Are your financial risk management decisions informed by artificial intelligence? Increasingly, organizations face significant challenges when it comes to managing risk, but AI can help. What do you need to know? We tackled that topic recently when we teamed up with Gary Moore, Ally Bank’s Director... Read More

How confident are you that a supplier you vetted two years ago hasn’t seen a change in financial stability that might lead to supply chain disruption? Or that a reseller isn’t putting you in danger of an FCPA violation? Or that a disgruntled customer’s online tweet hasn’t been... Read More

One of Britain’s most famous art institutions has reversed a sponsorship deal after it was revealed that the sponsor’s owner had backed a ban on teaching LGBT issues. As art organizations, universities and non-profits become more reliant on sponsorship rather than government funding, they... Read More

Turbulence appears to be the new normal in today’s global risk landscape. Political turmoil, changing regulations, disruptive weather events, financial instability and a variety of other factors can disrupt supply chains or involve companies in legal actions that result in devastating financial... Read More

Many people cringe when they hear the word ‘audit’ because it is almost inextricably linked with ‘tax’—another cringe-worthy topic. Admittedly, audits can be uncomfortable; very few people enjoy time spent under a microscope. But as the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA... Read More

Blame it on Blue Planet II. Since the nature documentary series began airing in early 2018, the blight of ocean plastics has come into focus for those who have watched it. Sir David Attenborough has become the Jiminy Cricket for this generation—a story-teller, a sage advisor, and apparently, the... Read More

There’s no room for clowning about when it comes to risk management and maintaining the integrity of international business. According to records of ancient Chinese history, the armies of the Chu and Song states were facing each other in readiness for battle in 630 BC when a Chu warrior, Xiong... Read More

There were only three FCPA enforcement actions in the first quarter of 2019, but the small number obscures a bigger threat to corporate bottom lines—fines totalling $1.1 billion. This figure eclipses the total settlements in Q1 2018—also for three corporate enforcement actions—of a... Read More

Most risk management professionals know the adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” But in the digital age, you need more than an ounce of prevention when it comes to mitigating regulatory and reputational risk . It’s a lesson learned the hard way by one of the largest... Read More

Is it time for universities—and the foundations that fundraise on their behalf—to adopt the rigorous due diligence and risk monitoring processes that global companies use? Based on the latest bribes-for-admission scandal to hit the headlines, the answer is a resounding, “YES!”... Read More

One of the biggest potential time-savers for risk management professionals is technology. From initial risk assessment before on-boarding a new client to ongoing risk monitoring to surface threats more quickly, the power of artificial intelligence and advanced analytics show great promise. Tools... Read More

If serious trivia seems like a contradiction, maybe you need to be more quizzical when it comes to anti-corruption compliance. January 4 is the one day of the year when there’s an excuse to be trivial—even in an area as serious as compliance in anti-bribery and corruption , anti-money laundering... Read More

2018 has been a record year of penalties issued for breaches of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Settlements totaling more than $2.96 billion were agreed by corporations found to be in breach of the Act. The year saw further indications of the FCPA’s global reach, witnessed the first judgments... Read More

Several months ago, we highlighted news that Kroger was phasing out plastic grocery bags as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitment . The national grocery chain is not alone. When it comes to addressing food supply chain risk, corporate social responsibility programs are helping... Read More

Three quarters of the world’s biggest exporting countries are failing to punish corporations that pay bribes overseas, according to a new report from the NGO Transparency International. The report shows that there are vast differences in the level of risk of bribery and corruption in different... Read More

As the aftermath of corporate corruption and ethics scandals continue to play out in news headlines and courtrooms, spurring a continued search for expert advice and best practices on mitigating compliance risk . So, when a former compliance expert at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and a Harvard... Read More

Petrobras has reached a $1.78 billion settlement with the DOJ and SEC over bribes to politicians and political parties in Brazil. This is the first time an enforcement action over FCPA violations has exceeded a billion dollars. The amount is bigger than the nearest two settlements combined, and the case... Read More

French bank Société Générale expects to pay penalties of nearly $1.3 billion to settle allegations of breaching U.S.sanctions. It made dollar transfers on behalf of entities based in countries which were subject to U.S.sanctions. The fine is just the latest evidence of the... Read More

Companies are exposed to regulatory, financial, reputational and strategic risks, and the number of countries and NGOs with compliance expectations is on the rise. The best way to proactively manage these expectations? Risk-based due diligence and ongoing monitoring. 1—Regulatory risks... Read More

The U.S. Corporate Enforcement Policy, which incentivises companies to self-disclose bribery and corruption when they come across it, now applies to U.S. companies which are merging with or acquiring foreign companies. That’s according to a recent speech by a senior official at the Department of... Read More

No industry is impervious to bribery and corruption risk, but companies linked to energy industries, in particular, face elevated risks in order to reap the equally-high rewards. It’s a topic we’ve touched on in blog posts on Unaoil and Petrobras . But anti-bribery and corruption regulations... Read More

Just three years ago, Teva Pharmaceuticals, a drug-maker in Israel, disclosed to both the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice that an on-going internal probe had revealed possible violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and/or local laws. Ultimately... Read More

The makers of Jim Beam whisky have paid $8 million to settle allegations of bribing government officials to enter the Indian market. The settlement is a timely reminder of the continued threat of FCPA enforcement action , and the particular risks posed by third parties in the food and drink industry... Read More

Two-hundred and seven million eggs were recalled on April 13th of this year—the largest such recall in the U.S. in nearly 10 years. By May, another 12 people from 9 states had fallen ill from the tainted eggs, bringing the total to 35 with 11 individuals requiring hospitalization. Major supermarket... Read More

The Travel Industry has suffered plenty of blows in the past year, thanks to videos that go viral. But while some airlines failed to adequately address the reputational risk arising from customer footage of regrettable moments, Carnival Cruise Lines recently proved that a quick, thoughtful response to... Read More