Culture & Compliance Chronicles

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab, and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, are joined by neuropsychologist Sarah Zheng to explore the human factor in cybersecurity. The conversation delves into the psychology behind hacking, the role of emotions and context in falling for scams, and the evolving risks posed by emerging technologies like AI and brain-computer interfaces. Sarah shares insights from her research at the Dawes Centre for Future Crime and her book, The Psychology of Cybersecurity, highlighting the importance of operational resilience and creative approaches to cyber aw...

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery are joined by Klaus Moosmayer, a distinguished leader in ethics, risk, and compliance, and a current member of the supervisory board of Deutsche Bank. The conversation delves into the importance of integrated assurance—breaking down organizational silos to foster collaboration across risk, compliance, strategy, HR, and legal functions. Klaus shares practical examples from his career, including how crisis moments can drive meaningful change and the value of crowdsourcing a code of ethics to truly engage employees. Behavioral science and...

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, join Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab, and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, as they welcome Dorie Clark—a top business thinker, communications coach, and bestselling author—for an impactful discussion on authentic networking and relationship-building in the compliance and legal world. Discover practical strategies for connecting with peers, navigating business dynamics, and fostering trust, including the “no ask for a year” rule and tips for making meaningful introductions. This episode offers actionable advice for compliance professionals and anyone looking to build influence and genuine connections. Tune in for fre...

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab welcome Annastiina Hintsa, CEO of Hintsa Performance. The conversation examines the relationship between well-being and sustainable high performance, the importance of personal identity, and the impact of holistic health on resilience and productivity. Annastiina shares insights from her work with elite athletes and business leaders, practical strategies for integrating well-being into daily routines, and advice on defining success beyond professional achievements. Listeners will gain valuable perspectives on fostering a culture that prioritizes well-being, actionable tips for improving performance, and a timely re...

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab, and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery welcome Pav Gill, renowned for his role in exposing the Wirecard scandal, with a special introduction from Ropes & Gray Litigation & Enforcement partner Andrew Dale. The conversation explores the complexities of organizational culture, the barriers to speaking up, and the critical importance of protecting whistleblowers. Pav shares his firsthand experience navigating retaliation, the challenges of internal and external whistleblowing, and practical advice for fostering transparency and psychological safety within companies. Listeners will gain valuable insights into bu...

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab, and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery are joined by Rachel Samren, a board director, responsible business advocate, and crisis management expert. The discussion centers on the changing demands of board membership, including the need for clarity, agility, and continuous learning in today’s complex risk environment. Rachel shares practical advice for new and seasoned board members, emphasizing the importance of integrated risk management, open communication, and upholding organizational values. The episode offers actionable tips on effective governance, crisis management, and fostering a cu...

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab, and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery speak with Archana Kotecha, CEO of The Remedy Project, about her journey from corporate law to leading human rights initiatives across Asia. Archana shares practical insights on assessing workplace culture, supporting women and migrant workers, and building trust between businesses and NGOs. The conversation explores the challenges of conducting human rights impact assessments, the importance of direct worker engagement, and the role of pilots and feedback in compliance programs. Whether you are a compliance professional, le...

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab, and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery are joined by Professor Guido Palazzo, co-author of The Dark Pattern: The Hidden Dynamics of Corporate Scandals. Together, they explore why corporate scandals are rarely the result of a few “bad apples” and instead stem from deeper organizational patterns—such as toxic leadership, unrealistic targets, and ambiguous rules—that shape behavior across entire companies. Professor Palazzo shares practical insights on how organizations can recognize and disrupt these harmful dynamics, foster allyship, and build cultures where ethical co...

On this retrospective episode of the Culture & Compliance Chronicles podcast, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab, and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, reflect on the key themes and insights from season one. They emphasize the importance of culture in driving compliance and regulatory practices, highlighting discussions with various guests who shared their experiences and strategies. Key themes include the significance of contextualizing culture, humanizing compliance, and using data intentionally to inform decisions. The hosts also share practical tips and exercises for maintaining focus and creativity in the compliance space. As they look forward to th...

