Governance
Strong governance, quality management and ethical business practices are vital to Quintus Technologies’ sustainable growth and long-term success. All three companies within the scope of this report have been ISO 9001 certified since 1995.
As outlined in our Sustainability Policy, we are committed to maintaining robust processes that prevent misconduct, ensure ethical behaviour, and uphold transparency across our operations. In line with our Company Policy, the company culture shall promote high ethics and business shall be executed in a long-term sustainable relationship with employees, partners, suppliers and the community. As established in our Quality Policy, we encourage an open-minded, transparent, inclusive, and diverse leadership and company culture, where individuals take ownership.
Our Code of Conduct serves as a guiding framework for ethical behaviour and responsible business practices, outlining the standards and expectations that govern all aspects of our business conduct. All Quintus Technologies employees are required to complete and sign a certification that they fully understand the contents of and acknowledge their commitment to comply with the Code of Conduct. Awareness and compliance are reinforced through e-learning programs.
Governance Structure
Quintus Technologies is a fully owned subsidiary to Kobe Steel Ltd (Japan). The Board of Quintus is appointed by Kobe Steel Ltd and consists of three representatives from Quintus, CEO, CFO and Director HR, IT & Com, and three representatives from Kobelco Machinery Division, Japan. Quintus Technologies’ Management Team holds primary responsibility for the governance of the company, providing strategic oversight and ensuring that the company operates in alignment with its values and objectives.
Table 25 Gender diversity ratio in Management Team*
FY 2024 | FY 2025 |
|---|---|
0.14 | 0.14 |
*CEO and direct reports to CEO
Anti-corruption
Quintus Technologies maintains a zero-tolerance approach to corruption and bribery. As outlined in our Code of Conduct, no director, employee, representative, or third party acting on our behalf may offer, promise, or authorize any payment or item of value – directly or indirectly – to influence business or governmental decisions.
This applies to dealings with both public and private sector entities, including government officials, political parties, and commercial partners.
While reasonable and customary business hospitality may be permitted where legally acceptable, such expenditures must never be used to conceal improper payments or gain undue influence. Any travel or hospitality offered to officials or customers must serve a legitimate business purpose and be properly documented.
All actions must comply with applicable anti-corruption laws and regulations. In cases where the rules set forth in our Code of Conduct are more stringent than local legislation, the standards outlined in the Code shall prevail.
Fair Competition
At Quintus Technologies, we are committed to conducting our business ethically, transparently, and in accordance with the principles of fair competition. We operate within a free and open market system, where success is earned through innovation, performance, and integrity. Our actions in the marketplace are guided by strict compliance with applicable antitrust and competition laws across all jurisdictions in which we operate. We compete openly and independently and do not engage in practices such as price-fixing, market or customer allocation, bid rigging, or the exchange of sensitive commercial information with competitors. Additionally, we do not impose resale price requirements on our customers or engage in behaviour that unfairly favours one customer over another.
As part of our commitment to fair competition and responsible business conduct, we apply transparent and fair payment practices towards all our suppliers and ensure timely payments in line with agreed contractual terms, supported by internal controls over invoice processing.
The principles and rules governing our conduct in these areas are clearly outlined in our Code of Conduct, which applies to all employees and third parties acting on behalf of the company. The Code provides guidance for lawful and ethical behaviour in competitive settings and helps ensure a consistent and responsible approach.
We take particular care in interactions with trade and professional associations, ensuring that participation serves legitimate business or professional purposes. Employees and representatives are trained to recognize and report any conduct that may raise antitrust concerns. Any suspicious or potentially unlawful activities encountered in such settings must be reported promptly, using our established compliance procedures.
Through these commitments, Quintus Technologies promotes a level playing field, safeguards customer trust, and reinforces our long-term sustainability through ethical business practices.
Information Security
Quintus Technologies relies on digital technologies to store and process information, which makes robust information security a critical priority. We recognize that this reliance brings exposure to risks such as data breaches, identity theft, and operational disruptions from cyberattacks. Our approach to minimizing such risks is governed by our Information Security Policy and built on the CIA triad – ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our information and systems. We manage information security risks in line with our defined risk appetite and tolerance levels, and we are committed to preventing incidents or minimizing their impact through proactive controls and continuous improvement.
To support a strong security culture, all employees receive appropriate information security awareness training as part of their onboarding and ongoing professional development.
Our IT governance is outlined in out IT Policy. All IT systems and services used at Quintus Technologies must align with organizational strategies and be approved by the IT Governance Committee. Only authorized software and hardware may be used and the IT department must approve all installations, purchased and modifications of software. Any changes to IT infrastructure require prior authorization and appropriate change management procedures.
Whistleblowing
Quintus Technologies provides a publicly accessible whistleblowing mechanism through which concerns can be reported confidentially and without fear of retaliation. All reports received through our whistleblower system are evaluated by our Compliance Committee which consists of representatives from the human resources department, the finance department, and a legal counselor. Following evaluation, internal investigations are conducted as necessary.
As stated in our Code of Conduct, Quintus Technologies will not implement sanctions in any form against any individual for, in a responsible manner, informing persons in positions of responsibility or internal entities about possible breaches of Quintus Technologies’ ethical guidelines, applicable laws or other blameworthy circumstances in Quintus Technologies’ business.