Culture & Compliance Chronicles

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, are joined by Tal Freilich, the vice president of group governance, risk and compliance at DKSH. The discussion delves into the complexities of managing compliance across diverse markets, the impact of cultural differences on compliance practices, and the innovative use of AI and data analytics in compliance programs. Tal shares his insights on building trust, fostering open communication, and enabling business operations through effective compliance strategies. Tal notes some great examples of both successful initiatives, and ideas that haven’t worked, embracing the idea of learning from failures.

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, are joined by Letitia Adu-Ampoma, a seasoned compliance professional with extensive experience in designing and implementing ethics and compliance programs across multiple continents. Letitia shares her invaluable insights on the importance of contextualizing and operationalizing global compliance to local cultures. She emphasizes the need for organizations to understand and adapt to cultural nuances, including demographics, linguistic nuances, and technology, to ensure the effectiveness of their compliance programs. Through engaging anecdotes and practical examples, Letitia illustrates how cultural differences can impact compliance outcomes and the importance of localizing training and policies. Tune in to learn how to navigate the complexities of global compliance, the significance of cultural awareness, and strategies for integrating local insights into your compliance framework. 

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab, and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, are joined by Danny Mayhew, the global head of organisational justice and smart assurance at Sanofi. Danny shares his unique journey from law enforcement to the corporate world, emphasizing the importance of empathy in investigations and the role of organisational justice in fostering a fair and transparent workplace. They explore how data, behavioral insights, and innovative tools like AI and machine learning are being leveraged to predict and prevent misconduct ensuring a proactive approach to compliance that helps protect and support employees and gets the business on side. 

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab, and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, are joined by Katie Daniels, managing director and head of compliance at CPP Investments. Katie shares her journey in using tools such as behavioral science to think differently about compliance challenges. Hear how you can harness the human factor in investigations, learn lessons to be a better partner with business stakeholders, and understand how vulnerability can be a strength. Katie reflects on her most impactful behaviorally-informed compliance interventions (and areas where things didn’t go so well too), as well as factors that influence trust in a compliance team. And no conversation with Katie is complete without delving into the world of theatre and music!   Discover how Katie's innovative thinking and experiences have shaped her approach to compliance, and gain practical tips to rethink your own challenges.

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab, are joined by Dr. Brennan Jacoby, a philosopher and founder of Philosophy at Work. Dr. Jacoby joins the conversation from his family's year-long travels across the world, and discusses his work on the philosophy of trust, including sharing his views on how compliance teams can foster trust. Throughout, Dr. Jacoby references exercises that you can do with your teams on everything from trust to attention. The conversation explores the practical application of philosophy in organizations, focusing on critical thinking, curiosity, and ethical decision-making. Dr. Jacoby introduces the concept of Philosophy at Work’s Ethics Lab, a workshop designed to help individuals and teams engage with ethical considerations in a meaningful way. The episode also addresses empathy, effective communication, and relational dynamics.

On this special edition of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, join Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab’s Director of Behavioral Insights, Nitish Upadhyaya, “live” from the Society of Corporate Compliance & Ethics flagship conference in Grapevine, Texas as he talks to members of the compliance community about culture. This special “fly on the wall” episode was recorded in breaks during the conference, with the aim of understanding how compliance professionals are seeing culture manifest in their day-to-day work and how they are harnessing it to achieve better outcomes for their organizations. Learn how people are defining culture and how voices from the industry are hoping to use culture to supercharge their programs. 

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab, and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, are joined by Stephanie Niven, a portfolio manager at Ninety One, for an engaging conversation on the significance of corporate culture as a source of competitive advantage and its role in driving sustainable investment returns. Stephanie shares her insights on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the investment space, the evolution of ESG expectations, and discusses the framework used by Ninety One to assess (not measure!) and influence corporate culture. The conversation offers a deep dive into the practical aspects of fostering a positive corporate culture and its direct impact on business performance and investment success. 

What on earth is FEPA (the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act)? On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab, and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, ask guest Ryan Rohlfsen, a former federal prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and now partner and co-chair of Ropes & Gray’s anti-corruption and international risk practice, to share his views on the DOJ’s latest tool. They discuss the implications of FEPA on enforcement, corporate compliance, and the cultural context of international jurisdictions. The conversation also touches on the potential impact on U.S. business interests, the role of whistleblowers, and the practical challenges of extradition. With insights from Ryan's experience with the DOJ, this episode offers a comprehensive look at how FEPA could reshape the landscape of anti-corruption enforcement and compliance. 

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab, and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, delve into the intricacies of corporate culture and compliance with special guest Guillem Casoliva Cabana. A seasoned traveler and compliance manager at Booking.com, Guillem takes us on a journey through his academic and practical experiences. The conversation covers the importance of understanding team ethical culture, the role of direct managers in shaping it, and how ethics ambassadors can be used to support compliance programs by acting as a bridge between compliance teams and employees. 

Welcome back to the Culture & Compliance Chronicles, a podcast series brought to you by Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab and Front-Line Anti-Bribery. Join Amanda Raad, co-leader of R&G Insights Lab and the firm’s global anti-corruption and international risk practice, Nitish Upadhyaya, R&G Insights Lab director of behavioral insights, and Richard Bistrong, an ethics and compliance consultant and CEO of Front-Line Anti-Bribery as they explore the constantly evolving challenges faced by professionals worldwide in managing risk and compliance. On this episode, they reflect on past developments, current trends, and the future of compliance. They also discuss the significance of culture in regulatory practices and how businesses can effectively integrate behavioral science, cultural psychology, and data visualization to address compliance challenges. Tune in to better understand how culture influences decision-making and the importance of listening to employees to foster an ethical workplace.