In this episode of Corruption, Crime and Compliance, Michael Volkov interviews Ryan R. Martin about how third-party risk management has evolved from its early focus on foreign bribery into a discipline now dominated by cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Martin describes building a vendor risk management system from scratch, draws lessons from the Target data breach about how a vendor’s weakness can become a company’s crisis, and explains why continuous monitoring and strong oversight are essential as AI and cyber threats change. He discusses the risks AI creates, including bias and hallucinations, why companies should ask vendors pointed questions about how they use AI and consider closed network systems, and why human verification of AI-driven outputs remains necessary. Martin also offers practical advice on winning business buy-in by showing that third-party risk management protects revenue and reputation, and he addresses supply chain vulnerabilities, offshoring, and business continuity, along with using AI to monitor vendors on an ongoing basis.

Ryan Martin is a JD‑trained Vendor Risk and Third‑Party Governance Leader with experience overseeing more than $2.1B in contracts across Fortune 100 banking, fintech, insurance, and aerospace organizations. He specializes in building and maturing TPRM programs, integrating cybersecurity and compliance rigor, and designing scalable vendor governance frameworks. With advanced certifications (CRVPM I–IV, C3PRMP) and deep experience in SOC 2/ISO assessments, contract negotiation, and critical vendor oversight, Ryan blends legal, technical, and operational expertise to strengthen enterprise resilience.