Compliance Chronicles with Liisa Thomas

How do you turn a “strange path” through the Navy, fraud risk, and call centers into a successful career as a bank privacy officer and compliance leader? In this episode of Compliance Chronicles, Liisa Thomas sits down with Mike Smith, Privacy Officer at Wintrust and former HSBC leader, to unpack how he built a wide‑angle view of risk, regulation, and real‑world data use.

Mike shares how running a centralized privacy project pulled him into the field, why adding the CRCM and broader regulatory compliance responsibilities changed his career ceiling, and how he thinks about the line between smart data use and “creepiness” in financial services. You’ll hear honest reflections on burnout, finding new energy in a fast‑moving regulatory landscape, and the importance of picturing a real person at the other end of the data—whether that’s your own family member or your most vulnerable customer.

Perfect for: privacy and compliance professionals in banking and financial services, aspiring CPOs, and anyone considering a move from fraud, risk, or operations into data privacy.

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.

What does it look like to build a global ethics and compliance career from the ground up? In this episode of Compliance Chronicles, Liisa Thomas talks with Keikoh Park, former Vice President and Head of Ethics and Compliance for CBRE’s Global Program Office and longtime JLL lawyer, about how she made the leap into cross‑border compliance and never looked back.

Keikoh shares how negotiating massive multinational real‑estate deals opened her eyes to the risk buried in pages of contractual obligations—and why that curiosity led her to raise her hand for a brand‑new global compliance role. She explains the realities of international regulatory compliance, from navigating conflicting data privacy regimes to balancing cultural nuance with consistent standards, and why relationship‑building is the most underrated tool in a compliance leader’s toolkit.

You’ll hear candid lessons on job moves for long‑term growth, building credibility so you are not seen as the corporate police, and finding fulfillment in work that constantly changes with new laws, enforcement priorities, and business risks. This episode is a must‑listen for in‑house lawyers, global compliance professionals, and anyone wondering whether a lateral move into ethics and compliance could actually be the best career decision they ever make.

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.