2013 was an eventful and exciting year here at Symantec, much of which we’ve documented using this space. While we’re all hard at work planning for our Fiscal Year 2015, which begins in April, January presents us with a great time to pause and look back at all the great things we’ve featured on the blog in 2013.
As the administrator of this space, I’m always amazed by the great stories our guest authors share. Here, a few of my favorites from 2013:
- In March, we were named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the sixth year in a row. While the company always holds this designation in great regard, this year Scott Taylor, our Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, used this space to talk about what it really means to be an ethical company on a day-to-day basis at Symantec, and why the designation is meaningful.
- Early in the year, we announced grants totalling $1 million to education organizations around the globe. Some of these partners were new, and some were existing partnerships that we were looking to take to the next level. All of them are integral parts of helping to create the next generation of innovators.
- In April, our CEO, Steve Bennett, blogged about the fact that our global employee base increased their volunteer hours by over 40 percent fiscal-year-over-fiscal year. The fact that our CEO celebrates this as a significant company accomplishment speaks volumes to me, as an employee, about the credibility of our corporate messaging around employee engagement and satisfaction.
- For National Cyber Security Awareness Month in October, Internet Safety Advocate Marian Merritt wrote about best practices for keeping your child safe on mobile technology. This was a great example of how Symantec can apply its core business strengths to help protect society, but this piece also spoke strongly to me as a parent. It provides straight-forward, commonsense advice that I can immediately apply to my life.
- Last month, Father Jeff Putthoff, Executive Director of Hopeworks ‘N Camden, blogged about Hopeworks’ and Symantec’s long-standing partnership to provide job skills and education assistance to youth. Hopeworks is doing important work in Camden, and I love the grassroots genesis of this partnership, and the dedication of our employees who support these efforts year after year.
What are your favorites? I’d love to hear from you!
Lora Phillips is Symantec's Senior Manager, Global Corporate Responsibility.