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab, and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, are joined by Nicole Rose, a compliance specialist and creative artist based in Australia who shares her unique insights on how creativity helps solve compliance challenges. Nicole discusses the concept of "moneyballing" in compliance, emphasizing the importance of data-driven, effective controls that add value to the business. She also highlights the significance of humanizing compliance training and making it relevant and engaging for employees. Tune in to explore Nicole's innovative approaches, including her experiences with cu...

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab, and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, are joined by Nicole Rose, a compliance specialist and creative artist based in Australia who shares her unique insights on how creativity helps solve compliance challenges. Nicole discusses the concept of "moneyballing" in compliance, emphasizing the importance of data-driven, effective controls that add value to the business. She also highlights the significance of humanizing compliance training and making it relevant and engaging for employees. Tune in to explore Nicole's innovative approaches, including her experiences with cu...

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab, and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, are joined by Dina Denham Smith, an accomplished leader, executive coach, and author, to discuss her new book, Emotionally Charged: How to Lead in the New World of Work. Dina shares insights on the heightened emotional demands on leaders, strategies for managing emotions in the workplace, and the importance of compassionate detachment. They also explore the concept of emotional contagion and how leaders can balance authenticity with the need to maintain team morale (or “with the...

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, are joined by Megan Reitz, founder of Reitz Consulting and an Associate Fellow at Saïd Business School, Oxford University. Megan, a renowned thought leader listed on the Thinkers50 ranking and HR Magazine’s Most Influential list, shares insights from her latest co-authored book, Speak Out, Listen Up: How to Have Conversations That Matter. Megan discusses the relational aspects of speaking up, the importance of creating environments that encourage open dialogue, and practical exercises to enhance listening skills. The c...

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, are joined by Megan Reitz, founder of Reitz Consulting and an Associate Fellow at Saïd Business School, Oxford University. Megan, a renowned thought leader listed on the Thinkers50 ranking and HR Magazine’s Most Influential list, shares insights from her latest co-authored book, Speak Out, Listen Up: How to Have Conversations That Matter. Megan discusses the relational aspects of speaking up, the importance of creating environments that encourage open dialogue, and practical exercises to enhance listening skills. The c...

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, are joined by Tal Freilich, the vice president of group governance, risk and compliance at DKSH. The discussion delves into the complexities of managing compliance across diverse markets, the impact of cultural differences on compliance practices, and the innovative use of AI and data analytics in compliance programs. Tal shares his insights on building trust, fostering open communication, and enabling business operations through effective compliance strategies. Tal notes some great examples of both successful initiatives, and ideas that ha...

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, are joined by Letitia Adu-Ampoma, a seasoned compliance professional with extensive experience in designing and implementing ethics and compliance programs across multiple continents. Letitia shares her invaluable insights on the importance of contextualizing and operationalizing global compliance to local cultures. She emphasizes the need for organizations to understand and adapt to cultural nuances, including demographics, linguistic nuances, and technology, to ensure the effectiveness of their compliance programs. Through engaging anecdotes and practical examples, Letitia illustrates how cultural differences ca...

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab, and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, are joined by Danny Mayhew, the global head of organisational justice and smart assurance at Sanofi. Danny shares his unique journey from law enforcement to the corporate world, emphasizing the importance of empathy in investigations and the role of organisational justice in fostering a fair and transparent workplace. They explore how data, behavioral insights, and innovative tools like AI and machine learning are being leveraged to predict and prevent misconduct ensuring a proactive approach to co...

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab, and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, are joined by Katie Daniels, managing director and head of compliance at CPP Investments. Katie shares her journey in using tools such as behavioral science to think differently about compliance challenges. Hear how you can harness the human factor in investigations, learn lessons to be a better partner with business stakeholders, and understand how vulnerability can be a strength. Katie reflects on her most impactful behaviorally-informed compliance interventions (and areas where things didn’t go so w...

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab, are joined by Dr. Brennan Jacoby, a philosopher and founder of Philosophy at Work. Dr. Jacoby joins the conversation from his family's year-long travels across the world, and discusses his work on the philosophy of trust, including sharing his views on how compliance teams can foster trust. Throughout, Dr. Jacoby references exercises that you can do with your teams on everything from trust to attention. The conversation explores the practical application of philosophy in organizations, focusing on critical thinking, curiosity, and et...

