2025 Excellence in Compliance Awards winners
PepsiCo’s Farzin Firooznia is the 2025 Compliance Officer of the Year
With 300,000 employees and 500+ brands, knowing the business is key to compliance success, says Farzin Firooznia, Global Chief Compliance & Ethics Officer at PepsiCo. “It’s a tremendously important role, and I don’t take the responsibility lightly,” said Firooznia, honored as Chief Compliance Officer of the Year for 2025.
Ukrainian Red Cross Society ensures compliance in a warzone, as Program of the Year
The Ukrainian Red Cross Society—Compliance Week’s 2025 Compliance Program of the Year—built a full-fledged compliance program from scratch in just 20 months, all during a full-scale war with Russia. “We didn’t just manage logistics; we built momentum,” said Chief Risk Officer Dr. Mariia Polomoshnova.
Ellen Hunt, CW’s 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award winner
Ellen M. Hunt, CW’s 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award winner, is a torchbearer for the profession and a beloved role model in E&C circles. Lauded for her generosity of spirit, quick wit, and tireless mentorship, the ethics and compliance veteran turned compliance from a patchwork assignment to a true vocation.
2025 Compliance Week Mentor of the Year, Lisa Fine, is a hub of the community
Lisa Fine, Senior Director of Global Ethics & Compliance at Pearson, is a trusted voice in the compliance community. Colleagues and peers regularly turn to her for guidance at every career stage. That’s why she’s been named Mentor of the Year in CW’s 2025 Excellence in Compliance Awards.
ADQ’s Fatima Almarzooqi is Compliance Week’s 2025 Rising Star in Compliance Award Winner
Fatima Almarzooqi, senior compliance specialist at ADQ, brings five years of experience in regulatory advisory, compliance initiatives, and working with subsidiary leadership. Her thoughtful, creative approach earned her the 2025 Rising Star in Compliance award.
For addressing the risks and rewards of AI, Adam Ennamli is Innovator of the Year
Hired two years ago by General Bank of Canada (GBC), Adam Ennamli was charged with transforming the bank’s compliance function. This small but fast-growing Edmonton-based bank ($3.5 billion CAD in assets) had long scattered compliance duties across departments, many handled manually before his arrival.
2024 Excellence in Compliance Awards winners
CCO of the Year: Gina Nese, Head of Compliance and Privacy, Align Technology
Compliance Program of the Year: Albemarle
Lifetime Achievement in Compliance: Felecia Bowers, Chief Compliance Officer
Compliance Innovators of the Year: Sharon Johnson, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer & Heather Sudo, Corporate Paralegal, MODE Global
Rising Star in Compliance: Giovanni Corrado, Deputy Chief Compliance Officer, BBVA Global Wealth Advisors
Compliance Mentor of the Year: Melanie Sponholz, Chief Compliance Officer and Director of Responsible Investing, Portfolio Operations, Waud Capital Partners
2023 Excellence in Compliance Awards winners
CCO/CECO of the Year: Bill Burtis, Chief Compliance Officer, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Juniper Networks
Compliance Program of the Year: American Express Global Business Travel
Lifetime Achievement in Compliance: Haluk Ferden Gursel, United Nations
Compliance Innovator of the Year: Bianca Forde, Senior Director and Counsel, Head of Ethics and Compliance – Americas, Otis Elevator Company
Rising Star in Compliance: Anastasia Savvateeva, Deputy Head of Financial Crime Compliance, Continental Europe, Fidelity International Luxembourg
Compliance Mentor of the Year: Rachel Simon, Vice President – Privacy, AT&T
2022 Excellence in Compliance Awards winners
CCO/CECO of the Year: Kelly Maxwell, Chief Compliance Officer, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Compliance Program of the Year: Snap
Lifetime Achievement in Compliance: Tamar Frankel, Professor of Law Emerita, Boston University
Rising Star in Compliance: Boon Kim Fam, Legal Director of Compliance, Asia Pacific, PVH
Compliance Mentor of the Year: Mary Shirley, Head of Culture of Integrity and Compliance Education, Fresenius Medical Care
2021 Excellence in Compliance Awards winners
CCO/CECO of the Year: Justin Ross, Chief Compliance Officer, FedEx Corp.
Compliance Program of the Year: Tenneco
Lifetime Achievement in Compliance: Emmanuel Lulin, Chief Ethics Officer, L’Oréal
Compliance Innovator of the Year: Sarah Partington, Senior Compliance Officer/Director of Compliance Operations, The MetroHealth System
Compliance Mentor of the Year: Ellen Hunt, Vice President, Compliance Operations & Chief Privacy Officer, LifePoint Health
Rising Star in Compliance: Jennifer Newton, Founder and CEO, National Association of Black Compliance & Risk Management Professionals
Compliance Consultant/Advisor of the Year (Individual or Company): VANTAGE, from Control Risks
2020 Excellence in Compliance Awards winners
CCO of the Year: Duane Holloway, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer, U.S. Steel
Lifetime Achievement in Compliance: Carrie Penman, Chief Risk and Compliance Officer, NAVEX Global
Compliance Comeback of the Year: Joshua Drew, Group Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer, VEON
Compliance Innovator of the Year: Alicia Schwarz, Deputy Chief Compliance Counsel (Global), Walt Disney Company
Compliance Mentor of the Year: Jay G. Martin, Senior Counsel, Willkie Farr & Gallagher
Rising Star in Compliance: Vera Powell, Senior Corporate Counsel, Delta Air Lines
Excellence in Compliance—Anti-Corruption: Alan Gibson, Assistant General Counsel, Compliance & Ethics, Microsoft
Excellence in Compliance—TPRM: Robert Seibel, Director of Legal Compliance, Abercrombie & Fitch
Excellence in Compliance—Cyber-security: David Kessler, Public Sector Counsel, Verizon
Excellence in Compliance—Data Privacy: Kalisa Barratt, Chief Compliance and Privacy Officer, Atrius Health
Excellence in Compliance—Training: Cindy Merlino, Global Compliance & Ethics Specialist, Pearson
Best Consultant/Advisor—Large Company: Duff & Phelps
Best Consultant/Advisor—Small Company: Bart Schwartz, Chairman, Guidepost Solutions
Best Technology Partner—Large Company: Refinitiv
Best Technology Partner—Small Company: LogicGate