Interview with Ray Mauritsson, Axis CEO

Questions and answers: Ray Mauritsson, Axis CEO

In which ways does Axis apply social responsibility as a company?
“To begin with, let’s not forget that our products help make society safer for everyone. We all have a right to feel secure as we go about our daily business and these days, surveillance systems play a very important role in maintaining that security. And we’re not just talking about a ‘sense of security’; the positive effect of surveillance cameras is actually measurable. A recent international survey conducted by the National Council for Crime Prevention in Sweden showed that placing cameras in public places actually deters criminal behavior. This particular survey was based on reports from the US, Canada, Sweden and Norway – all of which reached the same conclusion: crime decreases in locations which have been placed under surveillance.”

What is Axis’s Code of Conduct for?
“Our Code of Conduct outlines the principles we wish to apply in all our dealings with employees, business partners and other stakeholders. They’re not unique to Axis, but rather based on the following international principles:

• The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• The United Nations Global Compact initiative which was introduced by the then General Secretary. Kofi Annan, in 2000 to promote social and environmental responsibility in companies operating internationally.
• The ILO’s (International Labour Organisation) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

What responsibility do you take for the way your products are used?
“As you know, we sell network video products; among them, surveillance cameras. We deal directly with distributors, who in turn sell our products to system integrators and resellers. What this means is that in many cases, we have no direct contact with the end customer. And it is primarily with the end customers – the users of our products - that legal responsibility lies. They should ensure that the use of our systems and data storage follows the relevant country’s laws and regulations.

“However, I must stress how important it is that every Axis employee, supplier and partner acts responsibly. We expect our employees to promote, contribute to and uphold the company’s values, to maintain our integrity and act responsibly at all times. The same expectation applies to our suppliers, distributors, system integrators, consultants and other business partners. We should all respect the same principles.”

How do you ensure that your employees follow Axis’ principles?
The Code of Conduct forms part of every employee’s induction training. It is published and distributed in printed form, and a digital version is available on our intranet. While we do not ‘police’ our staff, Axis makes it clear when hiring new people and during introductions to the company that we are only interested in working with those who share Axis’ values. Leaving things up to the individual’s conscious has proved a very successful strategy. Since people like working here, it is naturally in their interests to do ‘the right thing.

How do you ensure that your partners follow Axis’ principles?
The same applies to partners. We work with a limited number of carefully selected sub-contractors. The selection criteria are not only price, but also quality, ethics and flexibility. And in contracts, we always emphasize the importance of adhering to Axis’ stated principles. Yearly inspections are carried out to ensure that suppliers continue to respect our agreements. Our partners also receive information about Axis’ Code of Conduct - with the aim of maintaining high ethical standards in the use of our products. Ideally, we would hope that the guidelines we’ve developed for our own company apply equally to all our business relationships.”