How fintechs can overcome major compliance hurdles in embedded finance
Margaret Holmes Tibbets, chief compliance officer at financial technology company Pipe, explains how firms are facing an existential compliance crisis, and to survive they’ll need to overcome not one but two hurdles.
Women in Compliance highlights: Mentorship driving DEI; fostering board buy-in
Keeping track of regulations and understanding how they affect your business can be a hot mess without proper organization and collaboration, experts said at Compliance Week’s Women in Compliance Summit, held June 3-4, in Atlanta.
CFTC awards whistleblower $8M despite involvement in misconduct
A whistleblower received an $8 million award from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for uncovering fraud—even though the agency deemed the whistleblower was culpable in the misconduct.
‘We have to stop shrinking ourselves’: Strategies for confronting BIPOC bias
Attendees at Compliance Week’s Women in Compliance Summit discussed strategies for confronting bias against Black, indigenous, and people of color professional women working in compliance and risk.
Biden nominates CFTC’s Goldsmith Romero to head FDIC
President Joe Biden selected a commissioner at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission as his preferred choice to lead the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in the aftermath of its toxic workplace culture scandal.
CFTC’s Pham critical of agency stances on CCO liability, self-disclosure credit
Caroline Pham, a commissioner at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said compliance officers have a lot to worry about if they or their firms are subject to CFTC enforcement during her fireside chat at CW’s Financial Crimes Summit.
What to watch for as DOJ whistleblower program sprint ends
The Department of Justice’s 90-day sprint to developing and implementing a pilot whistleblower rewards program ended Wednesday, and many questions remain about what the program will entail.
Ericsson completes DOJ-imposed compliance monitorship
Swedish telecommunications giant Ericsson announced the conclusion of the independent compliance monitorship imposed on the company following its 2019 settlement for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
SEC’s Grewal shares views on ‘Five Principles of Effective Cooperation’
Gurbir Grewal, director of the Enforcement Division at the Securities and Exchange Commission, spelled out plainly his view on the best path to earning cooperation credit during settlement negotiations with the agency.
Lessons from Arthur Grand ‘whites only’ case
IT company Arthur Grand Technologies’ settlements with the Department of Justice and Department of Labor regarding a discriminatory “whites only” job posting offer key takeaways regarding company liability and reputation risks.
Revamped compliance processes key Albemarle win as Compliance Program of the Year
For successfully navigating thorny compliance issues related to self-disclosed violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Albemarle was named Compliance Program of the Year at the 2024 Excellence in Compliance Awards.
Gina Nese stays ahead of the curve as CCO of the Year
Gina Nese, head of compliance and privacy at Align Technology, jumps at the chance to share new ideas and ways to innovate, including regarding emerging technologies like AI. Her work earned her recognition as CCO of the Year at the 2024 Excellence in Compliance Awards.
Lifetime Achievement: Compliance lessons from a ‘Flea’
Felecia “Flea” Bowers, honored for Lifetime Achievement at the 2024 Excellence in Compliance Awards, shares advice for compliance professionals at every stage of their careers.
Q&A: Rising Star in Compliance Giovanni Corrado
Giovanni Corrado, deputy chief compliance officer at BBVA Global Wealth Advisors, shares with Compliance Week his personal goal to change the narrative around compliance and his interests at the intersection of regulation and technology.
Q&A: Compliance Mentor of the Year Melanie Sponholz
Melanie Sponholz, chief compliance officer and director of responsible investing, portfolio operations at Waud Capital Partners, discusses with Compliance Week her mentoring philosophy, the ways she connects with other professionals, and the importance of influence to the compliance function.
Creative engagement approach drives Compliance Innovators Johnson, Sudo
Through clever rhymes and real-life examples, Sharon Johnson and Heather Sudo of MODE Global have made it their mission to think outside the box when it comes to compliance awareness. Their approach earned them Compliance Innovator(s) of the Year at the 2024 Excellence in Compliance Awards.
