Ethics & Culture


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Analysis

Mental health is a rampant issue for cyber pros, and it needs more attention

2025-04-30T18:33:00+01:00By

Cybersecurity has become one of the most important parts of business operations, particularly as companies  face a data breach, attack, or disruption of service. But the impact this responsibility is having on cyber pros needs more attention.

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Ethics education is key, says Tom Hardin AKA “Tipper X”

2025-04-30T17:17:00+01:00By and

Tom Hardin AKA “Tipper X” went from a young trader with his whole career ahead of him to an inside trader who got caught, acted as a Federal Bureau of Investigation informant for two years, and pleaded guilty to a felony.

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Analysis

Success in upper management is about relationships, not skills

2025-04-30T14:20:00+01:00By

The compliance world is filled with numbers, rules and regulations. But the soft skills of management and relationships are critical too, and they can make the difference between making it to higher level leadership or not.

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Analysis

If artificial intelligence screws up, you’re probably using the wrong one

2025-04-30T14:00:00+01:00By

As companies increasingly test artificial intelligence throughout their workforce and product lines, early adopters say an important rule is to pick the right AI for the job.

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Under intense pressure, former DOJ Polite says it’s compliance’s time to shine

2025-04-29T21:47:00+01:00By

Like never before in modern American history, ethics and compliance are under attack.

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Article

Photo gallery: Compliance Week 20th Anniversary National Conference

2025-04-29T16:27:00+01:00By

More than 400 attendees gathered at the Mayflower Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C. for Compliance Week’s 20th annual National Conference from April 28-29. The conference gathers compliance professionals and their peers from around the globe to share best practices and discuss key issues and regulatory developments.

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Opinion

Excellence in Compliance highlights critical leadership in unstable times

2025-04-29T12:22:00+01:00By

Doing your best isn’t just for when things are easy. And life in the compliance world has rarely been harder.

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Despite uncertainty, whistleblowers still have incentives to report misconduct

2025-04-28T21:38:00+01:00By

Whistleblowing in the United States is being buffered by uncertainty from regulators who are backing off policing corruption and consumer protections. Regulators like the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission are being thrown into disarray by layoffs and restructuring. Still, whistleblowers will likely continue coming forward.

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News Brief

Networking is key for women in compliance

2025-04-28T20:40:00+01:00By

Compliance can be a highly fulfilling job but one that is tough and sometimes lonely, too. But participants at the Women in Compliance Brunch & Learn session at Compliance Week’s 20th  anniversary national conference agreed community was the solution, though it can come in different ways.

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Directors should be more accountable for failure, while also taking more risks, says U.K. regulator

2025-04-24T12:00:00+01:00By

Director accountability is back in the spotlight in the U.K., even as the government pushes for regulatory simplification to cut red tape and drive growth. This raises questions about how boards can be encouraged to take risks to grow their businesses while also being held more accountable for governance failings. ...

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Ex-FBI informant says three things can save companies from themselves

2025-04-17T12:00:00+01:00By

Tom Hardin paid the price for crossing legal and ethical lines as a financial analyst accused of insider trading in one of the most notorious Wall Street scandals. Now he’s on a mission to save businesses from themselves. A keynote speaker at Compliance Week National, he built a second career ...

Training

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Survey highlights demand for quick, customizable, and cost-effective compliance training

2025-04-09T12:00:00+01:00By

Compliance training has become less expensive and more customizable to keep up with the constant rule changes, according to a new survey by microlearning training platform Ethena and Compliance Week.

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Should Tesla board, compliance rein in Musk? Expert says tech tycoon ‘doubly untouchable’

2025-03-27T16:24:00+00:00By

Tesla’s chief executive Elon Musk has admitted he’s leading his businesses “with great difficulty” while serving as President Trump’s senior adviser. The carmaker’s shareholders are openly questioning his bandwidth. Why isn’t Tesla’s board firing him? He’s “doubly untouchable,” a corporate governance expert says.

