Train Your Board and C-Suite Now – The Under-Education of Corporate Leadership

There is a dirty little secret out in the corporate governance world – listen closely – sometimes board members and C-Suite executives do not understand what the law requires and how a compliance program is supposed to work. I know you find this hard to believe but the fault for this lack of education rests squarely in the laps of board members, senior executives and the chief compliance officer. We have long advocated that corporate boards and senior executives have to attend mandatory training programs. Not just for ten minutes on the FCPA, or 10 minutes on employment law, but real and meaningful training so that they understand exactly what the law requires or prohibits, how the company is addressing these issues, and what questions should they be asking to ensure compliance. I have repeated myself on this issue over and over again. A recent Ethics and Compliance Training Benchmark Report released by NAVEX Global underscored the importance of training programs and the glaring need to train corporate boards and senior executives.