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Community and Corporate Citizenship

We aspire to positively impact our communities through employee volunteerism and community involvement. By fostering lasting relationships with local schools, nonprofit organizations, and community-focused initiatives, we help champion important causes while simultaneously inspiring the next generation of leaders.

Through HARMAN Inspired, employees participate in "Signature Days" that focus on specific issues such as: music education; Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM); and environmental change. We also come together to tackle pressing challenges brought to us by our nonprofit partners. These service activities authentically leverage our employees' interests, our reach and our inventive drive throughout the year. Service is one important way HARMAN connects its employees across the world, builds leadership and collaboration skills and gives back to our local communities.

Careers in tech are among the fastest-growing professional occupations in the U.S., with a projected growth rate of more than 9 million jobs between 2012 and 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Yet women remain underrepresented in this sector. In fact, according to a Reuters study, more than a quarter of technology executives stated they have no women in leadership positions at their organizations.

Young female STEM leaders were invited to show how they are the #NewFaceofTech by snapping a photo and sharing what they hope to achieve in STEM. HARMAN and 1,000 Dreams Fund will provide two high potential women with financial grants to pursue their goals. The two winners and an additional eight finalists also will receive premium JBL headphones.

This project is of utmost importance as monarch butterflies are a pollinating agent and, as a result, are vital to plant life cycles. The forests they inhabit rely on them as an ecological balance factor. The monarch butterfly also makes a spectacular trip, travelling a distance of 5,000 kilometers south to California, Florida, and Mexico. At the end of this trip, the butterflies reproduce, and the new generation flies north to the northern U.S. and Canada. Since their life cycle only lasts a few weeks, not all of these butterflies will return to Mexico. However, in recent years, the number of butterflies that arrive in Mexico has decreased considerably, from 200 million in 1990 to only six million in 2014.

Over 812 volunteers, including HARMAN Querétaro employees and their family members, participated in the event, held on June 11, 2017. Teams got to work right away, with two teams jumping into reforestation efforts. The plant surpassed their goal by planting 400 trees of native species and 300 lantana shrubs, the food for the monarch butterfly. Simultaneously, the other teams participated in teamwork and family integration dynamics activities. After completing their activities, the teams moved to the food area for an environmental workshop led by professors and students from the UPSRJ.

Over time, Bhagwat deepened his knowledge of native and foreign plant species and recruited enough support to have a group regularly gather on Sundays to support his efforts. In the last three years, employees in India have started plantations at local schools to provide biodiversity labs to children so they can learn about trees, shrubs, insects, and more. Research and development in various irrigation methods has led to the application of non-traditional media such as cocopeat, coconut husk, coal, and sheep manure to the plantations, as well as adding drip irrigation for more efficient watering. As a result of their efforts to plant more than 10,000 trees around the HARMAN offices and communities in India, the number of birds has increased, and the once barren landscape is transforming into a green haven for wildlife.

Bhagwat was pleased to have support from our HARMAN Inspired teams, and, due to the success of these events, many employees and their families are stepping up to make the community a better place. This group also received an appreciation letter from Indian Army for these green efforts.

The opening of our new North American Automotive Headquarters signifies HARMAN’s drive to accelerate innovation in Automotive and also the exciting future that metro Detroit is forging as an epicenter of the connected car and autonomous driving,” said Dinesh Paliwal, President and Chief Executive Officer. “The location of HARMAN facility underscores the incredible wealth of talent in the region and the importance of proximity to our customers and partners. We are proud to be a part of the Novi community and eager to continue our collaborations with the top American automakers to create smart, seamless solutions for the best driving experience.”

HARMAN’s support through its global cause initiative, HARMAN Inspired, has helped Little Kids Rock’s music education programs impact more than 1,300 schools. HARMAN has bolstered the Little Kids Rock program with advanced technologies and access to music experts for more immersive and current experiences. The collaboration to create Jam Zone marks a critical expansion of their relationship to inspire and support music fans of all ages, inside and outside the classroom, and around the globe. In India, China, Germany and Hungary, HARMAN collaborates with music education organizations to enhance and modernize their youth programs.

From January to June 2017, HARMAN’s Korea office on-boarded a total of 24 students, who were identified as our “HARMAN League Reporters” who were matched with one of HARMAN’s Lifestyle Audio brands and had the opportunity to serve as a reporter and plan interviews with six different professionals. Overall, the program was a success and allowed our marketing and photography students to see that the power of visual storytelling is indispensable.

Hungary

In Hungary, employees in Székesfehérvár and Pecs participated in an all-day Star Jam where employees took the stage to jam with their colleagues under summer skies, using gear supplied by HARMAN.

The Town Hall, hosted by Michael Mauser (Executive Vice President and President of Lifestyle Audio), Young Sohn (President and Chief Strategy Officer, Samsung Electronics, and Chairman of the Board, HARMAN), and Istvan Kis (General Manager of Hungary Operations), was the pinnacle of the melodious week.

After the Town Hall, employees enjoyed a performance by live rock band. This event also featured 11 vehicles with HARMAN sound systems and technology, which employees were able to demo on site.

This event was not to be outdone by colleagues in Budapest, where employees welcomed Michael Mauser with a musical number at his Town Hall visit to celebrate the first-year anniversary of the Budapest office. The group of over 30 talented colleagues played and sang “Ebony & Ivory,” including some verses sung in Hungarian.

USA

In New York City, HARMAN once again supported Street Studio Cities, orchestrated by Found Sound Nation, HARMAN, and the Make Music Alliance, with a pop-up studio outside the HARMAN store. Passersby were able to play and record music, with the help of a professional DJ and producer - one of a dozen such spots throughout the city. At the end of the day, the producers put together tracks using the sounds collected at their location to create tracks that can be shared with the world.

Mexico

The team at HARMAN's plant in Tijuana, Mexico gave a special performance for Make Music Day. The goal of the day was to celebrate music in all forms, and our employees' talents were on full display. To kick things off, members of the singing workshop at the Technological Institute of Tijuana led a musical program for employees in the main dining room. The Make Music Day logo served as the backdrop, along with a stage that was illuminated by Martin products. Other HARMAN products were also used, including the JBL PRX 515, PRX 712 and EON 612 speakers. In addition, team members wore shirts with their favorite musical artists on them and gathered in groups to celebrate their music tastes. Over 600 employees participated and had the opportunity to interact with each group that performed.

For National Engineers Week, employees in our North American Automotive Headquarters in Novi, Michigan participated in a variety of learning lectures, product demos, panel discussions, and a “Innovate Brilliance” contest to dream up all-new solutions. Taking National Engineers Week overseas, the celebration continued into the weekend with a special Hour of Code event at our Prestige Tech Park office in Bangalore, India. A dozen HARMAN volunteers taught children from two local orphanages how to code using fun, interactive activities from the official Hour of Code website.

HARMAN Inspired