In this episode of Ethics vs the Law – same same or different, Bo Berndtsson from BoB Advokater and Ezekiel Ward from North Star Compliance explore the role of risk assessments and ask a fundamental question: are they truly necessary, or is the ERM process enough?
Many organisations rely on ERM to identify and manage risks at a high level. But does that really capture the risks that matter in day-to-day business operations?
In this episode, we discuss why risk assessments are still critical, what value they bring beyond compliance requirements, and how they help organisations understand how business decisions actually drive risk.
We dive into how risk assessments can uncover blind spots, create alignment between compliance and the business, and serve as a foundation for structured planning and stronger compliance programs – whether you are building from scratch or working within a mature setup.
Finally, we challenge the idea that ERM alone is sufficient, and explore why compliance risks often require a different lens altogether.
Bo Berndtsson is advokat and founder of BoB Advokater, a Swedish law firm focused on business ethics, compliance and business law. With senior experience as a partner at Setterwalls Advokatbyrå, Chief Compliance Officer from the Volvo Group and as in-house counsel in multinational companies and having a practical touch, BoB Advokater supports companies, management and boards in navigating complex legal and ethical issues.
Read more on bobadvokater.se
LinkedIn profile
Ezekiel (Zeke) Ward has been Chief Compliance Officer at Volvo Group and Yara International. He is a lawyer by education and a Fellow Chartered Accountant (ICAEW), with a forensic background at PwC and KPMG. Zeke founded North Star Compliance Ltd. in 2019 to offer leading companies pragmatic compliance advice. Our work is focused on ethics & compliance for multinationals, with deep expertise on integrity due diligence, third party risk management and investigations.
LinkedIn profile
Home | North Star Compliance