Ethicast

Anna Grover, Global Compliance Counsel, for two-time World’s Most Ethical Companies honoree Assurant, explains how she approaches the complex issue of mergers & acquisitions due diligence through the lens of ethics and compliance.

Learn more about Assurant, including its corporate citizenship, latest insights, and more at: www.assurant.com

To see Assurant’s spot among its fellow World’s Most Ethical Companies honorees, visit www.worldsmostethicalcompanies.com

In this live episode of the Ethicast, we cover the termination of Kohl's CEO Ashley Buchanan for cause, and an embarrassing data security lapse for the NFL.

FirstEnergy is one of the largest investor-owned electric systems in the United States. In this episode, Brian X. Tierney, FirstEnergy Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Antonio Fernández, Vice President and Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, discuss their efforts to build a best-in-class ethics and compliance program that has earned the company Ethisphere's coveted Compliance Leader Verification designation for 2025-2026.

Learn more: https://www.firstenergycorp.com/about.html

Compliance Leader Verification: https://ethisphere.com/solutions/compliance-leader-verification/

Organizations that benchmark their ethics and compliance programs against their peers often stumble on what to do with their benchmarking data, and what next steps should look like. To that end, Erica Salmon Byrne, Executive Chair of the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance, answers the question: What is a good post-benchmarking action plan? 

For guest access to the BELA Member Resource Hub and to speak with a BELA Engagement Director, visit https://ethisphere.com/solutions/bela

The UK's Serious Fraud Office has issued new guidance around what constitutes "cooperation" and best practice around self-reporting of misconduct with regards to securing a deferred prosecution agreement. We look at the wording of the guidance, alignment with other regulatory standards, and key takeways for E&C teams.

SFO Guidance text: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfo-corporate-guidance/sfo-corporate-guidance

Deferred ProsecutionAgreements Code of Practice https://www.cps.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/publications/DPA-COP.pdf

Failure to prevent offences: A comparative guide https://www.dlapiper.com/-/media/project/dlapiper-tenant/dlapiper/pdf/failure-to-prevent-offences-a-comparative-guide_102024.pdf?rev=e67f357c8e9e4c20905b4bcb8d406f85&hash=8410550F158992E862D8B779C84F6A0A

Meredith Bell, co-founder and president of leadership training company Grow Strong Leaders (and podcast of the same name) shares her insights on how leaders can strengthen their character and communication skills to inspire others to perform at the highest level.

Grow Strong Leaders website: https://growstrongleaders.com/

Grow Strong Leaders podcast: https://growstrongleaders.com/podcasts/

Grow Strong Leaders interview with Erica Salmon Byrne: https://growstrongleaders.com/erica-salmon-byrne/

Connect with Your Team: Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills: https://tinyurl.com/2ehve6nz

Peer Coaching Made Simple: How to Do the 6 Things That Matter Most When Helping Someone Improve a Skill: https://tinyurl.com/3xud6wmc

Ethisphere Resource Center: https://ethisphere.com/resource-search/

On April 8, the U.S. Department of Justice implemented its Final Rule prohibiting or significantly restricting the transfer of U.S. Government-related data, and bulk U.S. personal data to China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela.

What’s driving the rule are concerns over unfriendly actors using U.S. personal bulk data to train AI and thereby gain insight on Americans’ everyday behaviors. Its broad scope, however has significant compliance implications, especially for healthcare, global operations, and any entity handling sensitive personal data.

Interview with David Newman, Morrison Foerster, on bulk data transfers, trade compliance, and more: https://www.youtube.com/live/O_g6W1Gqo1Q?si=FhrjIkKZpxPRiNzn

Visit the Ethisphere Resource Center: www.ethisphere.com/resources

Many organizations really struggle with their ethics and compliance training and communications programs, relying on methods that are outdated, ineffective, or just plain cringey.

Roxanne Petraeus, CEO of Ethena, and Susan Divers, Ethena advisor and renowned E&C expert, speak to how organizations can better equip their employees to absorb compliance, drive ethical culture, and forge success.

1:58: Changing perceptions around managers as arbiters of culture

4:15: Communicating with people managers around organizational values

8:11: How to build a truly impactful training, communications, and culture program

Learn more about Ethical Management, a training course specifically for mid-level managers, presented jointly by Ethena and Ethisphere: www.goethena.com.

The 2025 Global Ethics Summit is upon us! And the first day of it is a special program dedicated specifically for the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance! So the big question is...How do I make the most out of BELA Day? Erica Salmon Byrne has the answers.

There's still time to register for the Global Ethics Summit, especially if you want to attend virtually! Take a look at the event agenda and register at https://events.ethisphere.com/e/2025-Global-Ethics-Summit

For guest access to the BELA Member Resource Hub and to speak with a BELA Engagement Director, visit https://ethisphere.com/solutions/bela

Parth Chanda, Executive Vice President, Risk and Compliance Transformation, of Case IQ, shares actionable insights on how ethics and compliance programs can implement AI into their programs' workflow and gain massive efficiencies, especially around monitoring and investigations.

Learn more about AI use vases for monitoring and investigations: www.CaseIQ.com.