Categories
All Things Investigations

All Things Investigations: ‘This Can Be Done’: Mike DeBernardis on Navigating Compliance in High – Risk Jurisdictions

Welcome to the Hughes Hubbard Anti-Corruption & Internal Investigations Practice Group’s podcast, All Things Investigation.

In this podcast, host Tom Fox welcomes back Mike DeBernardis to discuss recent corruption convictions involving individuals connected to Venezuela, as highlighted in Hughes Hubbard & Reed’s ‘Month in a Minute.’

We use these criminal matters as a starting point to discuss how companies can effectively manage compliance in high-risk areas by assessing risks, crafting risk management strategies, implementing specific controls, documenting processes, and training employees. We emphasize the importance of maintaining thorough documentation to meet regulatory requirements and auditing standards.

Key Highlights:

  • Month-in-a Minute Overview
  • Compliance in High-Risk Areas
  • Risk Management Strategies
  • Documenting and Presenting Compliance

Resources:

Hughes Hubbard & Reed website

Mike DeBernardis

Categories
Trekking Through Compliance

Trekking Through Compliance – Episode 23 – Business Ethics Lessons from A Taste of Armageddon

In this episode of Trekking Through Compliance, we consider the episode A Taste of Armageddon, which aired on February 23, 1967, with a Star Date of 3192.1.

The Enterprise arrives at Eminiar VII to open diplomatic relations. Unfortunately, a tri-cobalt satellite explosion from Vendikar declared it destroyed, and all persons aboard were ordered to report for disintegration within 24 hours.

Kirk manages to tell Scotty to issue General Order 24 (destruction of the planet) in two hours. Kirk then overpowers his guards and is joined by Spock. They destroy the central computer. This nullifies the treaty with Vendikar and initiates a real war unless Anan 7 agrees to make peace with its ancient enemy. Now faced with the grisly consequences of a real war, Anan agrees, and Fox offers to mediate the negotiations. As the Enterprise heads towards Organna 2, Fox reports from Eminiar VII that the outlook is hopeful.

 Commentary

The Enterprise encounters a planet in a simulated war with severe compliance and ethical implications. Key takeaways include prioritizing human rights, embedding corporate responsibility, fostering transparency, encouraging ethical leadership, empowering employees to speak up, and conducting proactive risk assessments. These lessons can help compliance professionals build ethically grounded and financially successful organizations.

Key Highlights

  • Plot Summary of ‘A Taste of Armageddon’
  • Interesting Factoids and Analysis
  • Business Ethics Lessons from the Episode

Resources

Excruciatingly Detailed Plot Summary by Eric W. Weisstein

MissionLogPodcast.com

Memory Alpha

 

Categories
The Ethics Experts

Episode 179 – Tyson Avery

In this episode of The Ethics Experts, Nick welcomes Tyson Avery.

Tyson M. Avery currently serves as Associate General Counsel and Director, Ethics & Compliance at Lucid Motors. He is responsible for leading, developing, and enhancing the global ethics & compliance department of a newly, publicly traded luxury EV company.

Categories
Corruption, Crime and Compliance

Dottie Schindlinger on Diligent’s Report on Board Oversight of Cybersecurity Risks and Performance

Dottie Schindlinger is Executive Director of Diligent Institute, the global corporate governance research arm of Diligent, the largest SaaS software company in the Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC), and ESG space. She co-authored the book Governance in the Digital Age: A Guide for the Modern Corporate Board Director, co-hosts “The Corporate Director Podcast,” and co-created Diligent Institute’s Certification programs for directors and executives, including AI Ethics & Board Oversight. Dottie was a founding team member of the tech start-up BoardEffect, acquired by Diligent in 2016. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and is a Fellow of the Salzburg Global Seminar Corporate Governance Forum. Diligent and Bitsight recently issued an important report on corporate board oversight of cybersecurity risks. 

Dottie Schindlinger, Executive Director of Diligent Institute, joins Michael Volkov to discuss the important findings of Diligent’s report.

You’ll hear Dottie and Michael discuss:

  • Companies with advanced security ratings create nearly four times the amount of value for shareholders as companies with basic security ratings. On average, the Total Shareholders’ Return (TSR) over three and five years for companies in the advanced security performance range is approximately 372% and 91% higher, respectively, than their peers in the basic security performance range.
  • Companies with a specialized risk or audit committee had higher security performance ratings on average. Companies falling within these two categories have an average security rating of 710, whereas companies lacking both committees have an average security rating of 650.
  • The findings also suggest that the distribution of security ratings among companies with specialized risk and audit committees tends to skew towards the advanced security performance range, whereas companies lacking either of these committees tend to skew toward the basic security performance range.
  • Having a cybersecurity expert on the board is not enough. Integrating a cybersecurity expert into the board committee tasked with cybersecurity risk oversight makes a significant difference in an organization’s performance.
  • Merely having a cybersecurity expert on the board does not correlate to having a higher security performance rating. Highly regulated industries tend to outperform other industries in terms of cybersecurity performance. 
  • Of the companies with advanced-level security performance ratings, a full third (33%) came from the financial services sector – with an average rating of 720. The sector with the highest average rating overall was healthcare at 730. 
  • Nearly a quarter (24%) of companies with basic security performance ratings came from the industrial sector. 

