Skip to main content

We are committed to being a socially and environmentally responsible corporate player in the global healthcare market. We have the ambition to shape future healthcare and build a sound base for sustainable growth.

As a healthcare Group with more than 190,000 employees, Fresenius plays an important role in society. For more than 100 years, our mission has been to preserve life, promote health and improve patients' quality of life.

For Fresenius, economic success is not an end in itself, but a means of continuously investing in medical progress. The patient's well-being always comes first. It is our point of reference for all business decisions. The common goal of all business segments is to improve healthcare quality and efficiency. We aim to provide innovative solutions and work proactively to enable a growing number of people to have access to high-quality, affordable medicine. In conclusion, it is our goal to contribute to medical progress.

In our Code of Conduct, we commit to integrity in dealing with our business associates as well as to socially responsible behavior and transparent communication. The Fresenius Code of Conduct defines basic principles that apply to all employees, executives and the management of the Fresenius Group. It also sets out the framework for the relevant regulations of the individual business segments, and defines our respective activity areas. Further information can be found in the section Compliance and integrity.

  • We take responsibility for our patients' well-being and are committed to the highest quality in our products, treatments and services.

  • We want to do the right thing and comply with all applicable rules and laws. In addition to legal requirements, we adhere to high ethical standards and rules of good corporate governance.

  • We largely owe our success and growth to the commitment of our more than 190,000 employees worldwide. Our aim is therefore to be perceived as an attractive employer to acquire talent, retain employees and allow them to develop their skills further in the long term.

  • We think and act long-term in our business decisions. It therefore goes without saying that we protect nature as the basis of life and treat resources with care.

  • We are committed to respecting human rights as defined by international standards, such as the Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations.

Our value chain

Fresenius operates in more than 60 countries through its subsidiaries. All purchasing processes are controlled by central coordination points in the business segments. Competence teams bundle the needs, conclude framework contracts, and continuously monitor current market and price trends. In addition, they coordinate global procurement for individual production sites or clinics and initiate quality and safety controls for raw materials and procurement goods (see Supply chain). Supply reliability and quality of care play an important role in an environment characterized by ongoing cost-saving efforts by healthcare providers and by price pressure in the markets. We therefore constantly optimize our purchasing processes, standardize procurement materials, identify new sources of supply, and negotiate the best possible price deals. Maintaining high flexibility while at the same time meeting our strict quality and safety standards is crucial. A broad portfolio of suppliers reduces potential procurement or raw material shortages in both the product and service business (see Procurement management).

Our sustainability organization

 

At Fresenius, the Group Management Board member responsible for Legal, Compliance, Risk Management, ESG, Human Resources and for the business segment Fresenius Vamed has overall responsibility for sustainability. 

The Group ESG function acts as a competence center within the Fresenius Group. The function monitors regulatory developments, identifies key issues, and defines priorities and opportunities for the implementation of the ESG strategy. It supports Group-wide implementation and reviews progress as part of the annual reporting. Throughout the year, it aligns repeatedly with all Group functions and the ESG officers in the business segments to consider the respective business models and ensure the feasibility of measures. The Group ESG function is also responsible for internal and external stakeholder communication and, together with the Group Controlling function, for non-financial reporting.

The Management Board and the Supervisory Board review the progress and the results of the sustainability management, which are then published in the separate Group Non-financial Report. The Supervisory Board is supported in this process by the audit performed by the external auditors. The key figures that form part of the remuneration components of the Executive Board are audited with reasonable assurance. The other key figures in the Group Non-financial Report and the report itself are subject to a limited assurance review. The Audit Committee of the Supervisory Board has special responsibility for reviewing the Group Non-financial Report. The Supervisory Board as a whole is also responsible for monitoring Fresenius’ sustainability performance.

 

For more information on this topic see the Sustainability Report.

In addition, our interactive tool allows you to analyze and graph a variety of key figures of the Fresenius Group and the business segments on an annual basis.