Ethics and compliance professionals believe in their mission – if they did not, they would not be in the field. E&C professionals believe in the power of positive thinking, ethical conduct, and the overall ability of an organization to operate as an “ethical” company. They work for their mission, and it is a positive mission. The New Year is a great time for E&C professionals to take stock of their compliance programs and plot out a path forward. Luckily for most compliance professionals, there are many opportunities to advance their objectives. E&C is poised for another big jump on the corporate governance ladder, and this is a big year for E&C professionals to push their respective companies to support such efforts. There are three significant trends that will continue to play out this year that create opportunities. These three trends, which I will discuss in greater detail, are:
(1) the continued emphasis on the importance of corporate culture;
(2) the importance of ESG and, in particular, the “G” element;
(3) the current Administration’s aggressive enforcement and regulatory initiatives.
In this episode, Michael Volkov reviews these important ethics and compliance trends.