European Compliance & Ethics Community (ECEC)

"𝑰𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒌?" - a simple question to ask ourselves when faced with an ethical dilemma, but often, it's the question that matters most. It's essentially our conscience talking. 🧠 That's what the Wellcome Trust's new Code of Ethics launch – 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫'𝐬 𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐂 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 – is all about. In partnership with Acteon, they introduced "Connie," a lovable puppet symbolizing the conscience we all carry with us. From playfully interrupting webinars to guiding team discussions, Connie makes ethics engaging, approachable, and, yes, even fun. The #ECECAward celebrates organizations pushing the boundaries of compliance, and Wellcome’s success exemplifies how creativity can lead to more meaningful and impactful conversations around ethics. 🏆 "Connie shows how compliance can be fun, engaging, and impactful. This recognition from the ECEC community is truly an honor.” – Sarah Abramson. #ECEC2024 #Compliance #Ethics #Congratulations

The perfect end to an eventful #ECEC2024. 🥨 On Thursday morning, our exclusive guests concluded their ECEC program as they sat down for an informal and productive talk with EQS Group's AI & Compliance expert, Moritz Homann, over a classic Bavarian breakfast, Weißwurst & Brezn. #ECEC2024 #Compliance #Ethics #Bavaria #Bayern

It wouldn't be the ECEC without the ECEC Award 😊 And this year's worthy winner is.... Wellcome Trust, for their project: "What would Connie do?", featuring the adorable mascot, Connie (your conscience). Congratulations to Sarah Abramson, who held an outstanding pitch, and to everyone else involved in the making of. 🎉🏆 We'd also like to thank our other two finalists, OMRON Group and Telenor for their pitches. There can only be one winner, but you guys put on a great show! Lastly, a special thanks to 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 who applied for the #ECEC2024 awards. We were delighted with the entries, and the decision to choose three finalists was a tough one indeed. And... there's always next year 🙏 #ECEC2024 #TransformCompliance #ECECAwards

Bridging the Trust Gap: Empowering Responsible Decision-Making Through Business Ethics - our final panel discussion at #ECEC2024. A huge thanks to our panelists for their superb insights! 👏 👤 Samuel Ivanier 👤 Dr. Bernd Federmann, LL.M. 👤 Matej Drašček, PhD 👤 Maxine Bichler 👤 Dr. Claus Beckenhaub These were some of the big talking points: 📌 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐬: One of the challenges faced by companies is bringing the overload of regulations to their employees in an effective and comprehensible way. 📌 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐲: Companies need to align their internal policies and their business activities. This can only be achieved through ethical leadership in a top-down approach to ethics. 📌 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡? The panelists weighed up the pros and cons of incentives versus sanctions, emphasizing that with either approach, the aim should be to make compliance and ethics integral to business growth. If you would like to catch up on #ECEC2024, including this panel discussion on the trust gap, register for the event and the replays of all our sessions will be made available 👉 https://lnkd.in/e_vWTFuZ #ECEC2024 #TransformCompliance #TrustGap #Compliance #Ethics

How should companies handle CS3D?   At #ECEC2024, Stefanie Fehr, Professor for Compliance, and Holger Hembach, Attorney-at-Law, addressed this question before our audience of 5,000.   Stefanie shared survey insights revealing that 76% of companies cite lack of transparency as a major challenge in meeting CS3D requirements.   Holger followed with some practical advice for companies:   💡 Trace your supply chain - regulations are coming, and knowing it will be essential. 💡 Learn about human rights - understanding them is key to preventing violations. 💡 Build relationships with stakeholders - they know best when their rights are impacted.   And his top tip: 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲! These steps take time, so don’t wait to prepare for CS3D. #ECEC2024 #TransformCompliance #SupplyChain

Plenty going on away from the mainstage at #ECEC2024 as well, with Christian Hunt picking the brains of some of our speakers 📷 #Compliance #Ethics #TransformCompliance

"𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐲𝐞𝐫"—that’s what Zelda Perkins, co-founder of Can't Buy My Silence, was told the first time she spoke up against Harvey Weinstein. In her #ECEC2024 interview with Christian Hunt, Zelda shared her story. One we’ve heard before, but never loses its impact.   Her story isn’t just about one man—it’s about how the whole system failed her as a whistleblower. NDAs, often seen as protection, actually create reputational risk.   The real way to protect your reputation? Encourage a culture of speaking up. Reports aren’t just warnings—they're opportunities to do the right thing for every employee.   As Zelda put it: “The reason stories end up in the press is because they were suppressed in the first place.” Companies that support whistleblowers are the ones truly protecting their future. Register for the replays here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eBzFvD-t #SpeakUpCulture #Whistleblowing #Ethics #Compliance #Trust #ECEC2024 #TransformCompliance #Weinstein

When we talk about "𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐚𝐩," we often make certain assumptions. We assume it means companies need to gain the trust of the public, investors, and employees. However, Ruth Steinholtz, Culture and Integrity Partner, offered a fresh perspective at #ECEC2024... Companies need to 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞𝐬. Drawing a compelling parallel between compliance and pro cycling—a sport once plagued by widespread doping but now a beacon of professionalism—Ruth illustrated how balancing the drive to succeed with a "just culture" is essential for modern businesses. "Transforming compliance" involves simplifying and automating processes. But even more crucial is a mindset shift, where employees are viewed not as potential wrongdoers, but as ethical individuals. #ECEC2024 #TransformCompliance #ProCycling #Ethics

"𝐋𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 '𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐧'. 𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐧. 𝐋𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧" - Anka Lappoehn, CPO at EQS Group. This was just one of many brilliant quotes that came from our #ECEC2024 panel, 'Women at the Forefront of Compliance'. With Tania Higgins as moderator, our four panelists, Anka Lappoehn, Viktoria Reding, Marlene Huber, and Maria Hilda Schettino, dived into the topic of gender equality challenges in compliance. In an open and honest discussion, they shared stories of how they have experienced discrimination throughout their career, gave promising outlooks on how things are changing, and treated us to several unique and inspiring takes on what it means to be a woman in the world of compliance. 🙏   Missed it? Register now to get access to all the replays! 👉 https://lnkd.in/eBzFvD-t  #TransformCompliance #Compliance #Ethics #WomenInCompliance

𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲. "𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭" 🚂 Why is Karl-Heinz Land, expert in digital transformation, CEO and Founder at neuland.ai, talking about steam engines at a compliance and ethics conference - you might ask 🧐 His point is a compelling one: Just as the steam engine triggered the first industrial revolution, AI will drive the 5th, changing how we live and work. It is the steam engine moment of our time. And despite fears about AI and automation, he emphasized a human-centered approach, and that if humans and machines collaborate in an ethical and responsible way, it can even create a more prosperous future, just like the steam engine promised to do almost 300 years ago. #AI #CollaborativeIntelligence #Ethics #Trust #Technology #5thIndustrialRevolution #ECEC2024