We often discuss the importance of the “tone at the top” and assume that ethics will cascade to the rest of an organization. Compliance and ethics culture can evaporate long before it ever reaches frontline teams. There are two essential filters between the top and frontline teams: the mood in the middle and the vibe at the bottom. Compliance professionals must simultaneously ensure that executives set the tone for ethics and understand how the culture is translated, reshaped

Denny Herzberg was still an infant when his parents fled Nazi Germany in 1940. They had managed the difficult task of securing exit visas for themselves, but the Gestapo agent at the ship’s on-ramp wouldn’t let their baby aboard with only a birth certificate.

My conversation with Open Contracting Partnership (OCP) Executive Director Gavin Hayman and Head of Communications Georg Neumann continued with an exploration of two issues: 1) infrastructure procurement, particularly regarding Ukrainian reconstruction and China’s global role in the sector; and 2) developments in beneficial ownership transparency (BOT).

According to the OECD, “public procurement is the government activity most vulnerable to waste, mismanagement and corruption,” and over “half of foreign bribery cases occurred to obtain a public procurement contract.” Of course, discussion of corruption in public procurement has lately become hotly politicized in the US. But politics should not stop the integrity community from tackling this very real challenge.

Entrepreneurs are unique actors in the private sector; they drive innovation and create new jobs and boost economic growth. Their high growth and risk tolerant mindset, coupled with finite resources, mean they face a unique set of integrity and ethics challenges.

Corruption is a key driver of extreme poverty and inequality throughout the world. While an exact figure remains elusive, the UN estimates that corruption costs $2.6 trillion annually, or 5% of the world's GDP. Corruption is also a destabilizing force that is frequently at the heart of global events.