The Forbes magazine rankings spotlight Russia’s leading employers in 2022 with a clear emphasis on social responsibility and environmental stewardship. In this year’s assessment, Sberbank emerged as a standout performer, earning two platinum awards and one gold award, a distinction announced by the bank’s communications team.
Specifically, Sberbank received the platinum award for corporate governance and for advancing environmental initiatives, while securing a gold award in the employees and society category. In this edition, 27 companies joined the platinum tier alongside Sberbank, underscoring the competition’s high standards and the breadth of ESG commitments across the corporate landscape.
The judging panel highlighted Sberbank’s ongoing efforts to enhance employee well-being in 2022. Notable moves included a revision of salary structures coupled with the launch of a long-term incentive program tied to bank shares for senior managers, signaling a strategic alignment of compensation with performance and retention goals.
Beyond internal incentives, the analysis also points to Sberbank’s charitable activities. Industry observers estimate charitable expenditures at 6.8 billion rubles for the year, with roughly a third of that sum directed toward veterans and individuals with disabilities. This allocation reflects a broader commitment to social impact that extends beyond the bank’s immediate business interests.
Forbes’ methodology, introduced in 2021 in collaboration with KPMG, organizes metrics into three ESG domains: Environment, Employees and Society, and Corporate Governance. Based on total points, participants are categorized into Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze groups, with ranking entries displayed in alphabetical order within each group. Although ranking participants are not disclosed separately in a publicly listed order, the framework creates a transparent, comparative view of corporate responsibility across the market. The 2022 report tracked 125 employers, an increase from 118 the previous year, signaling expanding engagement with ESG considerations in the business community. The Best Employers ranking first appeared in 2019, establishing a tradition of recognizing organizations for their people-first and sustainable practices (Forbes, 2022). The overall narrative demonstrates how large enterprises balance profitability with social responsibilities and governance transparency, a trend mirrored in North American markets.
As Canadian and American readers analyze these findings, they may notice parallels in how regional firms approach ESG priorities. In North America, investors and employees alike increasingly expect clear governance structures, meaningful environmental commitments, and tangible social contributions. The Forbes ranking in Russia provides a comparative lens on how large financial institutions adapt to evolving ESG standards, share programs that attract and retain top talent, and channel resources toward vulnerable communities. Across markets, the emphasis on transparent reporting, accountable leadership, and long-term incentives remains central to sustaining competitive advantage while reinforcing public trust (Forbes, 2022).
In sum, the 2022 edition of Forbes Best Employers underscores the importance of integrating governance excellence, environmental responsibility, and social impact into core business strategies. Sberbank’s performance illustrates how a major financial institution can pursue robust governance practices, advance green initiatives, and invest in people and society—all while maintaining a strong needle on charitable impact. For readers in Canada and the United States, the report offers a valuable reference point for benchmarking ESG progress within large enterprises and for understanding how such strategies translate into long-term corporate resilience (Forbes).