Compliance Chronicles with Liisa Thomas

In this 12th episode of Compliance Chronicles, Liisa talks with Joe Habib, who shares insights on navigating privacy, compliance, and AI. He emphasizes the importance of understanding technology, building trust, and taking a 'yes before no' approach. His journey and advice inspire a commitment to continuous learning.

Takeaways

• Understanding technology
• Building trust
• 'Yes before no' approach
• Continuous learning

  If you enjoy this conversation, make sure to subscribe to Compliance Chronicles in your favorite podcast app and follow the show so you don’t miss future episodes on privacy, AI, internal audit, and real‑world compliance leadership.

Chief Legal Office Lori Baggett shares her journey from small‑town Florida to Big Law litigator to CLO at PODS, a national moving and storage company. In this 11th Episode of Compliance Chronicles, she talks with host Liisa Thomas about what really changes when you move from law firm partner to in‑house counsel and ultimately into the chief legal officer role.

Lori describes her path from Division I basketball player to clerk on the Eleventh Circuit, to 18 years at a prestigious firm where she built a practice in employment law, construction, and OSHA workplace safety—while also taking on leadership roles like hiring partner and office managing shareholder.

A central theme is the identity shift that comes with going in‑house. She contrasts the law firm environment, where everything is organized around selling your legal services, with the in‑house world, where the focus is on being a business person with a law degree, not “the lawyer” in the corner office.

Lori and Liisa dig into how to avoid being seen as “the department of no” and instead become a trusted partner who helps the business get to yes. Lori shares how she learned to make sure she’s invited to the right meetings, build credibility with business colleagues, and communicate that her job is to help them achieve their goals in a safe, compliant way. She talks about mentors who modeled calm, unflappable leadership and taught her when to push, when to listen, and how to stay steady in chaos.

The conversation tackles people leadership and feedback as ongoing challenges, no matter the setting. Lori discusses learning to give and receive constructive feedback, advocate for yourself, and live out her personal mantra: “Do no harm, but take no stuff.” She emphasizes the importance of standing up for your needs—whether that’s feedback, mentorship, or opportunities—while still being a supportive leader for your team and partners.

Operationally, Lori shares how she thinks about building systems that set people up to do the right thing. She talks about looking at leadership workloads, time and motion studies, and the realistic number of hours in a workday when designing compliance and safety expectations. Instead of endlessly adding to the plate of field leaders, she emphasizes prioritization, clarity, and creating structures that make compliance achievable rather than overwhelming.

Lori also offers a powerful mindset shift around blame and mistakes. She explains why she reminds herself that people don’t wake up wanting to do a terrible job at work; most are trying their best within the systems and information they have. That perspective leads her to “link arms” with colleagues, use “we” language, and focus on understanding why something happened before Monday‑morning quarterbacking. She shares her belief that each of us is “one of one,” and that careers get better when we own who we are instead of trying to fit someone else’s mold. For those earlier in their journey, she encourages patience: you will find your “sea legs,” and staying true to yourself will help you find the spaces that are truly the right fit.

If you’re a law firm partner thinking about moving in‑house, an aspiring general counsel or chief legal officer, or a compliance and risk leader looking for inspiration on how to be a better business partner, this episode offers candid insight and practical takeaways.

If you enjoy this conversation, make sure to subscribe to Compliance Chronicles in your favorite podcast app and follow the show so you don’t miss future episodes on privacy, AI, internal audit, and real‑world compliance leadership.

In this episode of Compliance Chronicles, our 10th, Kam Dodge, an in‑house leader with roots in Northwestern SESP’s Learning and Organizational Change program, explains why privacy and compliance are non‑negotiable in heavily regulated industries and introduces his “rubber balls vs. glass balls” framework for prioritizing risk. He shares how to use simple expected‑value thinking (likelihood x impact) to communicate 8‑ and 9‑figure exposure in language that boards and business leaders understand.

You’ll hear how Kam:

• Looks for opportunities to showcase strong compliance
• Builds partnerships with CTOs and CIOs by being willing to ask “basic” questions
• Uses a straightforward test: does this outcome match what a reasonable customer would expect if you explained it at the dinner table?

This episode is ideal for in‑house counsel, privacy and compliance professionals, and leaders in financial services and other highly regulated sectors who want practical, business‑savvy ways to manage risk and strengthen customer trust.

If you enjoy this conversation, make sure to subscribe to Compliance Chronicles in your favorite podcast app and follow the show so you don’t miss future episodes on privacy, AI, internal audit, and real‑world compliance leadership.

In episode nine of Compliance Chronicles, we learn from Deb Sokol the importance of embracing the gray and look at the evolving nature of compliance. Deb shares her compliance journey and lessons she's learned along the way.

