The Department of Justice has laid down a marker – companies would be smart to understand the significant change in ethics and compliance program expectations. Companies that ignore this new landscape are gambling with their financial security and their reputational value. Every company that has suffered through a DOJ investigation knows how damaging and draining such an experience can be. The purpose of an ethics...
I am not one to engage in hyperbole. But when it comes to blockchain technology and the implications for our economy, this is going to be the real deal. In the world of ethics and compliance, blockchain has many possible applications that could easily transform compliance capabilities. To show my age, let’s go back into time and remember when we all were buying personal computers...
In the risk mitigation business, we often focus on legal risks, such as anti-corruption, sanctions, export controls, antitrust and AML. As compliance programs mature, and the CCOs focus on proactive strategies, one key issue is conflict of interest. My experience with conflict of interest issues has confirmed that such conflicts often mask more serious compliance issues relating to fraud and even legal violations. As such,...
You know a company’s culture is suffering when you hear the CEO or senior executives say the best way to develop a “Speak Up” culture is to just tell all the employees “we want to hear from you.” I am an advocate for simplicity but sometimes simplicity can slip into stupidity. A “Speak Up” culture requires a commitment to a number of important principles and...
