The Ethics Experts

In this episode of The Ethics Experts, Nick and Gio welcome Andrew McBride. Andrew McBride is the CEO of Integrity Bridge LLC, a consulting practice offering strategic & operational compliance support for companies. Andrew has over 25 years of compliance experience, at an international law firm and several multinational companies in the Americas, Europe and Australasia. In his most recent role as Chief Risk & Compliance Officer at Albemarle Corporation, he built a new ethics and compliance program, and recruited a new team, against the backdrop of an FCPA investigation. The investigation was resolved by way of a Non-Prosecution Agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice and Cease & Desist Order with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. As part of the resolution, Albemarle secured a 45% reduction in penalty due to its co-operation with the investigation and the compliance program that was built, the largest FCPA % penalty reduction to date. In recognition of these efforts Albemarle was awarded Compliance Program of the Year by Compliance Week in May 2024. In parallel to the FCPA investigation and business ethics efforts, Andrew played a key role supporting Albemarle’s commitment to sustainability including UN Global Compact membership, management of the company’s human rights framework and support for the company’s successful efforts to achieve certification against the Initiative of Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA)’s Mining Standard. Prior to Albemarle, Andrew was Associate General Counsel Compliance at BHP, Senior Antitrust Counsel at BP and Managing Associate at Linklaters. Andrew is admitted to practice law in England, Western Australia & California. He is also a Certified Fraud Examiner.

In this episode of The Ethics Experts, Nick welcomes Kimberly Strong. Kimberly Strong is vice president, Chief Ethics & Compliance officer for Con Edison, a regulated utility providing electric, gas and steam service in New York. Since joining the company in 2012, Ms. Strong has been responsible for all aspects of the company’s business ethics and compliance program. She uses her years of experience as a trial attorney and advice lawyer on employment and labor issues by working with corporate leadership and employees to meet the company's commitment to integrity and accountability. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlystrong/

In this episode of The Ethics Experts, Nick welcomes Vera Cherepanova. Vera is an award-winning ethics and compliance expert who writes and speaks about business ethics, workplace culture, behavioral compliance, risk, and governance. She is the Executive Director of Boards of the Future, a non-profit that works with corporate boards globally and advocates for more people with ethics and compliance backgrounds on boards. Vera is the author of Corporate Compliance Program, the first-ever book on compliance in the Russian language, and a co-author of The Transnationalization of Anti-Corruption Law, as well as hundreds of articles on all aspects of ethics, compliance, and governance. http://www.veracherepanova.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/follow-vera-cherepanova/

In this episode of The Ethics Experts, Nick welcomes Laura Sauber. Laura Sauber is the CEO of Sauber Consulting, a firm dedicated to helping healthcare organizations build cultures where ethics and compliance risks are proactively prevented, identified, and resolved—ensuring they do not impede the organization’s strategic objectives. Laura is recognized not only as a strategic compliance leader but also for her strong business acumen, innovative approach, and collaborative leadership style. Passionate about driving organizational integrity and performance, Laura excels at advising leaders and cross-functional teams on effectively navigating the complex federal and state regulatory landscape, improving, and sustaining organizational performance. https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-sauber/

In this episode of The Ethics Experts, Nick welcomes Dr. Bettina Palazzo. Bettina’s fascination with business ethics began in the early 90s, and once she realized how rich and exciting the field was, she never looked back. She suffered through the cumbersome but rewarding effort of getting her head around the philosophical and economical foundations of business ethics, won a prize for her PhD. thesis and rode off into the sunset to join KPMG. There she helped to build their business ethics consulting services. Tough pioneer work at that time! In 2003 she started her own ethics advisory. Along the way, she’s learned that you can’t squeeze ethics into checklists, and that unethical companies make for unhappy people. Bettina received the "Compliance Influencer of the Year 2024" award from the International Compliance Association, a recognition of her passion for turning ethics and compliance into something everyone wants to be a part of. Whether through her blogposts, LinkedIn, or her online community – the Compliance Cappuccino Club, she brings fresh, relatable insights to the compliance community. Fun fact: she met her husband, Guido Palazzo, at a business ethics conference—proof that ethics really is her love story! http://www.bettinapalazzo.com/

In this episode of The Ethics Experts, Nick welcomes Leslie V. Boles, BA, CCS, CPC, CPMA, CHC, CPC-I, CRC. Leslie Boles is the Co-Owner & President of Revu Healthcare, with over 16 years of experience in healthcare coding, auditing, and compliance. She holds various credentials and has served in leadership roles, including on the Board of Directors at Engage NC and as Co-Chairman of the Board at Grateful Heart Church in Cary, NC. Previously, she was the Senior Director of Compliance & Audit at Waud Capital Partners, overseeing compliance programs for portfolio companies. https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-boles-ba-ccs-cpc-cpma-chc-cpc-i-crc-69442246/

Sarah Cole is a solicitor and accredited life coach who has worked with CEOs and Executives for nearly 30 years with a specialism in the ethics and compliance space. After a career practicing law in corporate, commercial, banking and finance and property litigation fields she was in a life changing, serious car accident that changed the trajectory of her professional and personal life. Across her career, she has navigated ethical dilemmas and has 'walked the talk', she saw time and time again how tough and lonely it is at the top and founded Cole Forums, a peer support network. She is passionate in the power of trust and authentic connection that peer support groups bring. Her community of CEOs, GC’s, CECOs and C Suite leaders share experiences and insights providing safe spaces and intelligent networks to navigate the complexities of leadership and business but also to support leaders with their personal and family lives. www.coleforums.com www.integrityfirstcoaching.com

In this episode of The Ethics Experts, Nick welcomes Greg Shultz. Greg Shultz, Founder of Conformitise, is a global compliance and risk executive with over 24 years of experience, including 11 years living and working across the Asia Pacific region. His career has been defined by roles at leading financial institutions, including Morgan Stanley and BlackRock, where he designed and executed strategic compliance programs and spearheaded technology-driven initiatives to mitigate global risks and enhance regulatory frameworks. Prior to financial services, Greg was at the United Nations, where he served on the investigation committee led by former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker during the Iraqi Oil-for-Food Programme Investigation. In this role, Greg played a pivotal part in uncovering corruption and fund misappropriation in one of the most complex humanitarian operations in history. This experience solidified his focus on fostering transparency, strengthening compliance, and managing strategic risk on a global scale. https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregshultz/

Todd Haugh, an Associate Professor at Indiana University, dives into the fascinating world of white-collar crime and business ethics. He shares his journey from practicing attorney to academic, highlighting how psychological motives can lead to unethical behavior. The discussion covers the crucial distinction between a company’s stated values and actual practices, as well as the importance of authentic communication. Haugh emphasizes the role of behavioral insights in corporate ethics, advocating for innovative compliance practices that truly reflect organizational values.