoughts & Images adorn our offices and are given to our employees as a constant reminder of Ruder Finn's commitment to creativity and new ways of thinking. In addition, David Finn has published a number of articles on business ethics and corporate responsibility. We were the first public relations agency to create an Ethics Committee to help our clients and employees examine issues of personal and public concern. We encourage all our professionals to think seriously about their role as communications leaders. We believe that by continually expanding our cultural and intellectual purview, we are better situated to serve our clients.