In this episode of the ATI: InHouse Insights Podcast, Mike DeBernardis speaks with seasoned in-house compliance leader Sarah Isles about navigating an ever-changing risk landscape shaped by political, geopolitical, regulatory, and technological shifts.
Sarah shares her background across manufacturing sectors and discusses how multinational compliance risks evolve as jurisdictional priorities shift, including sanctions, export controls, tariffs, sustainability, labor rights, data protection, and AI. They identify internal challenges, including a lack of infrastructure to address new risks, siloed ownership, and weak change management, and emphasize clear governance and accountability. Sarah advises “back to basics,” using DOJ’s Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs, focusing on real risk mitigation over form-heavy questionnaires, keeping communication channels open through formal committees and informal connections, scaling risk assessments appropriately, targeting communications to relevant audiences, escalating thoughtfully, and building resilient programs by expecting and embracing constant change.
Key highlights:
- Geopolitics Drives Risk
- Internal Adaptation Hurdles
- Silos and Ownership
- Culture and Change
- Proactive Compliance Basics
- Partnering With Business
- Right-Sized Risk Assessments
- Communicating Emerging Risks
Resources:
ATI: In-House Insights Podcast
Hughes Hubbard & Reed Website
