Companies have to focus on compliance controls and non-material financial transactions to prevent fraud, bribery and other misuse of corporate funds.  One particular risky area is the control of gifts, meals, entertainment, and travel expenses.  In this new era of compliance, companies have to adopt proactive and automated strategies to mitigate risks of unauthorized GMET expenditures. In this episode, Michael Volkov discusses GMET risks and...

The beauty of an effective ethics and compliance program is captured in the well-known phrase that it is worth much more than the sum of its parts. I am reminded of the Beatles refrain, “All Together Now,” (HERE) which is an apt reminder of the importance of operationalizing an ethics and compliance program.  Frankly, the life of an ethics and compliance program depends on the...

I am not a cynic when it comes to looking at the latest “fads” in compliance.  Please do not get me wrong.  Compliance is a fast-evolving field that is quickly moving beyond the limited perspective of legal into a new territory, coined by Donna Boehme (here), the subject-matter expert (“SME”). Donna has a great point – lawyers and other professionals cannot just willy-nilly decree themselves...

Goldman Sachs’ role in the 1MDB scandal continues to draw scrutiny.  Justice Department prosecutors are investigating the extent to which Goldman Sachs knew and participated in the 1MDB scandal, and what penalty, if any, Goldman Sachs should pay.  The recent indictment and guilty plea of two former Goldman Sachs officials represents a significant development in the ongoing investigation. In this episode, Michael Volkov discusses recent...

Tom Fox recently posted a conversation on his blog, FCPA Compliance Report, reviewing FCPA enforcement practices and policies over the last five years, culminating in the FCPA Corporate Enforcement Policy. The podcast is available here. NAVEX Global’s compliance online community, Compliance Next, has posted a video I recorded on responding to potential misconduct.  The video is available here. Thanks for your continuing support!!

The Ethics and Compliance Initiative (“ECI”) continues to publish important surveys and studies.  In a recent report (available here), the ECI cited important research from its Q3 Global Business Ethics Survey (“GBES”) demonstrating the value of ethical communications and trust in an organization.  In particular, the ECI study found that: Employees are 11 times more likely to speak up when faced with witnessing wrongdoing in...

NAVEX Global continues to publish important research and guidance on ethics and compliance program (benchmark reports for hotline systems here, third-party risk management systems here, and policies and procedure management here). In an interesting new report (here), NAVEX Global enlisted Professor Kyle Welch from George Washington University’s Business School to analyze years of NAVEX Global’s hotline data.  Professor Welch was given access to over ten...

Compliance officers have enough challenges.  Most compliance officers, if you ask them, will candidly admit they are constantly putting out fires.  It is just part of the profession and comes with the territory. I hate to add to their burden but here goes anyway – companies face serious financial risks: I do not mean in the profitability way but in the fact that employee misconduct...

As Goldman Sachs continues to navigate its way through the 1MDB investigation and prosecution, there is no question that the media is beginning to focus on who at Goldman Sachs knew about the bribery activity (or should have known) and what liability, if any, Goldman Sachs will incur as a result. At the outset, it is important to remember what facts have been disclosed so...

Stryker Corporation has suffered a second FCPA enforcement action, and will now bear the stigma of FCPA “recidivist.”  In reaching a settlement with the SEC and agreeing to pay a $7.8 million civil penalty, Stryker will now be subject to an SEC-imposed compliance monitor. In this episode, Michael Volkov reviews the facts surrounding the Stryker SEC settlement.