GovernanceCompliance
Bridgestone’s commitment to ethics, compliance andintegrity helps it continuously achieve its mission of Serving
Society with Superior Quality and supports its goal ofbuilding an effective ethics and compliance program.
The success of any effective ethics and complianceprogram depends on the ongoing and proactive organizationwide engagement of leaders, managers and supervisors, allworking to help build and sustain a culture of compliance.
Board oversight, supervision and engagement have been
hallmarks of Bridgestone’s ethics and compliance programfor many years. Additionally, periodic reports on the progressand status of the ethics and compliance program are provided
to the Compliance Committee reporting to the Board ofDirectors, and periodic reports are also provided to the Boardof Directors in each region. Bridgestone periodically report
the progress and status to the respective corporate bodies
that oversee their implementation, such as the board of
directors and Compliance Committee of each major company.
In working toward becoming a sustainable solutions
company, the policies and other global and regional ethics
and compliance programs we develop must continue toadapt and evolve in accordance with the changing
environment and regulatory landscapes. For example, onJanuary 1, 2024, BSEMEA launched two updated policies: theGifts & Entertainment Policy (including rules on travel
involving third parties) and the Conflicts of Interest Policy.
Bridgestone’s global ethics and compliance program
consists of a blend of global and regionally based initiatives.
We aim to balance global consistency with the flexibility
needed to effectively address regional and even local risks
that can vary significantly due to the wide range ofoperations we are involved in and the variety of geographic,
legal and regulatory environments in which we operate.
Compliance / Fair competition
https://www.bridgestone.com/responsibilitie

employees and non-employees through the corporatewebsite and is publicly referenced in various documents,
including the Code of Conduct. BridgeLine is a 24/7 hotline
available in all regions and in multiple languages.
Regardless of how an allegation of misconduct is raised,each report is thoroughly investigated by Bridgestone’sCompliance team or other relevant departments dependingon the subject matter. Each region has detailed investigation
procedures and protocols to help ensure the quality andconsistency of investigations. Each region has developed andtracks certain data and metrics to identify risk areas and trends
as well as assess the effectiveness of internal investigations.
The results are provided regularly to the Board of Directors ofeach significant subsidiary around the world.
In 2023, a total of 1,443 BridgeLine reports and questions
were received worldwide. A breakdown of the categories ofreports and questions received globally appears below. All
confirmed violations resulted in appropriate corrective andmitigating action, including disciplinary measures up to andincluding termination. There were no significant confirmed
reports in 2023 for the areas of corruption and antitrust/competition.
Bridgestone actively monitors and analyzes data relating
to its internal investigations to continuously improve its
ethics and compliance level.
BridgeLine
https://www.bridgestone.com/responsibilities/governance/compliance/bridgeline/

Accounting andAuditing Matters 1%
Misuse, Misappropriation ofCorporate Assets 2%

HR, Diversity andWorkplace Respect
60%

Environment,
Health & Safety 7%
Other Policy
Violation 17%

The Code of Conduct
https://www.bridgestone.com/responsibilities/code/Global Anti-Bribery Policy
https://www.bridgestone.com/responsibilities/anti_bribery/

98

Business Integrity
13%

Monitoring and Responding

Promotion of Ethics and Compliance Programs

We seeks to maintain an environment in which employees
feel comfortable speaking up and knowing that they will belistened to.
A wide variety of resources including the BridgeLine areavailable to all Bridgestone Group employees and stakeholders
to encourage them to speak up with questions or concerns.
We have established the BridgeLine reporting systems(operated by third party specialists) to allow all Group
employees and any Bridgestone stakeholder (including, forexample, contractors, suppliers, consumers and customers)
to confidentially and anonymously report suspectedcriminal conduct; violations of the Code of Conduct ;violations of other company policies, or the law; or otherethical concerns and questions. BridgeLine is accessible toTo further reinforce the compliance due diligence programand mitigate anti-bribery risks, Bridgestone started thereview of all high-risk intermediaries in 2023 with the aimof ensuring that proper controls are in place when engaging
with these intermediaries. As of December 31, 2023, 87% ofBridgestone’s high-risk intermediaries have been reviewed.
As our business and operations continue to evolve, we will
also look at how to adapt its ethics and compliance programs
to ensure that they remain relevant, adequately resourced
and work effectively in practice. We plan to do this throughself-assessments and by engaging one or more third parties
to help it assess its ethics and compliance programs in 2024.