 

Resources:

Dottie Schindlinger on LinkedIn

Diligent Institute | Diligent | Board Effect

The Report can be downloaded at: Cybersecurity, Audit and the Board Report

Michael Volkov on LinkedIn | Twitter

The Volkov Law Group

Categories
Riskology

Riskology by Infortal Episode 27: Going Global – Why Culture Matters

Dive into the latest episode of Riskology by Infortal

In this episode, Dr. Ian Oxnevad and Christopher Mason, Esq., welcome Sam Silverstein, founder of the Accountability Institute, author, and CPAE Hall of Famer, for a deep dive into how corporate culture and non-negotiable core values shape business success.

In a rapidly globalizing market, the allure of tapping into new markets brings with it the challenge of navigating diverse cultural landscapes. This podcast episode breaks down corporate culture’s critical role in international business expansion. It also offers insights into how businesses can synchronize their corporate culture with the diverse cultural norms encountered in new markets.

Entering new international markets necessitates a nuanced understanding of local business practices and cultural norms. Assimilation into the local culture requires finding a harmonious balance where the existing corporate culture adapts to and enriches the local practices. 

Fostering a culture that’s inclusive, adaptable, and respectful of local customs and values requires deliberate effort, and leadership plays a pivotal role in the cultural integration process. 

The challenge lies in guiding international branch employees into a company’s culture without sidelining the local cultural context that shapes their work ethics and behaviors. This may require a detailed audit of the company’s culture, identifying core values, and mapping out a plan for cultural integration that highlights the company’s ethos and accounts for local cultural intricacies.

Ever wonder why some brands soar in new markets while others stumble? 

It’s all about cultural awareness. It’s crucial to embrace and understand local customs, values, and workplace norms. Differences in gender norms, religious practices, and even concepts of time can make or break your business abroad.

At the heart of every successful organization is a distinctive corporate culture. Culture encompasses the behaviors, values, and practices that are routinely accepted and repeated within the organization. 

Organizations can have a culture by design, where leaders deliberately define, model, teach, protect, and celebrate their culture, or by default, without deliberate cultural shaping. A thoughtfully designed corporate culture is a competitive advantage, especially when expanding into international markets.

Corporate culture isn’t static; it evolves with the organization and its people. A company’s employees’ collective attitudes, experiences, and backgrounds influence it. Therefore, when a company looks to establish itself in a new market, understanding and integrating with the local culture requires consistent effort and reinforcing your firm’s core cultural identity.

Finally, culture is a reflection of your core values. 

Again, we hope you can join us for another intriguing episode of Riskology by Infortal!

Resources:

Infortal Worldwide

Email

Dr. Ian Oxnevad on LinkedIn

Chris Mason on LinkedIn

Categories
FCPA Compliance Report

FCPA Compliance Report: Adrienne Bellehumeur on Design – Centric Approaches to Internal Controls

Welcome to the award-winning FCPA Compliance Report, the longest running podcast in compliance.

In this edition of the FCPA Compliance Report, Tom Fox welcomes back Adrienne Bellehumeur, a chartered accountant and expert in internal controls and documentation.

Adrienne discusses her recent article on design-centric internal control and emphasizes the importance of focusing on design as the foundation for effective control programs. She outlines five key principles for improving control design and details her approach to challenging processes and governance systems. The conversation also touches on the necessity of continuously updating controls to adapt to evolving business and regulatory environments.

Adrienne shares tips on fostering better design through workshops, effective interviewing, and continuous improvement, while also addressing new developments such as AI and ESG. The episode finishes with insights into how internal controls can support whistleblower programs and the importance of back-to-basics documentation and information management.

Highlights in this Episode:

  • Professional Background
  • Design-Centric Approach to Internal Controls
  • Challenges and Importance of Good Design
  • Principles for Improving Control Design
  • Back to Basics: Adapting to New Business Developments
  • Whistleblower Programs and Internal Controls

 Resources:

Adrienne Bellehumeur on LinkedIn

Risk Oversight

New Approaches to Control Design

Tom Fox

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Categories
Compliance Tip of the Day

Compliance Tip of the Day: Adapting Compliance Programs for Cloud Technologies

Welcome to “Compliance Tip of the Day,” the podcast where we bring you daily insights and practical advice on navigating the ever-evolving landscape of compliance and regulatory requirements.

Whether you’re a seasoned compliance professional or just starting your journey, our aim is to provide you with bite-sized, actionable tips to help you stay on top of your compliance game.

Join us as we explore the latest industry trends, share best practices, and demystify complex compliance issues to keep your organization on the right side of the law.

Tune in daily for your dose of compliance wisdom, and let’s make compliance a little less daunting, one tip at a time.

In today’s episode, we discuss the role of compliance in getting companies ready for cloud technologies.

For more information on the Ethico ROI Calculator and a free White Paper on the ROI of Compliance, click here.

Categories
Daily Compliance News

Daily Compliance News: June 24, 2024 – The LinkedIn Lacks Humor Edition

Welcome to the Daily Compliance News. Each day, Tom Fox, the Voice of Compliance, brings you compliance-related stories to start your day. Sit back, enjoy a cup of morning coffee and listen to the Daily Compliance News. All from the Compliance Podcast Network.

Each day, we consider four stories from the business world: compliance, ethics, risk management, leadership, or general interest for the compliance professional.

In today’s edition of Daily Compliance News:

  • Does LinkedIn lack (or even need) humor? (FT)
  • Kaspersky leaders were sanctioned.  (WSJ)
  • The UK’s richest family was found guilty of worker abuse. (BBC)
  • Venezuela is set to join the FAFT Grey List. (Bloomberg)

For more information on the Ethico ROI Calculator and a free White Paper on the ROI of Compliance, click here.