A Global Message:
Our Responsibility to Lead

Avery Dennison Team,

We are clearly experiencing a once-in-a-generation series of crises. The COVID-19 pandemic and the related economic crisis are causing widespread suffering as they threaten our collective health, wellbeing, and ways of life. Our priorities during these crises have been, first and foremost, the health and wellbeing of our team followed immediately by continuing to deliver industry-leading quality and service to our customers. We are doing well on both fronts and for that, I am extremely proud and grateful. I thank you all on behalf of your colleagues and customers. Given the essential nature of many of our products and the fact that we are an employer of choice for more than 30,000 people in 50+ countries, we should feel proud of the continued positive impact we are having on society - locally and globally.

As dire as the pandemic and economic crises are, there is another threat to our long-term success as a society: prejudice, inequality, and divisiveness. Many of our societies suffer from these increasing trends, not least of which includes the recent racially-charged events in the US. I sent a note to our US team on Monday that highlights the importance of our role, individually and collectively, to be a part of the solution in fighting inequality and, more generally, bridging the increasing divide in society. While the challenges of prejudice in the US are unique, all regions of the world suffer from inequality and divisiveness to some degree.

We are a resilient company that, for 85 years, has been, and continues to be, a force for good. Given our broad reach in many countries and industries, we have the responsibility to not only advance our business, but to demonstrate our leadership in advancing our society. Just as we have all risen to the challenge to combat the effects of the pandemic and ensuing economic crisis, we must all step up and recommit, as individuals and as a team, to our values, including elevating the importance of diversity and inclusion.

Thank you for your commitment to each other, to our business, and to our global community.