Our Company
►Company Profile
►Awards and Recognition
►Our Values
▼Featured Stories
•2013 Edison Award
•Automotive Innovations Award 2013
•Chery Jaguar Land Rover
•Supporting Wounded Warriors
•Auto Shanghai 2013
•2013 Best Corporate Citizens
•Diverse IT Professionals
•Electronic Cockpit
•2012 Kepner-Tregoe Award
•Diverse engineers
•Bespoke Interior
•Garbsen playground
•Ethisphere 2013
•Hip-point mannequin
•Junior Achievement
•Better Buildings Challenge
•Red Lion High School
•Inspiration Seat
•Governor's Ambassador Award
•Sustainable Energy Factbook
•Improving pediatric medicine
•Hongqi H7
•Ford Fusion Auto Start-Stop
•Compression Hybrid Molding
•Micro Hybrid Battery
•2013 CES
•Sound & Vibration Lab
•Top Employer in China 2013
•Green Masters Program
•Executive Involvement & Steering Program
•Investor relations honors
•Joint Center for Energy Storage Research
•Holland battery plant
•Journey from the heart
•Red Cross Disaster Relief
•Instituto Nacional de Cancerología
•Blue Sky Involve
•ÖkoGlobe 2012
•Corporation of the Year
•Sustainability in the schools
•Electric vehicle donation
•Florence recycling facility
•World Medical Relief
•Innovative training
•Safety first at Oak Ridge
•Understanding Digital Natives
•Chillers in mines
•End-user research
•Recycled resin
•Green jobs for youths
•AGM battery technology
•Puerto Rico train stations
•2012 Energy Efficiency Forum
•Automotive Interiors Awards
•Hospital for Sick Children
•World Environment Day
•Start-Stop research
•Best Corporate Citizens List
Our Businesses Our Leaders Our People Our Diversity Our Community Focus Our Corporate Governance Our History Social Media
Products & Solutions
Global Audit Team

Employees spread community service globally

Annual team meeting provides springboard for community projects in Europe and Asia

When the Johnson Controls Global Audit Team gathered at company headquarters in Milwaukee for its annual conference last October, they didn’t just talk risk and numbers. They talked about finding ways to help people in the communities where they live and work all around the world. 

“We have a lot of employee involvement here in the Milwaukee area and we’re looking to expand those efforts in Europe and Asia,” said Varun Laroyia, vice president of internal audit. “The team wants to do more in their local communities and is eager to represent Johnson Controls globally. They are reinforcing what we stand for to our customers, shareholders, future employees and the communities where we operate. Our goal is to give them the resources they need to do so.” 

Varun asked community relations director Mary Dowell to speak at the conference to let his team know about the support her department could offer them. The team left the conference energized to pursue community projects when they got home. That’s happening right now.

Audit Team reaches out to communities in Europe and Asia
For example, the European regional audit team is currently in the process of joining finance, Information Technologies services, and purchasing groups at the Bratislava Business Center (BBC) in Bratislava, Slovakia. The BBC has long been involved in local community projects such as blood drives, and literacy programs. Matthias Millers, regional audit for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), sponsors and coordinates those programs and is now getting the audit team fully involved along with the rest of the BBC. (See “Helping the people of Bratislava”). 

The Asia Pacific team is based in Shanghai but spends half of their time on the road throughout the region. In the past, that made it difficult to mobilize the team at any one time for community projects. That’s changed. Now, when the team gathers in Shanghai for quarterly team building events, they build in time for volunteer work -- teaching in local schools, and working on community environmental improvement and other service projects. (See “Supporting education and environmental improvement in China”).

A strong desire to help others
Community service is a subject that’s important to Varun. “I grew up in India where a large number of people live below the poverty line,” Varun said. “My family was fortunate, and my parents instilled in me, at an early age, the need to help those who didn’t have the opportunities and resources that were available to me.” 

The entire Global Internal Audit Team shares that commitment. They now have the means and opportunities to get involved in their communities around the world. “It’s good to know that what we do is not only appreciated by the people we help but also by our company. We have the full support of senior management,” said Matthias. 

Community service also helps develop leaders. “Anyone on our team can organize and take charge of a community project,” said Anthony Su, regional audit director for Asia Pacific. “It’s a good way for people to demonstrate leadership skills, while enhancing the brand of Johnson Controls and giving something back to the community.” 

Commitment, plus opportunity and resources add up to a winning formula for the Global Internal Audit Team to become more involved in their communities and to promote what Johnson Controls is all about.

Helping the people of Bratislava

Helping the people of Bratislava
The European regional audit team is working with other functional groups at the Bratislava Business Center (BBC) in Bratislava, Slovakia, on a full slate of community service activities. 

One of the most prominent programs is Naša Bratislava (“Our Bratislava”), in which all major companies in the area participate to help the homeless, clean up playgrounds, renovate community centers, and more. 

Each year, a different country’s embassy sponsors the event and invites the largest companies to encourage their employees to volunteer. In 2010, Johnson Controls mobilized the most volunteers of any of the 43 participating companies, despite a total workforce that’s less than half of other participating companies. The audit team will be fully engaged in these and other community service projects emanating from the BBC throughout 2011.

Supporting education and environmental improvement in China

In December 2010, the Asia Pacific regional audit team volunteered its time at a local school in the Shanghai area teaching social studies courses. Owing to their knowledge and experience of working in countries throughout the region, team members were able to bring schoolchildren a unique perspective and help them learn about other cultures. 

In the future, when the team gathers for team-building exercises, it will participate in additional community service projects. For example, in March 2011, the audit team will embark on a tree-planting program on the outskirts of Shanghai to reforest the countryside.

NOTE: This is one in a series of articles about community involvement at Johnson Controls. Future articles will cover how Johnson Controls business leaders as well as employees at all levels are actively involved in charitable and public service organizations and will showcase specific programs supported by Johnson Controls.
FOUNDATION
The Johnson Controls Foundation provides financial gifts to select U.S.-based organizations located in the communities in which the company has a presence. more
OUR VALUES
Our Values Starting with integrity, our values shape our culture and success. more
PHILANTHROPIC REPORT
Philanthropic Report
Our Philanthropic Report presents a snapshot of the ways we impact the communities in which we live and work. more
Global volunteers
Suppliers Contact Site map Social Media Privacy Terms of use Feedback
© 2013 Johnson Controls. All rights reserved.