Continuing Education – An Invaluable Asset in the Global CCO’s Toolkit

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By Sunny McCall, JD, LLM, Director,
Compliance Training & Accreditation, 
TRACE International, Inc.

In today’s global regulatory and enforcement environment, one aspect is clear – change is certain. As nations around the globe continue to evolve, sparking change in all forms – political, economic and regulatory – it is critical to the long-term success of today’s multinational organizations that those who are tasked with managing risk remain up to speed regarding the current state of the law particularly with regard to high-risk subject matter areas. In the world of compliance, one of these high-risk subject matter areas is the evolving body of law devoted to bribery and corruption.

A common target of regulatory updates and enforcement by governments worldwide, laws aimed at combatting corruption and bribery are becoming more and more prevalent.  Even more commonplace is the levying of record-breaking fines and penalties against companies for violations of the same. In such an environment, subject matter specific continuing education offers today’s global compliance officer the opportunity to not only remain current regarding the development of bribery and corruption law, but it also provides corporate executives with the information and tools necessary to put in place preventative measures to reduce downstream exposure.

More importantly, recent pronouncements by active enforcers of bribery laws in countries including the US and the UK have highlighted these governments’ continued emphasis on corporate staff being properly trained in compliance and the standards set by the applicable law, as well as the dedication of internal resources that support training and the continued review of one’s compliance program as a living document.[1] Additionally, recent trends in bribery enforcement in nations including, among others, the UK, Germany, Algeria, China, Nigeria and Australia indicate that enforcement of local and global bribery law remains a priority for many nations.[2]

In the realm of continuing education, there is no shortage of professional-level programs tailored for global compliance generally. Yet, for those seeking to hone in on the specific area of bribery and corruption risk the options are limited with the exception of TASA: TRACE Anti-Bribery Specialist Accreditation.

Providing a specialized accreditation for those companies and individuals who seek a professional credential specifically focused on anti-bribery compliance, TASA is a unique offering amongst global compliance certification programs.

The only accreditation program of its kind, TASA was developed more than 9 years ago and was created to be compatible with even the busiest executive’s schedule. Offered entirely online, candidates are given one year to complete a total of 20 credits before taking the test to achieve TASA accreditation. Also offering subject matter, regional and industry-specific specialties in a number of areas including LatAm, Europe, AsiaPac, Business Integrity & Risk, Oil, Gas & Energy, Financial Services, Life Sciences, Aerospace & Defense, Tech & Telecom, TASA provides candidates with a comprehensive knowledge of the law in global anti-bribery regulation.

Executives can be held personally liable for compliance infractions, but more broadly employees working on behalf of a global enterprise can minimize risk if they are properly equipped to respond to change. Consider the value continuing education can provide not only to a company as a whole, but also to employees.

[1] U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division Fraud Section, “Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs” (Feb 8, 2017), https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/page/file/937501/download; see also Camilla de Silva, Joint Head of Bribery and Corruption, speaking at the Herbert Smith Freehills Corporate Crime Conference 2018, “Corporate criminal liability, AI and DPAs” (June 21, 2018) https://www.sfo.gov.uk/2018/06/21/corporate-criminal-liability-ai-and-dpas/
[2] TRACE International, The Global Enforcement Report (March 2018),  https://www.traceinternational.org/ger