On this special edition of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, join Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab’s Director of Behavioral Insights, Nitish Upadhyaya, “live” from the Society of Corporate Compliance & Ethics flagship conference in Grapevine, Texas as he talks to members of the compliance community about culture. This special “fly on the wall” episode was recorded in breaks during the conference, with the aim of understanding how compliance professionals are seeing culture manifest in their day-to-day work and how they are harnessing it to achieve better outcomes for their organizations. Learn how people are defining culture and how voices from the industry are...

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab, and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, are joined by Stephanie Niven, a portfolio manager at Ninety One, for an engaging conversation on the significance of corporate culture as a source of competitive advantage and its role in driving sustainable investment returns. Stephanie shares her insights on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the investment space, the evolution of ESG expectations, and discusses the framework used by Ninety One to assess (not measure!) and influence corporate culture. The conversation of...

What on earth is FEPA (the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act)? On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab, and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, ask guest Ryan Rohlfsen, a former federal prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and now partner and co-chair of Ropes & Gray’s anti-corruption and international risk practice, to share his views on the DOJ’s latest tool. They discuss the implications of FEPA on enforcement, corporate compliance, and the cultural context of international jurisdictions. The conversation also touches on the potential impact on U.S...

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab, and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, delve into the intricacies of corporate culture and compliance with special guest Guillem Casoliva Cabana. A seasoned traveler and compliance manager at Booking.com, Guillem takes us on a journey through his academic and practical experiences. The conversation covers the importance of understanding team ethical culture, the role of direct managers in shaping it, and how ethics ambassadors can be used to support compliance programs by acting as a bridge between compliance teams and employees. 

Welcome back to the Culture & Compliance Chronicles, a podcast series brought to you by Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab and Front-Line Anti-Bribery. Join Amanda Raad, co-leader of R&G Insights Lab and the firm’s global anti-corruption and international risk practice, Nitish Upadhyaya, R&G Insights Lab director of behavioral insights, and Richard Bistrong, an ethics and compliance consultant and CEO of Front-Line Anti-Bribery as they explore the constantly evolving challenges faced by professionals worldwide in managing risk and compliance. On this episode, they reflect on past developments, current trends, and the future of compliance. They also discuss the sign...

The latest installment of R&G Insights Lab’s podcast series, Culture & Compliance Chronicles, continues to explore the benefits of using analytics and technology in the compliance and risk management space. Zach Coseglia, managing principal and head of innovation of R&G Insights Lab, concludes his conversation with two guests from compliance software company Lextegrity, founder and CEO Parth Chanda, and head of product Kara Bonitatibus. Picking up where they left off, the group first tackles a common question from companies, “Of all of the places where there is an opportunity to bring value with data and analytics, which is the...

The latest installment of R&G Insights Lab’s podcast series, Culture & Compliance Chronicles, explores the benefits of using analytics and technology in the compliance and risk management space. Zach Coseglia, managing principal and head of innovation of R&G Insights Lab, talks with two guests from compliance software company Lextegrity, founder and CEO Parth Chanda, and head of product Kara Bonitatibus. In the first of a two-part conversation, Parth and Kara talk about the benefits of a more analytically-powered approach to compliance and risk management; and specifically, how they have drawn upon their past experiences as in-house compliance lawyers to...

In this episode of R&G Insights Lab’s podcast series, Culture & Compliance Chronicles, litigation & enforcement attorney Tina Yu continues her discussion with Ropes & Gray partners who focus on data, privacy and security across the firm’s enforcement and transactional practices. Picking up from a conversation about the role of data and its commoditization, Ed Black and Rohan Massey delve into how the regulators in the U.S. and UK are approaching this new world of data, where companies are trying to find their footing in navigating the possibilities stemming from growing data analytics capabilities, but where safe harbors may stil...

In this episode of R&G Insights Lab’s podcast series, Culture & Compliance Chronicles, litigation & enforcement attorney Tina Yu speaks with Ropes & Gray partners who focus on data, privacy and security across the firm’s enforcement and transactional practices. In the first part of a two-part discussion, Ed Black and Rohan Massey discuss the legal issues that are raised as more companies utilize data for both commercial and compliance purposes. In a wide-ranging conversation, they discuss: transparency around the use of data, especially in light of data protection laws; how organizations can make the most of their data while stil...

