Compliance Perspectives

Post By: Adam Turteltaub

As compliance teams seek to extend their reach into the organization, one idea that has emerged in the development of compliance champions. But what is a compliance champion and how does it work?

In this podcast Duncan Milne, Risk & Compliance Director for Bupa Global Latin America, shares his very positive experience with developing a team of champions. The compliance team identified 20 champions with the goal of creating stronger links with the business units. The champions were trained in issues such as identifying red flags, reporting, escalating incidents and performing root cause analysis. They were also charged with helping facilitate communication, both from the compliance team to the business unit and back up to compliance.

Listen in as he shares what the Bupa team learned along the way, how to identify potential champions, and how to turn the vision into a reality.

Post By: Adam Turteltaub

What’s the best overall response for compliance teams to the pandemic? Rather than getting all fancy, Michaela Ahlberg and Anna Romberg, authors of The Grey Zone, believe that it’s best to go back to basics.

In this podcast they argue that it’s important to remember that, at its core, compliance and ethics is about leadership, decisions made (or not), and the willingness to engage in difficult discussions. During this era, it’s important to foster discussions that are open, and to embrace the idea that the answers may not be perfect.

Also worth embracing, they suggest, is the recognition that our colleagues are even more stressed than normal. As a result we need to work collaboratively, help people to see different aspects of problems, and understand that their decisions can have impacts on a wide range of stakeholders.

Listen in to learn more about the virtues of returning to the basics during very complex times.

Post By: Adam Turteltaub

The shift to remote work is having a dramatic impact on how compliance teams approach their work.

Matt Kunkel, CEO and CO-Founder of LogicGate explains that this provide an opportunity to review not just the risk profile of the organization but the relationship with the business unit. As business reconfigures how it operates, compliance professionals have a unique opportunity to partner with the business in identifying new processes and how to manage them.

While doing so he recommends demonstrating a great deal of empathy, understanding that in times of change it will be difficult to be fully compliant in some areas, but that a culture of compliance must continue.

Listen in to learn more about the risks of the current era, and the opportunities as well.

Post By: Adam Turteltaub

Frits van Paasschen, the former CEO of Starwood and Coors Brewing Company, and the author of The Disruptors Feast was good enough to sit down with us for the latest Compliance Perspectives podcast.

In this discussion he begins by offering key insights into the very busy mind of the CEO, advising that a compliance officer should always try to be a provider of solutions, not just someone good at diagnosing problems.

Board members, he warns, want people who can answer their questions.  It’s critical to be prepared to answer and help them connect the dots.

And, speaking of connecting the dots, he also shares the patterns he sees in the business world, which is marked more by disruption, he argues, than most realize.  That’s true, he notes, even during more normal times.

He advises that as technology accelerates change, compliance teams need to constantly ask:  what has changed and what has remained the same?  And, where there is change, it is essential to speak up, even if others are unprepared to hear what you have to say.

That’s a very intriguing proposition and a conversation well worth listening to.

Post By: Adam Turteltaub

Every organization in the world is facing a crisis now, as the pandemic ranges. But, the oil and gas industry is facing a second crisis as well: a collapse in the price of oil.

How can compliance get the attention of businesspeople when two crises are swirling? Natalia Shehadeh, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer at TechnipFMC recommends focusing on partnership.

That starts with the support of leadership, of course, and in TechnipFMC’s case that was the easy part. The Chairman and CEO, without prompting from compliance, cautioned that despite the current situation the company needed to operate with an integrity and safety-first mindset.

To reach the workforce, the compliance team is working aggressively to keep their messages fresh and thoughtful. In addition, they are using technology such as Yammer almost daily and weekly podcasts. All of this is a part of an effort to stay “sticky with the business.”

At the same time, they are staying current on changing risk profiles. The company is actively engaged in human rights compliance, for example.

Finally, in this podcast she also addresses what the compliance team is doing to stay connected with each other. This includes not just work meetings, but exchanging photos, daily chats, and even sharing movie lists and recipes.

Listen in to learn more about how to manage through, even when one crisis is piled on top of another.

Post By: Adam Turteltaub

All codes of conduct share a common goal of shaping employee decisions and actions. Yet codes differ in terms of size and scope. Some are quite brief, while others are dozens of pages long.

