Tagged: Corporate Boards

The “Old” Board Governance Model Needs to Change

Corporate boards are under increasing attack by investors, shareholders and the public.  In the aftermath of corporate legal train wrecks, such as the Wells Fargo, Volkswagen Emissions, General Motors, J.P. Morgan 1MDB Malaysia, and increased demand for sustainability, ESG and other shareholder public policy objectives, corporate board members have a significant target on their respective backs. Corporate governance is at a critical juncture.  The old-line,...

Michael Volkov’s New E-Book: Pointing the Finger — How Corporate Boards Are Dodging Accountability and What CCOs Can Do About It

I am pleased to announce the release of my new e-book:  Pointing the Finger — How Corporate Boards are Dodging Accountability and What CCOs Can Do About It. My new e-book can be downloaded HERE. Thanks to Corporate Compliance Insights for publishing the book and its continuing support. The compliance revolution has had a dramatic impact on important actors in the compliance arena – the...

A Rush to Compliance: Patience is a Virtue

Compliance officers are, by definition, goal driven. They are high achievers and expect to succeed. So what. You may say – we all know that. Compliance officers are not the most patient group of people. They want to see change, improvement and action. Patience is not in their blood, nor is it their middle name(s). Unless a CCO is directed by the board or the...

Teaching the Board How to Oversee and Monitor the Compliance Function

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education – Mark Twain (unverified). Everything has its limit–iron ore cannot be educated into gold. – Mark Twain (verified) Board members believe they know what they need to know. That is why they were asked to serve on the board. Unfortunately, like many issues today, confidence does not mean competency. Corporate boards are increasing their focus...

Webinar: CCOs and the Board of Directors: Establishing an Effective Relationship

Webinar: CCOs and the Board of Directors: Establishing an Effective Relationship May 24, 2016 12 PM EST Register Here Chief Compliance Officers have to establish a positive and productive working relationship with the corporate board of directors. An effective reporting relationship is essential to ensuring an effective ethics and compliance program.  CCOs have to attend to this relationship, learn how to use it effectively, and...

Getting Back to Basics: CCOs and Independence

Chief compliance officers continue to enjoy these heady days – salaries are up and new opportunities are popping up in the corporate world. CCOs have to keep their eye on the ball. It is well and good to get a good salary, a nice office, and a title, but there is an important requirement that cannot be overlooked – independence. The trend over the last...

CCOs: Living in the Land of False Promises

We all have heard the scenario involving a compliance professional. A new CCO joins a company with promises from the board, the CEO and senior executives of cooperation, compensation and support for a robust independent compliance function. The new CCO arrives with an idealistic spirit only to discover that he or she has been misled. Sure, the CCO has a title, and a nice salary,...

Cyber Security Compliance: The Role of the CCO

For years, cyber security has been the province of IT specialist and technicians. Those days are long gone. If you ask a Board of Directors to identify a company’s most significant risk – cyber security is tops. That is no big surprise. When you consider the consequences of a cyber intrusion or a more likely breach, companies suffer serious reputational and financial harm. Directors, senior...

Counterfeit Goods: Third Party Due Diligence Beyond the FCPA

Lauren Connell, Managing Associate at The Volkov Law Group, joins us again for a posting about third-party due diligence.  Lauren’s profile is here, and she can be reached at [email protected]. Most discussions of third party due diligence begin with an explanation of indirect liability and the “deliberate ignorance” standard of knowledge the FCPA imposes. With so much focus on anti-bribery it is easy to lose...

Defining Compliance 2.0: The Board (Part 1 of 5)

This week I am devoting five postings to defining the “new” model of ethics and compliance – Compliance 2.0. If you read through compliance writings, blogs, articles, white papers, and other sources, you will see the term “Compliance 2.0” bandied about.  It is a term that has yet to be defined but is taking on a life of its own – a reflection perhaps of...