Report Highlights Company’s Commitment to Moving Money with Integrity
and Connecting People to the Global Economy
DENVER–(BUSINESS WIRE)–$WU #CSR—Western
Union (NYSE: WU), a global leader in cross-border, cross-currency
money movement, today released its inaugural Environmental, Social and
Governance (ESG) Report, which details the Company’s achievements for
fiscal year 2018 toward its commitment to moving money with integrity
and connecting people to the global economy. Creating value for its
customers, employees, agents, shareholders and the broader communities
in which it operates are top priorities for the Company as it seeks to
help build a better global future.
“Western Union’s purpose is to build bridges that connect individuals,
nations and economies, and in doing so, create new opportunities for
stakeholders across the world. We believe we can be more successful when
we operate according to the highest ethical standards, address unmet
social needs and promote the well-being of our people, their communities
and the environment,” said Hikmet Ersek, President and CEO, Western
Union. “This comprehensive account of what we are doing, as a global
leader in connecting people and businesses through money movement, makes
me proud of the hard work our employees do every day to further this
mission.”
The report highlights several areas where the Company is making a global
impact:
Connecting people to the global economy: The combination of our
retail and digital businesses enables Western Union to be the bridge
between offline and online money movement, creating a truly inclusive
platform that leaves no one behind. In addition, we stand in support of
migrants, refugees and other displaced people, who are important parts
of our customer base, our workforce and our communities.
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25%+ of our customers have sent money for education, based on customer
surveys -
1,800+ NGOs have used Western Union’s NGO GlobalPay to send nearly
$6.5 billion, since 2012
Moving money with integrity: We work closely with authorities to
help thwart and prosecute fraud, human trafficking, money laundering,
drug trafficking, illegal wildlife trade and other criminal activity.
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Participated in more than 1,400 investigations to combat human
trafficking since 2013, resulting in hundreds of arrests and the
rescue of hundreds of victims -
Invested almost $1 billion into compliance efforts over the past five
years
Supporting education and humanitarian relief: In 2018, the
Western Union Foundation — sustained by Western Union, its employees,
agents and its business partners — helped underserved populations
connect to the global economy through the power of education and
humanitarian relief efforts. The Western Union Foundation has given
nearly $120 million to fund projects to advance education and support
humanitarian relief in 137 countries since 2001.
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In 2018, the Western Union Foundation, together with Western Union,
was at the forefront of 13 major natural disaster relief efforts,
including hurricanes in the United States and flooding in Kerala, India -
In 2018, 84% of our employees contributed financially to the Western
Union Foundation, well above the median rate of employee giving, which
is 31%
Fostering a culture of ethics and inclusion: We are continually
striving to improve diversity and inclusion at Western Union, and these
two fundamental principles provide the foundation for our corporate
values: globally minded, purpose-driven, trustworthy and respectful. The
executive team alone is comprised of leaders born in eight different
countries.
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About half our global workforce is women, and 34% of our
director-level-and-above positions are held by women and we continue
to raise this number -
In 2018, our 11-member board included three ethnically diverse
directors and three women - 50% of our Board’s committees are chaired by women
The Western Union 2018 ESG Report is available at: http://ir.westernunion.com.
It is prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
standards.
USEFUL LINKS:
Western Union: https://corporate.westernunion.com/index.html
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/westernunion
LinkedIn:
www.linkedin.com/company/western-union/
YouTube:
www.youtube.com/westernunion
Blog:
www.westernunion.com/blog
About Western Union
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a global leader in cross-border,
cross-currency money movement. Our omnichannel platform connects the
digital and physical worlds and makes it possible for consumers and
businesses to send and receive money and make payments with speed, ease,
and reliability. As of March 31, 2019, our network included over 550,000
retail agent locations offering Western Union, Vigo or Orlandi Valuta
branded services in more than 200 countries and territories, with the
capability to send money to billions of accounts. Additionally,
westernunion.com, our fastest growing channel in 2018, is available in
approximately 70 countries, plus additional territories, to move money
around the world. With our global reach, Western Union moves money for
better, connecting family, friends and businesses to enable financial
inclusion and support economic growth. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.
WU-G
Contacts
Media Relations:
Alicia V. Nieva-Woodgate
+1 (720) 332- 7774
Alicia.NievaWoodgate@wu.com
Investor
Relations:
Amy Kuark
+1 (720) 332-2343
Amy.Kuark@westernunion.com
