MONTREAL, May 11, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - SNC-Lavalin (TSX: SNC), a fully integrated professional services and project management company with offices around the world, announces the signing of an administrative agreement with Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC). This agreement allows the Company to continue to do business with the Government of Canada in accordance with its Integrity Regime originally adopted on July 3, 2015.

"SNC-Lavalin employees in Canada know better than anyone the path we have taken in recent years to implement a world-class integrity program. We have done our homework and extensively transformed the company in terms of governance, operations and culture, while continuing to draw on relevant best practices", said Ian L. Edwards, President and CEO, SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. "We are focused on providing innovative solutions to address the world's most pressing challenges while remaining an important contributor to the Canadian economy."

On September 23, 2021, the Quebec Crown Prosecutor's Office (DPCP) invited SNC-Lavalin to negotiate a remediation agreement (the "Remediation Agreement") following charges against SNC-Lavalin Inc. and SNC-Lavalin International Inc. under the Criminal Code of Canada for offences that occurred between 1997 and 2004 in connection with the Jacques Cartier Bridge Refurbishment project, a $128 million contract, of which SNC-Lavalin was a 50 percent consortium partner. In light of these charges and following an assessment of information provided by the company, PSPC invited SNC-Lavalin to negotiate an administrative agreement.

Prevent, detect and respond to any risk of wrongdoing
For almost 10 years now, SNC-Lavalin has been implementing extensive changes in terms of governance, operations and culture, while continuing to draw on relevant best practices.

Governance: an effective, transparent, and independent integrity program

  • Members of the Integrity function report to the Chief ESG and Integrity Officer, who in turn reports to the Board of Directors (Governance, Ethics and Sustainability Committee) and operationally, to the General Counsel;
  • The Integrity function is composed of 40 full-time staff and 140 ambassadors in operations worldwide;
  • SNC-Lavalin's Integrity program is aligned with the principles of international organizations such as Transparency International, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, United Nations Global Compact, World Bank and the U.S. Department of Justice's Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Operations: an integrity program that fosters and enables ethical decision-making

  • Access, for all employees and third parties, to an independent, confidential, and anonymous reporting line operated by an external service provider. This service is available by telephone, access to the vendor's web page, or an app available on corporate mobile phones (for SNC-Lavalin employees);
  • A due diligence system is in place for all business partners;
  • Annual training on the Company's Code of Conduct is required for every employee;
  • Requirement for managers to take specific training to ensure understanding of the program and their responsibilities.

Culture: a culture of integrity that promotes communication and ownership

  • Establishing the duty to report for all employees and prohibiting direct or indirect retaliation;
  • Embedding an ethical behaviour component in annual employee performance assessments.

About SNC-Lavalin
Founded in 1911, SNC-Lavalin is a fully integrated professional services and project management company with offices around the world dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. We create sustainable solutions that connect people, data and technology to design, deliver and operate the most complex projects. We deploy global capabilities locally to our clients and deliver unique end-to-end services across the whole life cycle of an asset including consulting, advisory & environmental services, intelligent networks & cybersecurity, design & engineering, procurement, project & construction management, operations & maintenance, decommissioning and capital. We deliver to clients in key strategic sectors such as Engineering Services, Nuclear, Operations & Maintenance and Capital. You can find relevant news and information at snclavalin.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

SOURCE SNC-Lavalin

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