A Guide for the New Ethics and Compliance Leader

Insights into Assessing, Building and Improving Programs, Teams and Culture
Insights into Assessing, Building and Improving Programs, Teams and Culture
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To the New Ethics and Compliance Leader,
Congratulations on your new role! Whether you are coming into your position due to a promotion, a lateral move from another department, or as a new hire, your position leading an ethics and compliance program is bound to be exciting and challenging.
At Ethisphere, we are often asked - "do you have any specific resources for those new to the role?" The answer is yes. On Ethisphere.com and Ethisphere Magazine, you'll find a wealth of insights from leaders in ethics and compliance.
Members of our Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA) can tap program materials contributed by member companies, benchmark against the practices of top companies, join roundtables and events, be connected to mentors or other companies, or participate in working groups.
In this guide, we asked one of our experts, Jodie Fredericksen, about how someone might approach a new role. She has been in that spot herself and has engaged with scores of senior professionals on behalf of Ethisphere.
We first learn her insights; and then you'll find a list of questions that will prove helpful when starting a new role.
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Q/ Jodie, what is the landscape today for ethics and compliance professionals?
Jodie/ The field of ethics and compliance has certainly changed since the early 2000s, when I entered the space. Not only has the understanding of what constitutes an effective ethics and compliance program changed, despite the core components of regulatory guidance staying largely the same, but we have also seen the dialogue regarding ethics and compliance evolve as well.
The focus has shifted from compliance with the law simply to mitigate risk, to a discussion about developing an ethical culture within an organization, resulting in doing business the right way according to a core set of values or principles. We expect this trend to continue.
Q/ Why is it different for new ethics and compliance leaders vs other roles?
Jodie/ Having been new to an ethics and compliance leadership role, and working with countless clients in a similar position, I have found that being new to this position comes with a unique set of challenges. Ethics and compliance functions can greatly differ from one organization to the next: where you report into, the risk-specific programs you are responsible for, and whether you conduct internal investigations, just to name a few.
Q/ For someone new to the role, where should they begin?
Jodie/ While time is often provided for a new leader to become familiar with the program and key relationships, there is generally a lot of work to be done in order to not lose the momentum of the existing program, as well as to push the program forward in a manner that you feel is moving it towards best practices.
We recommend starting by conducting a formal or informal program assessment. Program benchmarking can also be really helpful in setting context.
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Taking this approach provides you with an unparalleled opportunity to become acquainted with the ethics and compliance program structure, its maturity, and effectiveness. It also allows you to become better acquainted with the business, its culture, and ethics and compliance risks faced by the organization.
Furthermore, you can begin to understand the interdependencies between your team and other areas of the business, gain clarity on what aspects of the program need priority attention, and identify opportunities for enhancement.
To help you in the process, we have put together the following list of questions and resources. I wish you well on this new endeavor, which is bound to be not only challenging but rewarding as well.
Ms. Fredericksen specializes in evaluating ethics and compliance programs and providing improvement and implementation guidance on behalf of Ethisphere for leading companies. Prior to joining Ethisphere, she worked for NYSE Governance Services, a leading ethics, compliance, and risk assessment consulting company.
Ms. Fredericksen worked in-house as the Director of Compliance for IHS where she had day-to-day responsibility for the company’s ethics and compliance program, including overseeing compliance policies and procedures, conducting risk assessments and audits, as well as internal investigations. Previously, she served as a litigator specializing in the securities and enforcement defense field. Her practice focused on defending corporations and executives in connection with investigations instituted by, or enforcement actions before, the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Ms. Fredericksen received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Iowa and was an editor of the Iowa Law Review.
Resource: Access Ethisphere's Ethical Culture Insights Reports
Volume One:
Observing and Reporting Misconduct
Volume Two:
The Outsized Role of the Manager
Volume Three:
Training and Communication
In recent years, codes of conduct have moved beyond
static magazine-style layouts to take advantage of the
novel capabilities offered by digital media. Whether in
PDF or online eBook form, leading codes now make
use of videos, interactive learning aids, and interactive
navigation elements. Combined, these features make
for an engaging experience that keeps readers’
attention and helps them better understand the
guidance in the code. Other companies are bolstering
their code’s content by providing supplemental
resources—such as Q and A’s—on their intranet site.-Ethisphere's 2019 World's Most Ethical Companies Insights Report - Volume One
Resource: Access Ethisphere's 2019 World's Most Ethical Companies Insights Report Series
Volume One:
Diversity, Transparency, and Leading Written Standards
Volume Two:
Structuring and Resourcing Your Ethics and Compliance Program
Volume Three:
Maximizing the Effectiveness of Managers
Measurement that Matters: Information That Drives Integrity
Effectively Managing the Global Compliance Team
Building a High Performing and Diverse Team of Talent
EXPLORE THE BELA COMMUNITY
Become an enterprise member of BELA and you and your team can engage with senior legal, ethics, and compliance leaders from 60+ industries in more than 300 companies worldwide. Be part of a community that shares best practices and expertise. Gain access to exclusive data, benchmarking, opportunities to showcase your program, and more.
Learn more at bela.ethisphere.com