Debate: Experts discuss pros, cons of whistleblower process
Compliance Week Advisory Board members Eric Young and Ellen Hunt participate in a debate-style discussion regarding whistleblower-related topics including culture of compliance, monetary incentives, retaliation, and more.
Book review: How compliance can help build organizational trust at speed
Anne Morriss, co-author of “Move Fast and Fix Things,” advises compliance officers to tap into curiosity, communicativeness, and comfort with discomfort to build organizational trust, fast.
FDIC chair to resign following report on toxic workplace culture
Martin Gruenberg announced he will step down as chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation following the release of an independent review that criticized the agency’s lack of response to employee claims of sexual harassment and discrimination.
Senate report cites VW, BMW, JLR for potential forced labor violations
A U.S. Senate report found three European automakers—Volkswagen, BMW, and Jaguar Land Rover—sold cars in the United States with parts sourced from a supplier suspected of using forced labor from China’s Xinjiang region.
Colorado passes landmark AI discrimination law
Colorado passed the nation’s first comprehensive artificial intelligence protection law, aimed at curbing discrimination against the public that could result from the technology’s use while still allowing AI entrepreneurship to flourish.
White House unveils AI workplace principles; Senate group roadmaps AI policy
Microsoft and Indeed stepped up to adopt new artificial intelligence principles put forth by President Joe Biden, while leading senators took a step toward crafting AI legislation.
FDIC culture scandal begs question: Why don’t regs have CCOs?
Regulators and government agencies often speak to the value of empowered corporate compliance programs to advancing their mission. Why not practice what they preach by empowering compliance among their own ranks?
Binance CEO got 4 months in prison. FTX’s got 25 years. Was compliance the difference?
Why the wild disparity in the sentences of Binance’s Changpeng Zhao and FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried? Aaron Nicodemus argues the performance of the compliance teams at the two cryptocurrency exchanges was as big a contrast as the penalties earned by their respective founders.
SEC chief accountant calls out audit leadership culture
Staff at the Securities and Exchange Commission have observed instances of audit firms setting poor examples for junior-level employees by failing to properly discipline senior leaders found to have breached ethical standards, according to Chief Accountant Paul Munter.
DOJ notifies Boeing of DPA breach related to 737 MAX safety
The Department of Justice notified aerospace giant Boeing it breached its 2021 deferred prosecution agreement that required compliance commitments following high-profile crashes of its 737 MAX airplane.
Lawsuit: Ex-Panoramic Health assistant GC alleges retaliation linked to CCO supervisor
The former assistant general counsel at Panoramic Health is suing her former employer alleging wrongful termination after flagging safe harbor violations of the Anti-Kickback Statue.
SEC faults former IA Gainvest for nontailored compliance manual
A Securities and Exchange Commission action against former registered investment adviser Gainvest Legal Corp. yielded a notable takeaway for others in the industry engaging consultants for compliance program support.
Podcast: Responsible development and implementation of AI
Three experts join the Compliance Week podcast to discuss opportunities and risks posed by artificial intelligence, as well as governance frameworks your organization can implement to ensure AI tools are utilized safely and ethically.
Virtual Roundtable: Whistleblowing in 2024: What compliance officers need to know
Compliance Week is hosting a virtual roundtable in which we’ll explore the modern whistleblower landscape and what corporate compliance programs need to know to follow the rules while enabling a speak-up culture.
Microsoft report describes its artificial intelligence safety efforts
Microsoft published a public report covering its artificial intelligence endeavors and steps it is taking to make the controversial technology safe.
‘Sham audit mill’: SEC fines, permanently suspends BF Borgers
BF Borgers was all but shuttered by the Securities and Exchange Commission after the agency accused the firm of massive fraud impacting more than 1,500 SEC filings audited over a 2 1/2-year span.
e-Book: Managing increased risk of forced, child labor in your supply chain
Instances of forced or child labor in corporate supply chains are a growing problem in the United States.
