Manpower Inc. Chairman and CEO Jeff Joerres to Join UN, Jeffrey Sachs in Timely World Economic Forum Panel about the Role of Business in Humanitarian Relief

January 28, 2010 at 12:00 AM EST
Manpower Inc. Chairman and CEO Jeff Joerres to Join UN, Jeffrey Sachs in Timely World Economic Forum Panel about the Role of Business in Humanitarian Relief

DAVOS, Switzerland (28 January 2010) - Manpower Inc., a world leader in the employment services industry and a strategic partner of the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, announced the participation of Chairman and CEO Jeff Joerres in a panel discussion with economist Jeffrey Sachs on the importance of partnerships between the private sector and the United Nations.

"Our core business mission is social responsibility in action so it's fitting that we are deeply involved in supporting the work of the world's largest voluntary CSR initiative," said Jeffrey A. Joerres, Manpower Inc. Chairman and CEO. "We are proud to be a part of advancing the UN Global Compact's work. Our commitment goes beyond traditional company boundaries, as we encourage other corporations to sign the UN Global Compact, and we have worked to establish Milwaukee, home of our world headquarters, as the second U.S. city to be distinguished as part of the UN Global Compact Cities Programme for its expertise in freshwater research and technology."

Manpower is a corporate signatory of the UN Global Compact, working to advance universal principles in the areas of human rights, labor, the environment and anti-corruption. Manpower has engaged in several partnerships with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and was one of the founding partners in the ninemillion.org campaign. Manpower was also the first company to sign the Athens Ethical Principles, leading the effort to encourage other corporations to sign on and support the organization's goal to eradicate human trafficking. Manpower's executive sponsor of the effort, David Arkless, President of Corporate & Government Affairs, was named Special Envoy of the End Human Trafficking Now! campaign.

The session, which will take place Friday in Davos, will highlight successful partnership projects with Manpower and other global corporations and underscore the role the private sector will play in facilitating collaboration between the UN to support the UN's humanitarian relief efforts. Jeffrey Sachs, American economist and author of numerous books, including "The End of Poverty" and "Common Wealth," will also play a key role in that session.

"We are delighted to hear Manpower's perspective on the experiences and impacts of the company's partnerships with the UN, with a view to demonstrating the best practices in UN-business collaboration," said Georg Kell, Executive Head of the UN Global Compact. "Manpower is demonstrating its commitment to being part of the solution to the more human and ethical challenges of globalization."

"We don't view ourselves as 'first responders' to natural disasters," said Joerres. "Our contribution and strength is in developing workforces through both work readiness and skills enhancement. In the event of such tragedies, if appropriate, we will do a post-event assessment to identify the skills that are most required and assist in building the community and capabilities for sustainability."

Manpower received several recognitions for its social responsibility efforts this year. It was named to the FTSE4Good Index Series, a securities index created by the Financial Times Stock Exchange for companies that meet criteria in conducting socially responsible business practices globally. In addition, Manpower was named to PINK Magazine's list of the Top Companies for Women for the second consecutive year.

Manpower's third annual CSR Report, titled "People and Purpose," provides an update of the company's activities. The complete report is available for download on www.manpower.com in the Social Responsibility section or at http://www.manpower.com/social/srreport.cfm.

About Manpower Inc.
Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN) is a world leader in the employment services industry; creating and delivering services that enable its clients to win in the changing world of work. With over 60 years' experience, the $22 billion company offers employers a range of services for the entire employment and business cycle including permanent, temporary and contract recruitment; employee assessment and selection; training; outplacement; outsourcing and consulting. Manpower's worldwide network of 4,100 offices in 82 countries and territories enables the company to meet the needs of its 400,000 clients per year, including small and medium size enterprises in all industry sectors, as well as the world's largest multinational corporations. The focus of Manpower's work is on raising productivity through improved quality, efficiency and cost-reduction across their total workforce, enabling clients to concentrate on their core business activities. Manpower Inc. operates under five brands: Manpower, Manpower Professional, Élan, Jefferson Wells and Right Management. More information on Manpower Inc. is available at www.manpower.com.

Contact:
Davos - Britt Zarling
+1.414.526.3107
britt.zarling@manpower.com

Milwaukee - Marci Pelzer
+1.414.906.7670
marcelline.pelzer@manpower.com