The views expressed in this article are of Max Beilby’s and do not reflect those of his employer.

What do you foresee to be the biggest challenges for ethics and compliance in the coming year?

The world is infinitely complex and it’s incredibly difficult to predict what will transpire in the future. That aside, I think it is highly likely that the cost-of-living crisis will continue to place great pressure on consumers and small businesses. The central ethics and compliance challenge is to make sure lenders meet the standards society expects of them to support waves of people experiencing financial hardship.

Do you see any trends that are particularly exciting? 

I’m both incredibly excited (and freaked out) by the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence. Like most disruptive technologies, I suspect artificial intelligence will be a double-edged sword. With thoughtful application and appropriate regulation, AI could revolutionize the way we work and usher in a golden era. Implemented badly, AI could in turn help create a dystopian nightmare.

Read “13 Principles for Using AI Responsibly” co-written by Max and published in Harvard Business Review.

What headlines regarding misconduct really caught your eye over recent months?

The collapse of Credit Suisse certainly caught my attention. Whilst I don’t want to succumb to confirmation bias, the lesson I think we should take from this failure is that cultural issues can bring down giants of finance. Despite Credit Suisse having solid financials in several respects, it was a collapse of confidence, due to a continuous flood of breaches and scandals, that ultimately led to its demise.

What do you think innovation looks like in an ethics and compliance function?

With regards to technology, we’ve already touched on how artificial intelligence has the potential to transform how ethics and compliance functions operate (for example, breakthroughs in natural language processing and predictive analytics). However, I do think AI and big data more generally will also underscore the necessity of good theory. Breakthroughs in behavioral science are also a key source of innovation in the field of ethics and compliance. 

Is there another ethics and compliance professional who inspires you and if so, why? 

The eminent social psychologist Jonathan Haidt founded Ethical Systems, a think-tank created to help translate and apply academic research to the corporate world, with the ultimate purpose of increasing trust and integrity in business. I am truly inspired by the core team (Alison, Noel and Brian) and what they have accomplished.

This blog post is part of our ongoing Integrity Innovators series recognizing the movers and shakers of the ethics and compliance space who truly embody Active Integrity. Know someone who fits the bill? Let us know and check out some of our other Integrity Innovator blog posts here.

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Kevin is a purpose-led senior lawyer and ethics and compliance executive with a passion for building positive work cultures with strong climates of integrity. He advocates for a modern approach to Speak Up and orchestrated TI Fluid System’s adoption of Vault Platform. The organization is now setting the tone for the rest of the automotive sector through its innovative compliance programs.

He said: “We’re maintaining momentum and traction in our efforts to build a culture of ethics and make headway in keeping colleagues engaged.”

Kevin is also the Founder and Co-Managing Partner of Diversity X, supporting underestimated founders of purpose-led start-ups. He applies his world travels and deep insights into the shift towards human leadership and the demand for businesses to align their purpose with making the world a better place for everyone.

TI Fluid Systems is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of automotive fluid systems technology with nearly 100 years of automotive fluid systems experience and manufacturing facilities in 28 countries.

Check out some of our other Integrity Innovator blog posts here.

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Airbnb is a brand that needs no introduction. The online marketplace for homestays has invested heavily in its ethical health and has embedded integrity in the way it does business. The brand wants to promote a culture within the Airbnb community that goes above and beyond mere compliance.

Alongside the Airbnb team, Jennifer has built a compliance program that goes beyond legal requirements; from prevention and detection to transparent and direct responses to reports of misconduct. Jennifer leads with empathy and is motivated by the continuous challenge to innovate with data-driven systems and standards that incentivize accountability. She likes to use brain teasers and hypotheticals to bring the Airbnb Code of Ethics and other policies to life.

She said: “Over the last five years, I’ve developed a real passion for teaching. I love leveraging my experience as an instructor at Harvard’s Trial Advocacy Workshop in presentations I make to Airbnb employees across the globe. I take care to tell every member of the audience that their voice matters; that we want – and need – to hear from them, before detailing how, when, and to whom to raise any concern or complaint. These presentations proactively prevent policy violations. They also help create a culture in which we feel inspired, encouraged, and empowered to speak up whenever any of us fall short. Whether or not the word is in your job title, ethics is everyone’s responsibility.”

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Zendesk is a world-renowned Customer Relationship Management (CRM) company with over 5,000 employees worldwide. The software can help businesses build better relationships with their customers via text, phone, email, live chat, and social media.

Hemma is passionate about leading with the art of ethical decision-making and promotes ethical leadership and a culture of active bystandership. Fascinated by the role of integrity in the context of corporate social responsibility, Hemma designs innovative global compliance programs that make people feel psychologically safe and brings a creative edge to risk mitigation.

Last year, she launched the Kind Business Ambassador program, which leverages the strengths of the Zendesk team and increases the ways to be seen, heard, and valued.

Prior to moving in-house, Hemma served for just over a decade prosecuting financial fraud and corruption with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and has previously worked as Parliamentary Counsel for the UK government.

When asked about the biggest challenges facing ethics and compliance right now, she said: “One of the biggest challenges for businesses will be instilling and maintaining trust with a workforce that is insecure and burned out, especially in the tech sector, with recent layoffs and hits on revenue and stock prices. It’s important for E&C professionals and leaders to decide how we can best support our colleagues when they’re asked to do more with less.”

Check out some of our other Integrity Innovator blog posts here.

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Driven by a personal manifesto to lead with positive psychology and happiness, Gustavo shapes the culture of OLX through anti-corruption partnerships and renewed investments in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Having worked in risk analysis, risk management, compliance, internal controls, internal audits, investigations, and more, Gustavo is always keen to find new ways of reinventing ethics and compliance functions. His current focus is on leveling up OLX’s Speak Up program for 2023.

When asked about the challenges facing ethics and compliance professionals, Gustavo said: “With advances in technology, the associated risks have become increasingly complex and concerns are no longer solely data-centric. For example, despite its adaptive predictive power and autonomous learning, Artificial Intelligence (AI) does not work in the same way as human intelligence. Without proper safeguards, an AI system can introduce cognitive risks that could have legal implications for an organization. To guard against these risks, organizations need to make informed and cautious decisions about the design, development, implementation, and use of a wide variety of emerging technologies.“

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Fraser’s work on ethics initiatives is a driving force for change. He’s brought a new approach to Speak Up at Wellcome, moving the organization away from a hotline and adopting digital channels that provide proactive insights for the business.

His innovative ethics-focused initiatives include ‘The Only Way is Ethics’ – open discussions between staff and board members and external speakers who talk about different integrity topics, including fraud, modern slavery, and ethical standards. Fraser and his team then link each session’s topic to Wellcome’s mission and values, demonstrating why integrity is so important to the organization and how everyone can be accountable and have a direct impact. This kind of dialogue around integrity and accountability in the workplace is raising the bar for foundations and nonprofits.

Fraser said: “We’re continuing to try ‘humanise’ what we’re doing – to truly embed our process of engaging mindsets (in particular through storytelling and role-modeling), sparking conversations, and providing simple and human tools for changing behaviours and habits in the moments that matter.”

Fraser is inspired by the wonderful Wellcome team, who consistently inspire great ideas and motivation.

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