CCO liability: How to protect your compliance career
Despite significant issues outside the control of most chief compliance officers, some regulators have signaled more individual liability cases are to be expected. Will accepting the wrong job, in hindsight, make it your last?
Lloyds decision to cut risk staff draws criticism, defenders
Lloyds Banking Group is cutting jobs in its risk management function after an internal review reportedly found it was a “blocker” to the organization’s strategic transformation.
Wirecard whistleblower laments EU speak-up protection inconsistencies
The European Union’s strong stance on whistleblower protection has been undermined by member states’ wildly different approaches to punishing organizations that fail to safeguard people who raise concerns, says Wirecard whistleblower Pav Gill.
Accountancy bodies urge ethical behavior amid exam cheating scandals
Trust in the integrity of corporate finance and auditing is vital, but repeated scandals over exam cheating at the largest multinational firms are denting faith in the system globally.
CW2024 mentors explain why ‘in compliance, you’re never an island’
Mary Shirley is always looking for innovative ways to spur conversation, sharing, and crowdsourcing among compliance professionals. Her workshop at Compliance Week’s 2024 National Conference was no different.
Intersection of compliance, IT one of opportunity
With senior-level decisions on technology only increasing in frequency as new tools rapidly evolve, a panel at Compliance Week’s 2024 National Conference agreed compliance must consider the opportunities available to influence those conversations.
DOJ pilot floats NPAs for whistleblowers involved in corporate misconduct
The Department of Justice launched a new pilot program that encourages voluntary self-disclosure by corporate executives who are themselves involved in financial misconduct, with the incentive of a nonprosecution agreement for those who help an agency investigation.
U.S. senator calls for Temu ban over forced labor, privacy concerns
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) is calling on the Biden administration to investigate and ban Chinese e-commerce company Temu over forced labor and data privacy violation concerns.
Focused on consumer privacy? Don’t forget employees’ rights
The implications of a privacy rights case involving a U.K.-based Uber Eats driver underscore a popular belief that companies prioritize protecting the personal information of their customers over the data rights of their employees.
Proterial Cable America earns DOJ declination in apparent fraud case
Proterial Cable America received a declination notice from the Department of Justice related to its voluntary self-disclosure and remediation of apparent fraud committed by its employees.
SEC’s Grewal: General compliance principles for avoiding AI washing
Gurbir Grewal, director of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement, laid out general principles for “proactive compliance” to avoid making false or misleading claims about the capabilities of artificial intelligence products and services.
ECHR ruling opens door to climate change litigation on basis of human rights
By holding the Swiss government accountable for failing to do more to limit climate change, a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights might have significant implications for legislators and organizations in other countries across the European Union.
‘You have to sell compliance’: Tips for building compliance programs from scratch
A panel of experienced compliance professionals shared the various approaches they took to build compliance programs from the ground up at Compliance Week’s 2024 National Conference.
JBS CECO on overcoming ‘fear, anxiety, and chaos’ of taking job post-FCPA settlements
Mike Koenig explained at Compliance Week’s 2024 National Conference how he helped rebuild JBS Foods’ compliance department following Foreign Corrupt Practices Act settlements with the Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission.
Effective risk culture starts at the top. Everyone is required to make it successful
There is no magic wand compliance professionals can wave to promote a strong risk culture within their organizations, experts discussed at Compliance Week’s 2024 National Conference.
Highlights from Compliance Week 2024
Compliance officers took to the main stage to share their experiences at Compliance Week’s 2024 National Conference, while other highlights included conversations around artificial intelligence and the modern challenges the industry is confronting.
KPMG Netherlands fined record $25M by PCAOB for exam cheating
KPMG Netherlands agreed to pay a record $25 million penalty levied by the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board for allegedly allowing widespread cheating by employees on internal training exams and misinforming regulators about the misconduct.