When Yordan Obegi Sr., our grandfather, established in 1905 in Aleppo, the nucleus of what
would later become the Obegi Group,
he had a clear vision of the way he wanted to conduct his business: with honesty, transparency,
and
empathy towards those around him. The word “ethics” was, then, not as trendy as it is nowadays.
His
successors, Bechara, our father, and his brother Henry, have closely followed in his footsteps
while
developing and expanding the business. This sense of responsibility has always been clearly
embedded
in our culture.
We now feel, the time has come to express in words, what has been, for so long, part of
the intangible
spirit of our group. Thus, our decision to establish this Code of Ethics. Will this
“materialization”
diminish our spirit and dampen our values? We do not think so; for the world has changed
dramatically
since our company was founded more than a century ago. What seemed obvious to our grandparents
might
need to be forcefully reaffirmed today.
We know that our predecessors, as well as our late brother Georges, whose tragic
disappearance has
left us with a void difficult to fill, would have wholeheartedly approved our decision. May
this
Code of Ethics come as a tribute to them. May it also serve as a beacon to all our employees,
to
our successors who will be at the helm of our group in the future, and to all those who work
with
us.
Because the world is changing fast, this Code is not static. It will have to be adapted to
reflect
the new challenges which will be constantly confronting us. However, what will never change is
our
attachment to our core values, as expressed in our group charter, as well as in our motto
“Doing
Business with Ethics”. These values are our lifeline, and must always remain the compass to our
successors,
whose responsibility will be to lead our group into new, uncharted, territories.
Yordan B. Obegi Riad B. Obegi