Darrell Contreras, Chief Compliance Officer for Millennium Health, is an advocate for shorter codes of conduct. A long code, he argues in this podcast, can be overwhelming to employees, making it less likely that they will turn to it for guidance.

He makes the case that shorter is better, leading to a code of conduct that is more approachable and accessible. In addition, brevity forces the focus to remain on the governing principles.

Listen in as he shares the story of why and how Millennium cut its code of conduct down to just one page. He also shares advice on what you should and shouldn’t do when developing a briefer code to guide employees in their work.

Post By: Adam Turteltaub

Like organizations everywhere the SCCE and HCCA have been affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic. In this podcast, the organization’s CEO Gerry Zack explains how the association has been handling the crisis and what the future holds.

Fortunately, there is much good news. The vast majority of the staff is working remotely, while a small crew at the office ensures that the mail gets answered and orders get shipped.

On the meetings front, the association has transitioned to virtual meetings very successfully and actually expanded the educational opportunities. One example of that is our regional meetings. In the past a compliance professional in City A would be unlikely to travel to City B for a one-day regional conference. Now that the meetings are virtual that’s not an issue. As a result, there are dozens more meetings to choose from.

The association will continue to move meetings to virtual formats where possible. For the Compliance & Ethics Institute it’s still too early to make the call, as Gerry explains, but we’ll be watching how things develop closely. And, for the Academies we hope to be able to resume live meetings in the fall.

Listen in as he shares more details about our meetings, the new, free web conferences for SCCE and HCCA members, and how COSMOS is helping our members access their magazines electronically. Plus, there’s even more available now on COSMOS with new content to come.

Post By: Adam Turteltaub

What do the executive producers of shows like Family Feud, Deal or No Deal and 25 Words or Less have to offer compliance and ethics professionals? As it turns out, Jeff Krask and Michael Canter have quite a lot.

With the increased use of gamification in compliance training there’s a lot to be learned from them in this fun and insightful podcast. Michael and Jeff explain that a good game is one which makes you want to play along automatically. It’s one where you can’t help but answer the questions in your own head.

A good game is also simple. If it takes too long to explain the rules, it’s not going to work.

And, the game is culturally appropriate. What works great in Europe may not work at all in the US.

They also share what the role of the game’s host is and what distinguishes great ones from duds.

Listen in to learn more, and sorry, there’s no bonus round if you do.

Post By: Adam Turteltaub

Willie Garson has committed more crimes than anyone you have ever met or will ever meet in your life.

Fortunately, the crimes have been fictional. He played the character Mozzie on White Collar for five seasons, had a recurring role as Gerard Hirsch on Hawaii Five-O, and even was a repeat offender on NYPD Blue. He also played Stanford Blatch on Sex and the City, a role in which his character committed no crimes that I can recall.

While playing a white collar criminal certainly sounds fun, he explains that it proved to be very educational. He learned about the great amount of confidence many criminals have and that it’s not a strict risk/reward equation that motivates them.

In this podcast he shares these insights and delves into why we identify with the criminals we see on TV. He also discusses the tremendous amount of thought that goes into what lines we will allow characters to cross, and which we won’t.

Listen in also to learn how to get inside the head of a wrongdoer.

It’s a fun podcast, with some good lessons for compliance teams wondering why people commit wrongdoing and why so many sympathize with bad actors. It’s also great insight if you’re considering creating training scenarios where the characters break the rules.

Post By: Adam Turteltaub

What can Jay Kogen, a writer and producer of shows such as The Simpsons, Malcolm in the Middle and Frasier, teach compliance professionals? A lot, as it turns out, as compliance training evolves to include more humor and scenario-based learning.

In this Compliance Perspectives podcast, he advises that good story telling has three key elements: an interesting character, an interesting obstacle or conflict to go through, and an involving tale of how the character resolves the conflict. All three have to work for the story to succeed. That starts with keeping the hero real and relatable. Make the person too cartoony, and your audience won’t be able to relate to him.

When it comes to humor, he advises to aim for the center. Focus on what you think most people would agree is funny and avoid technical, inside jokes. Also, don’t telegraph that you’re about to be funny. It raises the bar and is bound to be disappointing.

Listen in to gain his insights into how to improve your compliance training, and a few laughs along the way.