Compliance

“Happy talk” amounts to empty words absent a frank, honest discussion of the issues. Michael Volkov explains one reason why so few compliance programs measure up. Chief compliance officers are heroes. They labor every day to advance a company’s ethics and compliance program without much recognition, with few resources and with well-known gaps in their programs. CCOs live by a credo...

Given the rapidly expanding use of collaboration platforms, like Cisco Webex, RingCentral, Slack, Zoom and Microsoft Teams, as well as video content management systems like Vidyard, Kaltura and Videolicious, Theta Lake conducted a survey to understand how the adoption of these applications is impacting companies in financial services and insurance. Highlights from the findings include: 90 percent of firms are...

Comment letters from the SEC can come out of the blue, require a lot of work involving executive leadership and the board and result in changes to disclosures and internal processes. Parker Poe’s Julie Rizzo and Doug Harmon provide tactical guidance on planning in advance and responding well. Receiving a comment letter from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) can...

Simona Lipstaite and Michael Clauser of Access Partnership consider early-stage artificial intelligence regulations in the U.S. and EU, as well as their implications for companies operating globally. The clock is ticking on the European Union to legislate artificial intelligence (AI). The new European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, has promised AI regulation in the first 100 days of taking...

Smaller organizations simply don’t have the resources their larger counterparts enjoy to keep up with compliance requirements. Polyient Labs CEO Brad Robertson outlines how they can clear that hurdle. There are those who still associate blockchain technology – decentralized, transparent immutable digital ledgers – with only two things: Bitcoin and hype. The hype is undeniable, but hype is a natural...

2020 promises to be a year of significant opportunity and change for organizations, as well as for the governance, risk and compliance (GRC) functions that support them. MetricStream’s Gaurav Kapoor discusses trends and changes to expect this year. New innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) and other disruptive technologies, coupled with a growing focus on culture, integrity, risk-awareness and real-time decision-making...

One can’t overstate the importance of planning to prepare for a possible crisis. It’s true for preventing fires, and it’s true for preventing compliance issues. Calvin London draws parallels between Australia’s devastating wildfires and ethical issues that can bring a company to its knees. Australia is trying to recover from the worst bushfire emergency on record. As thousands of firefighters...

Judgment is one of the key components of any successful compliance professional, though it's rarely discussed. Tom Fox opines on why sound decision-making is such an important trait in a compliance officer. A recent article in the Harvard Business Review outlined six key elements of good judgment (learning, trust, experience, detachment, options and delivery), and Tom dives deep on each...

Jeff Kaplan and Rebecca Walker inaugurate what will be a regular column on compliance & ethics program assessments. Most of our posts will be focused on the “how” of assessing C&E programs, but here, we begin by exploring the “why.” Legal Mandates and Guidance Some of the most powerful drivers for assessments are legal.  The first and most influential of...

The modern compliance officer must be constantly evolving to be successful in an ever-changing landscape. Some key attributes he or she might consider adopting are that of a psychologist. ICA’s Jon Prentice explains. Ask any compliance officer the most common question put to them, and most will likely reply: “Can I do this?” or “Am I allowed to do this?”...

Legislative initiatives and a generational shift are changing the dynamics of the American workplace. Cowden Associates’ Elliot Dinkin urges employers to be aware of these developments and the inherent risks. Companies of all types and sizes are using contingent workers at a greater scale than ever before. Beyond the traditional outside contractor, who might perform a discrete set of specific...

As we move ahead in the ethics and compliance world in 2020, Jay Rosen looks back at some of the DOJ policy announcements – specifically at the FCPA Corporate Enforcement Policy, announced in November 2017 – and considers what proactive strategies companies can use based upon the roadmap given in the Benczkowski Memo and policy announcements. Over the next five...