Message from our CEO & CTO

We are in a unique time ― a time of great change and even greater opportunity. At OpenText, we have always believed that information makes businesses and people better, and as the global landscape continues to transform, we are inspired every day to find new ways that information and technology can make the world a better place.

The world has experienced many overlapping crises over the last two years, including the global pandemic and the social injustices that it brought to light, talent dislocation, economic and geo-political unrest and escalating climate emergencies. Throughout, OpenText has continued to propel our mission forward ― to power and protect information and to elevate every person and every organization to gain the information advantage. I am immensely proud of the work we have done to support the wellbeing of our employees and communities while helping businesses accelerate their digitization to support remote work, strengthen their cybersecurity, adapt their supply chains and expand their reach.

Over the past year, we have embraced new expectations, new rules and new investments as we rethink how people and organizations can build a better future. What has become abundantly clear is that the future of growth must be both inclusive and sustainable, and in our third Corporate Citizenship Report, we look forward to sharing the strides we have made over the last year as part of our commitment to advancing our environmental, social and governance goals. In addition, we are introducing a new corporate citizenship framework, The OpenText Zero-In Initiative, that will drive our focus with specific, measurable goals to hold ourselves accountable to year over year.

We are excited to share our vision for how we can strengthen our people, products and planet — today and in the coming years.

Responding to immediate need

The pandemic turned the world on its head. But, it also made us realize what matters most, the health and safety of our communities. As severe weather events ravaged our communities over the last couple of years, it became very clear that a warming earth is impacting us all. OpenText has responded to the immediate need by supporting food banks and humanitarian efforts in communities across the globe, and we are grateful for our employees around the world who have spent thousands of hours on local fundraising initiatives and volunteering for causes close to their hearts through our volunteer program.

It continues to be a great time of need and uncertainty for Ukrainian people and, in response, OpenText has taken clear and decisive action in a number of ways, including ongoing support through our fundraising initiative with UNHCR. Most recently, we are supporting schools in Poland that have welcomed more than 600 Ukrainian refugee children into their classrooms, and we are offering stipends for OpenText employees who open their homes to refugees, to help ease the financial burden of hosting. As we hope for an end to the war, we are seeing the strength and resolve of the people of Ukraine, and they are an inspiration for all of us.

The OpenText Zero-In Initiative

Companies have a tremendous opportunity and responsibility to create long-term value and impact for customers, employees and society as a whole. That is why we are introducing the OpenText Zero-In Initiative, a new framework that encompasses all our ESG commitments and programs. Our framework is based on three pillars that focus on measurable, values-driven goals under the pillars of Zero Footprint, Zero Barriers and Zero Compromise.

Under this framework, our commitments are clear. We are zeroing in on what matters most while never compromising our culture, values, ethical business responsibilities or our mission to power and protect information.

Zero Footprint

The greatest long-term threat we face is climate change, and it must be urgently addressed. OpenText embraces the opportunity to reduce our footprint in every possible way and help our customers do the same.

We are committing to a science-based emissions target of 50% reduction by 2030 and net-zero by 2040 and to zero operational waste by 2030. Becoming a net-zero company requires a collective effort across the organization, and we are working with teams across the business to identify reduction opportunities and develop plans for more energy-efficient projects. When it comes to choosing our suppliers, we prioritize those who have embedded sustainability within their products, operations and supply chains. The goal is to eliminate emissions and waste to the greatest extent possible and promote a circular economy, where resources are put back into the system to be used over again.

Our Information Management solutions also align with our customers’ growing demand for driving sustainability in their own operations. A top priority for OpenText is moving our customers to the cloud, helping them achieve their own environmental goals by becoming climate innovators and transitioning from paper to digital processes, using fewer servers, consuming less power and ultimately reducing emissions and waste.

While our journey to Zero Footprint will evolve and deepen, I am proud of the important steps we are taking to hold ourselves accountable to our planet through data and action.

Zero Barriers

To build stronger teams and solve the complex, global challenges we face, the world needs people from all backgrounds and perspectives to come together. Every voice at OpenText deserves to be heard and respected, and that is why we are building a work environment with Zero Barriers.

We are committed to having a majority ethnically diverse workforce by 2030. We have also committed to 50/50 gender parity within key roles by 2030 and 40% women in leadership positions at all management levels because, for consistent equity, we must create a culture that values differences starting with a topdown approach.

OpenText can help bring equity, diversity and inclusion not only to our company, but to the world, by creating development opportunities for underrepresented groups. Whether it’s our Indigenous and Black student internship programs, our engineering internship opportunities for women in India or helping to address critical skills training in South Africa, we are doing our part to transform young lives by providing practical work experience, education and mentorship opportunities that will give them the knowledge and confidence they need to prepare for a career in the tech industry.

Supporting the wellbeing of our employees is also central to our success. We believe that our employees must all be able to live and work in a healthy environment, and this is underpinned by our unequivocal support for self-determination. From ensuring our U.S. employees have the insurance coverage needed to protect health benefits, wellbeing and fundamental rights, to signing the Human Rights Campaign Business Statement on Anti-LGBTQ State Legislation calling for public leaders to abandon or oppose these efforts, we will never waver in our commitment to creating a workplace where everyone feels safe and free to be their truest and most authentic selves.

Zero Compromise

We intend to reach our Zero Footprint and Zero Barriers goals with the same values-based approach that we bring to work every day. This is what we call The OpenText Way. It is about elevating our people and our organization and zeroing-in on what matters most. With our Zero Compromise pillar, we are committed to transparency and holding ourselves accountable to our ESG goals and continuing to foster our culture of tech for good.

Technology, like any other tool, needs to be coupled with ethics, integrity and strong commitments around privacy and security, and when it comes to protecting and securing data and mitigating risk with best-in-class technologies, there are zero compromises. We make a commitment to our customers and employees that when they entrust their data to us, our number one priority is to defend and protect it.

With the right information, anything is possible

This year, we are excited to renew our connections as we welcome more employees back to our offices across the globe, with flexibility at the center. Those in-person moments are irreplaceable, and we have so much to look forward to as we execute on our agenda with a sense of renewal, always putting employee safety at the forefront.

The challenges we face today will continue to evolve, but I am optimistic that the lessons of the pandemic will translate into lasting changes. We are going through a huge moment of disruption now, and it is exciting to see newly burgeoning sectors that are setting us up for a more inclusive and sustainable future. Few things have the power to transform our world as rapidly and radically as digital technology. It has the power to create a more equitable, just and democratic world, and that is what inspires us to partner with organizations around the globe and think about how we can use our unique products and capabilities for the greater good. With the right information, anything is possible, and we are honored to be a part of the journey and the solution.

Our footprint can be zero. Our barriers can be zero. And when we are asked which of these goals can be compromised, our answer is zero.

Mark J. Barrenechea
OpenText CEO and CTO