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When it comes to trust, make sure to verify

2025-03-20T20:13:00+00:00By

The increasing efforts to fight modern slavery across the globe are getting a boost from EU rules that require companies to track and report on the issue. But compliance executives can’t lean on easy databases and automated solutions, experts increasingly say, that supply chain companies may ignore or lie to.

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The future of DEI isn’t about ‘diversity’

2025-03-20T15:20:00+00:00By

With White House directives ending DEI programs across the U.S. government, many companies are now facing the question of how to meet their diversity goals without upsetting the political climate. The answer has been to give up the name but not the spirit of DEI.

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Making a pitch for compliance: The great chase for stakeholder engagement

2025-03-20T13:44:00+00:00By

Speakers at Compliance Week’s Ethics and Compliance Summit swapped engagement strategies rooted in human behavior, including with through the use of generative AI, free merchandise, and live events, to meet employees where they are.

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Compliance should be a business partner, not a blocker

2025-03-20T13:24:00+00:00By

Compliance has long been viewed by some as the “Department of No.” What typically happens is a new product or service is being launched, and compliance is brought in at the end of the process. Inevitably, the compliance team finds aspects of the new product or service that violates a ...

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Article

Photo gallery: Ethics & Compliance Summit

2025-03-19T18:30:00+00:00By

Compliance Week’s Ethics and Compliance Summit, held March 19-20 in Boston, Mass., gathered legal, compliance, and risk professionals to share best practices and engage in discussions on timely topics, regulatory developments, and effective strategies to foster an ethical culture.

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Small wins can have big results

2025-03-19T17:54:00+00:00By

When talking about ethics programs at various companies, there are plenty of examples of firms that do right and those that do wrong. But building up a struggling program is a whole other challenge.

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SEC postpones compliance date for amendments to investment company names rule

2025-03-17T19:10:00+00:00By

Investment companies will have six additional months to comply with an update to the Securities and Exchange Commission rule aimed at making investment fund names more accurate.

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News Brief

PCAOB fines KPMG units $3.4M, PwC Singapore $1.5M for audit, independence violations

2025-03-14T15:10:00+00:00By

Nine affiliates of KPMG agreed to pay a total of nearly $3.4 million for alleged violations of audit and quality control standards, while PwC Singapore will pay $1.5 million to settle separate allegation that the firm manipulated independence compliance reporting.

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EU drives ‘omnibus’ of simplifications through landmark sustainability reporting directives

2025-03-13T21:25:00+00:00By

The European Commission has adopted proposals for radical simplifications to the EU’s trailblazing environmental regulations. The commissioners argue that this is a pragmatic response to changing global economics and indicates that they have listened to the concerns of smaller businesses that are struggling to comply with onerous and conflicting rules.

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Event

Learn to identify, redirect unethical behavior at summit

2025-03-11T19:27:00+00:00By

A panel at Compliance Week’s Ethics and Compliance Summit will use interactive exercises, real-world case studies, and DOJ guidance to “equip participants with actionable tools to navigate high-pressure environments and build stronger, more human-centered compliance cultures.”

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Opinion

Why are CFOs struggling to stay compliant?

2025-03-11T14:37:00+00:00By Markus Hornburg, CW guest columnist

CFOs are tasked with overseeing an organization’s entire financial processes, not least ensuring that financial operations remain compliant with the multitude of global regulations. It’s a heavy burden to carry that might be alleviated slightly with the help of artificial intelligence, writes Markus Hornburg, head of compliance at Basware.

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Shareholders back Apple sticking to DEI goals as Trump blasts move

2025-03-04T16:22:00+00:00By

Tech giant Apple solidified its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion at its annual shareholder meeting on Tuesday, with 97 percent of shareholders rejecting an anti-DEI proposal, according to a public filing.

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Event

Summit will offer framework for ethical AI use

2025-03-03T15:51:00+00:00By

Artificial intelligence tools are being adopted at a rapid clip in many organizations, in some cases without proper guardrails and without taking ethical considerations into account.

