Company recognized for commendable employment practices and long-term support of programs vital to Haiti’s economic sustainability.

Trilogy International Partners today was presented the Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE) at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Trilogy was chosen for its extensive corporate responsibility programs offered by its wireless telecommunications subsidiary, Voilà, and its transparency in its business practices.

Trilogy and Voilà were recognized for their positive impact on the Haitian economy over the past 10 years. They employ over 500 local staff and provide indirect employment to more than 15,000 Haitians through a micro-enterprise venture whereby local entrepreneurs sell time on a customized cell phone. Education and youth programs are the major focus for Trilogy’s social investment, allowing the company to offer a variety of fundamental activities, including:  wireless computer labs, Internet access, technical and vocational training, environmental education, as well as sports, music and theater programs. Additionally, Trilogy provided the initial funding and continues to be a principal sponsor of Yéle Haiti, the foundation founded by Grammy Award–winning musician, songwriter, and producer Wyclef Jean. Together with Yéle Haiti, the company has sponsored scholarships for over 5,000 primary school children who would otherwise not have access to the benefits of education.

Upon receiving the award, Trilogy’s Chairman John Stanton and President Brad Horwitz thanked the Secretary for the “extraordinary” honor and noted that “our greatest contribution to the people of Haiti is that we have built an affordable communications infrastructure and a successful business that has proved sustainable over time.”

Horwitz further noted that, “It is our belief that only private sector–led growth can lift Haiti out of poverty. As such, we see it as our mission to harness the industry and the innovation of the Haitian people for our strategy and operating plans.”

In her remarks, Secretary of State Clinton stated that Trilogy, “…understand[s] that doing well and doing good are not exclusive; in fact, they go hand-in-hand. When companies support the issues that their employees, their customers, and their communities care about, everybody benefits. Whether they are investing in education or environmental conservation … [they] are providing the foundation for a healthier workforce, a more informed customer base, and an atmosphere where free enterprise and free markets can thrive.”

The Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence was established by the State Department in 1999 to annually recognize one large and one small to midsized U.S. company for exemplary business practices in the area of global corporate citizenship. Trilogy was chosen for the large company award category from over 42 nominations submitted by U.S. ambassadors worldwide.

“In our business, we deploy twenty-first-century wireless systems that enable less developed countries to leapfrog older technologies, and those systems become the foundation for new economic opportunities. At the same time, it is Trilogy’s philosophy to make investments in education because we believe that access to learning is the civil rights issue of our time,” said Stanton. “It is a special honor for us to receive the Award for Corporate Excellence as it underscores our long-term commitment to improving the quality of life for our customers.”

Both Trilogy, through its commitment to invest in countries with less developed telecommunication services, and Voilà, with its wireless telecommunications expertise and commitment to the people of Haiti, are well poised to continue providing sustainable programs to address some of the most urgent challenges in Haiti.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 9th, 2009 at 12:57 and is filed under Stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.