In this episode of Ropes & Gray’s podcast series, Culture & Compliance Chronicles, litigation & enforcement attorney Tina Yu continues the conversation with Julian Danobeitia, an executive coach and director at DownTheCorridor. Last episode, Tina and Julian discussed how important relationships are to improving the overall compliance culture. Now they delve into techniques legal and regulatory compliance teams can use to build relationships and enhance outreach. To make communications more effective, they discuss the importance of curiosity and empathy, and adopting a relationship-based approach to interacting with colleagues.

In this episode of Ropes & Gray’s podcast series, Culture & Compliance Chronicles, litigation & enforcement attorney Tina Yu talks with Julian Danobeitia, an executive coach and director at DownTheCorridor. The first of a two-part discussion, this episode focuses on how the legal and compliance functions are often perceived within organizations, and why that impacts their ability to perform. Drawing on professional experiences, movies and psychology, the two also drill down on what kind of relationships among co-workers tend to foster a more healthy compliance culture.

The latest installment of Ropes & Gray’s podcast series, Culture & Compliance Chronicles, explores company culture in times of crisis. In the final part of a three-part discussion, litigation & enforcement attorney Amanda Raad talks with three partners at EY—Maryam Hussain, Melissa Myatt and Katharina Weghmann—all of whom study decision-making in the corporate context. In this episode, the group explores what effective remediation looks like and how it all ties back to the root cause of the issue. They also circle back to how companies can create a culture of compliance and the role ethics plays in this, especially for compan...

The latest installment of Ropes & Gray’s podcast series, Culture & Compliance Chronicles, explores company culture in times of crisis. In part two of a three-part discussion, litigation & enforcement attorney Amanda Raad talks with three partners at EY—Maryam Hussain, Melissa Myatt and Katharina Weghmann—all of whom study decision-making in the corporate context. In the last episode, the group considered what the research says about the drivers of firm culture. In this episode, they shift to how companies can actually define and measure culture. They explore innovative approaches that go beyond the usual employee surveys. They also discuss why now is a p...

The latest installment of Ropes & Gray’s podcast series, Culture & Compliance Chronicles, explores company culture in times of crisis. In part one of a three-part discussion, litigation & enforcement attorney Amanda Raad talks with three partners at EY—Katharina Weghmann, Maryam Hussain and Melissa Myatt—who focus on behavioral science and decision-making in the corporate context. The group considers what the research says about the drivers of firm culture, how companies and individuals make decisions, and how they’re seeing this play out as companies grapple with the global pandemic. Throughout, they also touch on how regulators are responding to the current...

In the second episode of Ropes & Gray’s podcast series, Culture & Compliance Chronicles, litigation & enforcement attorneys Tina Yu and Amanda Raad, who co-chairs the firm’s global anti-corruption and international risk practice, continue their conversation with Jules Colborne-Baber, a partner and forensic audit expert at Deloitte UK, and Richard Bistrong, CEO of Front-Line Anti-Bribery LLC, about behavioral science and compliance. The first part of their conversation focused on the importance of incorporating behavioral science in compliance programs. In part two, they turn their attention to the application of behavioral science in compliance testing and monitoring.

Welcome to Culture & Compliance Chronicles, a new Ropes & Gray podcast series focused on the behavioral sciences approach to risk management. In this inaugural episode—part one of a two-part series—Ropes & Gray litigation & enforcement attorneys Amanda Raad and Tina Yu are joined by special guests Richard Bistrong, CEO of Front-Line Anti-Bribery LLC, and Jules Colborne-Baber, a partner and forensic audit expert at Deloitte UK, to take a deep dive into behavioral sciences and compliance, with a focus on how organizations can develop more effective tools to identify misconduct.

Regulators around the world are increasingly warning against the danger of a check-the-box compliance program and encouraging companies to evaluate their respective cultures and the corresponding impact on compliance. A growing emphasis on behavioral sciences, which involves looking more deeply into why an individual makes certain decisions or acts a certain way, is becoming an increasingly important aspect of this shift. In this podcast, litigation & enforcement attorneys Amanda Raad and Tina Yu sit down with Richard Bistrong, CEO of Front-Line Anti-Bribery LLC, to discuss his journey from being prosecuted by U.S. and UK authorities for bribery violations to becoming...