Culture & Compliance Chronicles

On this special edition of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, join Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab’s Director of Behavioral Insights, Nitish Upadhyaya, “live” from the Society of Corporate Compliance & Ethics flagship conference in Grapevine, Texas as he talks to members of the compliance community about culture. This special “fly on the wall” episode was recorded in breaks during the conference, with the aim of understanding how compliance professionals are seeing culture manifest in their day-to-day work and how they are harnessing it to achieve better outcomes for their organizations. Learn how people are defining culture and how voices from the industry are hoping to use culture to supercharge their programs. 

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab, and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, are joined by Stephanie Niven, a portfolio manager at Ninety One, for an engaging conversation on the significance of corporate culture as a source of competitive advantage and its role in driving sustainable investment returns. Stephanie shares her insights on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the investment space, the evolution of ESG expectations, and discusses the framework used by Ninety One to assess (not measure!) and influence corporate culture. The conversation offers a deep dive into the practical aspects of fostering a positive corporate culture and its direct impact on business performance and investment success. 

What on earth is FEPA (the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act)? On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab, and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, ask guest Ryan Rohlfsen, a former federal prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and now partner and co-chair of Ropes & Gray’s anti-corruption and international risk practice, to share his views on the DOJ’s latest tool. They discuss the implications of FEPA on enforcement, corporate compliance, and the cultural context of international jurisdictions. The conversation also touches on the potential impact on U.S. business interests, the role of whistleblowers, and the practical challenges of extradition. With insights from Ryan's experience with the DOJ, this episode offers a comprehensive look at how FEPA could reshape the landscape of anti-corruption enforcement and compliance. 

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab, and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, delve into the intricacies of corporate culture and compliance with special guest Guillem Casoliva Cabana. A seasoned traveler and compliance manager at Booking.com, Guillem takes us on a journey through his academic and practical experiences. The conversation covers the importance of understanding team ethical culture, the role of direct managers in shaping it, and how ethics ambassadors can be used to support compliance programs by acting as a bridge between compliance teams and employees. 

Welcome back to the Culture & Compliance Chronicles, a podcast series brought to you by Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab and Front-Line Anti-Bribery. Join Amanda Raad, co-leader of R&G Insights Lab and the firm’s global anti-corruption and international risk practice, Nitish Upadhyaya, R&G Insights Lab director of behavioral insights, and Richard Bistrong, an ethics and compliance consultant and CEO of Front-Line Anti-Bribery as they explore the constantly evolving challenges faced by professionals worldwide in managing risk and compliance. On this episode, they reflect on past developments, current trends, and the future of compliance. They also discuss the significance of culture in regulatory practices and how businesses can effectively integrate behavioral science, cultural psychology, and data visualization to address compliance challenges. Tune in to better understand how culture influences decision-making and the importance of listening to employees to foster an ethical workplace.