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Experts explain why IIA's new global audit rules will be 'central' to securing high-quality assurance

2025-02-28T15:45:00+00:00By

Compliance teams should expect more support from their organization’s internal audit functions. That is the clear message from the Institute of Internal Auditors, the global body of national affiliated internal audit institutes, which has just put into action its new Global Internal Audit Standards.

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News Brief

PCAOB fines PwC Israel $2.75M amid ongoing sweep for internal training exam cheating

2025-02-27T12:45:00+00:00By

The Israeli affiliate of Big Four audit firm PwC agreed to pay $2.75 million to settle allegations it failed to prevent widespread cheating on training examinations despite internal warnings to staff about an ongoing crackdown.

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DEI programs are under attack. Compliance should help plan what comes next

2025-02-18T19:25:00+00:00By

U.S. President Donald Trump has proven himself to be a chaos agent in the opening weeks of his second term, firing federal workers, shuttering agencies, and issuing executive orders that attempt to upend policies and laws he doesn’t like.

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U.K. Employment Rights Bill promises to thwart forced labor through new consolidated regulator

2025-02-14T19:17:00+00:00By

For the past decade, the United Kingdom has tried to make companies more directly accountable for forced labor in their supply chains. But lawyers warn that the government’s latest plans to beef up protections against worker violations risk being heavily watered down and poorly policed by regulators.

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Apple bucks trend in Big Tech, defies anti-DEI headwinds

2025-02-13T15:11:00+00:00By

Apple, one of the most valuable tech giants on the planet, is pushing back against pressure to stop diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, saying that “a culture of belonging” remains a core value of the organization.

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Article

CW nomination deadline for 2025 ‘Excellence in Compliance Awards’ closed

2025-01-24T13:55:00+00:00By

The nomination deadline has closed for Compliance Week’s sixth annual “Excellence in Compliance Awards.”

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SEC charge against CCO in penny stock scheme raises more questions about gatekeeper liability

2025-01-22T16:13:00+00:00By

A recent complaint by the Securities and Exchange Commission against the chief compliance officer of a Chicago-based investment firm contains some of the most worrisome examples of how CCOs can be found liable for misconduct at their firm.

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News Brief

SEC slams WWE founder Vince McMahon for misstatements caused by hush money payments

2025-01-10T18:03:00+00:00By

Vince McMahon, the founder and former CEO of WWE, was fined $400,000 and ordered to reimburse the wrestling giant more than $1.3 million to settle charges brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission that he failed to disclose hush money payments he made on behalf of himself and the company.

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Google’s fate under Trump could be a sign of antitrust battles to come in 2025

2024-12-31T15:32:00+00:00By

As Donald Trump begins his transition to become president, there are questions about the fate of tech companies, as well as regulators from multiple administrations. Google in particular is fighting a high-profile antitrust ruling after an investigation started by Trump in 2020 could be resolved in his next administration.

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Data analytics in compliance: Time to get started, or expand, in 2025

2024-12-30T21:00:00+00:00By

Launching or expanding a corporate data analytics program for compliance can seem like a daunting task, but it is one worth adding to your to-do list in 2025.

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Opinion

Ericsson's 'integrity journey' post-FCPA settlement top compliance triumph of 2024

2024-12-24T13:45:00+00:00By

It’s been a long “integrity journey” for Ericsson, according to the company’s Head of Compliance Global Affairs Alison Howell. Since settling with the DOJ over FCPA violations in 2019, the company has gone through a "business critical transformation," resulting in the end of its compliance monitorship.

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News Brief

U.S. Appeals Court overturns Nasdaq board diversity rule

2024-12-13T17:55:00+00:00By

A U.S. Appeals Court overturned a Securities and Exchange Commission rule that had required companies listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange to disclose whether their boards had women or minority members–and if not, why not.

