Stay clean*

Today, many companies operating in global markets are struggling to keep up with recent regulatory developments concerning accounting and improper payments (bribery). 

In the USA and Europe, anti-bribery laws are being more strictly enforced; mutual assistance treaties mean that regulators are cooperating more extensively in investigations across borders; and corporate officers are facing increased risks of sanctions and individual liability – all these developments have kept regulatory compliance on the agenda of boards1 across a wide range of industries. Recent high-profile bribery scandals hold some lessons for boards on how to prevent or effectively respond to regulatory investigations. It is vital that boards know how to handle issues that may trigger a regulatory inquiry. And, in cases of compliance failure, boards must be prepared not only to play a significant role in restoring the credibility of the company with its regulator(s) and other stakeholders, but also to make the necessary permanent cultural changes in the company.

This whitepaper discusses four key topics in this difficult area:

  1. The steps boards can take and the strategies they can follow to embed ethics into their company as part of an overall shift in business culture
  2. The special compliance challenges posed by growth in developing countries
  3. The general trends in anti-bribery governance and compliance
  4. The steps boards can take when potential misconduct or regulatory crises actually arise.