In Episode 4 of Ashfords on ESG, host Zoe Hunt is joined by Oliver Woodhouse and Andrew Roberts from Ashfords’ commercial team for a deep dive into perhaps the most overlooked pillar of ESG: governance.

This episode explores how governance failures can expose any organisation, not just financial institutions, to significant financial crime risks, reputational damage, and regulatory scrutiny.

Together, they explore the full spectrum of financial crime, including fraud, money laundering, terrorist financing, sanctions breaches, and bribery/corruption, explaining how these offences arise in practice and why all businesses must take them seriously.

Listeners will learn:

• Why financial crime is a core ESG governance risk, not just a compliance box‑ticking exercise.
• How weak systems, poor oversight, and unclear accountability can inadvertently expose organisations to liability.
• The importance of risk assessments, proportionate controls, and staff training to build genuine, defensible governance frameworks.
• Key regulatory developments, including the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act and shifting supervisory expectations in the UK.
• How ESG disclosures can unintentionally heighten fraud and bribery risks when governance controls aren’t robust.
• Practical steps any organisation can take now to strengthen fraud prevention, improve financial crime governance, and protect their ESG credibility.

This episode provides actionable insights for business leaders, compliance teams, and anyone responsible for organisational governance, highlighting the crucial link between strong ESG governance, financial crime resilience, and sustainable business practice.