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Whistleblower’s defamation case reveals scope of USAA ‘coverup’

2024-12-06T12:45:00+00:00By

A defamation lawsuit filed by a whistleblower against USAA, which a Florida judge recently dismissed on a technicality, revealed in public court records an estimated 400,000 violations of the Military Lending Act by USAA Federal Savings Bank (USAA Bank), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of USAA.

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Opinion

Book review: Larry D. Thompson’s memoir revisits lessons from VW, Enron, and PepsiCo.

2024-11-25T14:04:00+00:00By

Former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Larry D. Thompson participated in landmark legal cases, such as the Justice Department’s Enron investigation and the Volkswagen Independent Compliance Monitorship. Now his memoir looks back on his extensive career in compliance, offering profound insights into corporate culture, diversity, ethics, and integrity.

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Experts explain why red flags can often be ignored due to ‘underlying systematic issues’

2024-11-19T17:28:00+00:00By

Companies spend huge sums on audit, risk management, and compliance to alert them about potential legal issues before they escalate into serious corporate governance failings. There’s only one problem, however–they often misread their own early warning signs or ignore them altogether.

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What’s your risk appetite? EU firms grapple with ‘ridiculously complex’ ESG reporting rules

2024-10-14T18:26:00+01:00By

Discussions on the increasingly complex ESG rules in the EU were the crux of some conversations at Compliance Week Europe, a two-day conference in Amsterdam Oct. 15-16. The event brought together Compliance Week and its sister organization, the International Compliance Association, and more than 200 GRC professionals across industries.

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AI & Compliance Summit notebook: ‘Think big. Start small. Scale fast.’

2024-10-09T14:35:00+01:00By

When starting artificial intelligence efforts for companies large or small, one approach compliance practitioners said they’ve found works best is to start with a specific use case.

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AI and government: How Trump or Harris presidency will differ on policy, regulation

2024-09-25T13:21:00+01:00By

AI may be one of the hottest things in the business world but former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris haven’t devoted much time to discussing the technology. Still, each candidate has offered a few clues as to how they would govern over this next wave of innovation.

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Deloitte survey: AI adoption raising concerns about trust, reputational damage, ethics

2024-09-24T13:10:00+01:00By

As the artificial intelligence boom sweeps into the business world, employees are increasingly concerned about ethics questions and data privacy, a new Deloitte survey found, leading them to increasingly lose trust in their organizations.

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‘Tick-box’ training leads to tragic outcome in Costa Coffee allergen case

2024-09-17T16:16:00+01:00By

Company training has always been equal parts important and annoying. But a recent inquest found some eLearning courses fail to warn companies when employees struggle through education and testing. For 13-year-old Hannah Jacobs, the consequences ended with her death.

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An Amsterdam discussion on increased role of CCOs

2024-09-13T12:40:00+01:00By

Compliance Week and its sister organization the International Compliance Association will bring together more than 200 GRC professionals for Compliance Week Europe Oct. 15-16 in Amsterdam to discuss how they’re making sense of the constantly changing regulatory landscape.

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Norfolk Southern fires CEO, CLO for affair that violated company policies

2024-09-12T16:10:00+01:00By

Norfolk Southern Corp., the railroad still cleaning up the environmental and financial damages caused when one of its trains derailed in a small Ohio town, has fired its top executive and chief legal officer after concluding they had an affair that violated company policies.

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U.K. whistleblower protections, awards needed to compensate ‘career suicide’

2024-08-23T15:47:00+01:00By

Discrimination against whistleblowers in the U.K. has risen to such a level that the government may need to actively pursue plans to afford greater legal protection, as well as introduce financial awards to compensate for their “career suicide.”

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How are you keeping up? The adoption of AI in compliance

2024-08-22T15:15:00+01:00By

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the business landscape, and this is especially true for anyone working in compliance. But while AI offers immense potential to streamline processes, enhance decision-making, and mitigate risks, it also introduces a new set of challenges that compliance professionals must navigate.