Our CR strategy and key responsibilities

Experian’s aim is to make the business more sustainable from a social, ethical and environmental (SEE) perspective. We developed a framework of six key responsibilities in 2007 and a core strategy followed in 2008, strongly linked to elements of the wider business strategy.

Experian’s particular focus – what is material?

Our framework for reporting follows the well recognised pattern of responsibilities to the marketplace, workplace, community and environment.

We consider our marketplace responsibilities to be particularly material and so include within this heading our consideration of consumers, our responsibility to develop products and services with a strong social benefit and, most importantly, our good stewardship of data. Being a good employer is vital since people are our key resource and linked to this is our relationship with the communities where we are based. Strong environmental management is seen as an essential means of controlling cost and is something we and our people are concerned about, so is increasingly factored into decisions.

Corporate Responsibility strategy and its links to the wider business goals

This was only the second full year of development for the CR programme at Experian as an independent company but the aim is for CR to become second nature and simply part of the way we conduct our business, considering the longer term nature of decisions and our impact on society and the environment.

The CR strategy is focused on making this happen but at the same time supporting business goals, strategy and resources.

Experian’s vision of becoming a necessary part of every major consumer economy in the world necessitates growth and, in the economic climate of the last two years, sustainability is an important factor in our development.

The CR strategy

There are three strands to our CR strategy:

Business as usual, embedding SEE risks
Big Ideas, supporting innovation, seizing SEE opportunities
Focusing the community programme

All three strands support the central business vision, helping us achieve growth more responsibly and sustainably.

Business as usual, embedding SEE risks

We continue to embed considerations of SEE risks into our standard processes, including the central risk assessments associated with any business development. This underpins our whole business strategy but also supports our investment in our key resources; our people and our data. As we grow and expand our capacity it’s important we take account of society’s concerns, whether these are views on employment conditions or worries about personal data and its security.

Big Ideas, supporting innovation seizing SEE opportunities

We intend CR to provide a catalyst for innovative ‘Big Ideas’; products or services that can have a major social or environmental impact and really change lives.

Experian’s expertise is in providing unique insight and improving decision making. Using these talents in a social and environmental capacity is something we are encouraging through a programme of support and investment for products and services with an SEE focus. In turn this encourages innovation and potentially supports growth in new markets.

Focusing the community programme

We aim to create a focused approach for projects, funded with central monies but retain local flexibility for regional funds to also address local community priorities.

Focusing the global community programme on financial education and entrepreneurship supports business goals, provides long term benefits for consumers and enables our employees to see Experian’s contribution making an impact.

Our vision for the future

Ultimately we see the business fully embracing the concept of the longer term and the wider view of society’s concerns in its business planning.

The CR vision we have defined has been endorsed by the Board and incorporates risks and opportunities. It also encompasses elements of what’s unique about our business and how we specifically can make sure we contribute most to society.


	Experian’s working population understands the social, ethical and environmental risks associated with the business and standard processes take account of these on a day-to-day basis enabling the Group to create a stronger and more sustainable business model. The opportunities social, ethical and environmental issues present are regularly reviewed and Experian considers how it can help other organisations become more sustainable with new products and services. Experian uses its skills, information and expertise to best effect in interactions with its communities and helps them become more self sustaining.