What we cover:

• Being open to new opportunities and volunteering for stretch assignments can unexpectedly launch a career in privacy and compliance
• Moving from a pure legal role into a compliance role requires a mindset shift toward controls, documentation, metrics, and disciplined, programmatic thinking
• Mature compliance programs are built on clearly defined controls, monitoring, testing, and consistent documentation
• Privacy and AI work often happens “in the gray,” where laws are incomplete or unclear, and professionals must use analogies, principles, and creativity
• Giving specific, actionable guidance to the business is challenging when statutes and regulations leave gaps or ambiguities
• Rotations or close work inside a compliance function help lawyers better understand operational realities and what “good” looks like on the ground
• Building a strong network and “phoning a friend” — peers, experts, and trade organizations — is critical when working in uncertain or novel areas
• Learning to be comfortable with ambiguity reduces anxiety and enables better decision-making in evolving regulatory landscapes
• Effective compliance planning starts with mapping principles and end goals, then designing a practical program around them
• When teams feel overwhelmed by a compliance plan, it helps to prioritize: start with what is highest risk or what must be done first to enable everything else
• Version one of a solution does not need to be perfect; a good-enough, law-compliant baseline can be iterated over time
• Risk-based prioritization allows teams to focus limited resources on changes with the greatest impact, while deferring lower-risk improvements
• Stepping outside your comfort zone is essential for growth in privacy and compliance, even when it feels uncomfortable
• Raising your hand and being known as someone willing to try new things expands opportunities and builds a deeper experience base
• Each new experience, even tangential ones, adds to your toolkit and confidence for future roles and challenges
• Curiosity is a superpower in a fast-changing field; asking follow-up questions and staying inquisitive keeps you adaptable and effective

If you enjoy this conversation, make sure to subscribe to Compliance Chronicles in your favorite podcast app and follow the show so you don’t miss future episodes on privacy, AI, internal audit, and real‑world compliance leadership.

In our eight episode, we are joined by Rebecca Hanovice, who shares her journey to privacy leadership. She highlights the importance of community and support in the field of privacy compliance.

Takeaways include:

• The constant evolution of privacy law
• Building relationships with the business
• Importance of community and support

  If you enjoy this conversation, make sure to subscribe to Compliance Chronicles in your favorite podcast app and follow the show so you don’t miss future episodes on privacy, AI, internal audit, and real‑world compliance leadership.

In episode seven, Mark Jaffe shares his journey into compliance, the importance of saying yes to opportunities, the long game of compliance, risk management, ethical decision making, lessons in compliance management, and career development and growth in the compliance space.

Takeaways

• Saying yes to new challenges and opportunities is important for career growth.
• Compliance is a journey, and it's important to focus on the long game and risk management.

If you enjoy this conversation, make sure to subscribe to Compliance Chronicles in your favorite podcast app and follow the show so you don’t miss future episodes on privacy, AI, internal audit, and real‑world compliance leadership.

In this episode, we learn from Jill Cusack about her journey as a compliance professional. She shares common challenges faced in the field and gives valuable advice for those just starting out.

Jill describes the challenge of working between two worlds: helping consumers understand what is happening with their data and helping business and technology teams understand how new products and practices affect transparency, choice, and trust. She also shares the importance of humility in compliance work. Rather than always trying to be the immediate “yes or no” expert, Jill emphasizes the value of saying “I don’t know,” looking deeper, and collaborating with others to reach the right answer.

What is covered:

• Privacy compliance requires translation between legal, technical, and consumer perspectives
• When a data practice feels invasive, creepy, or out of control, it likely needs to be questioned or rethought
• Humility is a core strength in compliance work, including being willing to say “I don’t know” and research the right answer
• Collaboration across legal, compliance, IT, and business teams leads to better privacy outcomes
• Viewing privacy issues through the eyes of a consumer or non-expert family member reveals gaps in transparency and communication
• Real-world consumer touchpoints should guide how organizations design notices, choices, and data handling practices
• Privacy is an evolving, emerging field, so continuous learning and adaptation are essential
• Effective privacy professionals balance regulatory requirements with practical implementation in complex, regulated industries
• Empathy and clear communication help build consumer trust around data use and protection

If you enjoy this conversation, make sure to subscribe to Compliance Chronicles in your favorite podcast app and follow the show so you don’t miss future episodes on privacy, AI, internal audit, and real‑world compliance leadership.

In this episode of Compliance Chronicles, we delve into the evolution of business and compliance and the importance of engaging business teams in compliance efforts.

Key takeaways include the concept of compliance as everyone's job and the criticality of solid market identification.

Donna Del Greco, Vice President of Legal Services at SciPlay Games, shares her journey and insights into the privacy compliance space. The conversation covers her introduction to the privacy world, the challenges in navigating privacy compliance, and key advice for privacy compliance professionals.

Takeaways

• Data Privacy and Compliance
• Challenges in Privacy Compliance

  If you enjoy this conversation, make sure to subscribe to Compliance Chronicles in your favorite podcast app and follow the show so you don’t miss future episodes on privacy, AI, internal audit, and real‑world compliance leadership.

The conversation with Katie Witt covers her journey from internal audit to privacy and compliance, the skills transition from audit to privacy compliance, and the challenges and advice for navigating the compliance journey. Katie shares insights on identifying noise and important developments, balancing methodical approach with risk, and the importance of building a network within the compliance field.

Takeaways

• Transitioning from audit to privacy compliance
• Balancing methodical approach with risk

If you enjoy this conversation, make sure to subscribe to Compliance Chronicles in your favorite podcast app and follow the show so you don’t miss future episodes on privacy, AI, internal audit, and real‑world compliance leadership.