By John Nocero
john.nocero@barberinstitute.org
Corporate compliance is a profession and a passion. This statement is understood by those compliance practitioners who live and breathe compliance in their organization. It is no longer a secondary role but is integrated into the overall business strategy and operations.
The foundation of all compliance programs are the seven elements, established by the Office of Inspector General: written policies and procedures; designating a compliance officer & compliance committee; effective training and education; effective lines of communication; internal monitoring and auditing; enforcement of standards through well-publicized disciplinary guidelines and prompt response to detected problems through corrective actions. When teamed with the tone from the top, the code of conduct and a sprinkle of enough authority to make a difference, they work.
The level of corporate integrity has gained worldwide attention in the last two years, often for the wrong reasons. Regulations have not changed; if anything, they have gotten more stringent. Good compliance programs establishes the expectations for how employees should conduct themselves, promotes good corporate citizenship, identifies high-risk areas, prevents and detects violations of our Code of Conduct and ensures that we comply with federal, state and local laws. Great compliance programs improve lives and change cultures.
Compliance is never going to be the shiny new toy at Christmas that you can’t wait to pick up and play with. Those toys are generally broken by the afternoon. We are the Legos, the building blocks. We build strength, educate; encourage people to cooperate and stimulate interaction.
Our environment is changing quickly, with multi-faceted risks. We cannot do anything without the employees and organizations that support us and cascade are message to everyone.
My sincerest best wishes for a happy Corporate Compliance & Ethics Week. Think compliance first.
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