The PPT presentation is available here

Date: Friday, January 29, 2021

Time: 9:00am – 10:30am PDT

We are pleased to announce the first 2021 monthly event of the Anti-Corruption Law Program public education series – a morning Zoom seminar on the topic of “Integrity and Anti-Corruption for SMEs – Getting it Right”. This Seminar will provide an opportunity for participants to explore with our experienced panel the issues that confront small and medium-sized enterprises that seek to grow their market share and “do the right thing” — conduct business with integrity, help fight corruption, and comply with applicable anti-corruption laws.

Our panelists bring diverse perspectives to the discussion, and will address such questions as:

• How can Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) adopt anti-corruption measures that are cost–effective and proportional to their own unique risk profile?
• How relevant are international standards and best practices (such as US Department of Justice Guidelines) to the creation and operation of compliance programs in Canada? Can the Department of Justice Guidelines be adapted to the needs and overhead budgets of SMEs in Canada?
• What unique characteristics of SMEs can be leveraged to compensate for lacking the resources of larger firms, such as in-house lawyers and compliance departments?

Register Here

This event qualifies for 1.5 CPD credit.

Additional Resources: International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC)

The Anti-Corruption Law Program (ACLP) public education series is a collaborative partnership with the Centre for Business Law, Transparency International Canada, and the International Centre for Criminal Law Reform & Criminal Justice Policy. To learn more about future ACLP events, please visit here.

Moderator:

Norman Baldwin – Partner, GRC Vista

Norman has been active in the international business integrity field for over 30 years. He was formerly Operations Manager for two Vancouver-based investment firms, where he oversaw compliance and operational risk for the parent companies and a diverse portfolio of subsidiaries in Canada, southern Africa, Asia, and the USA. From 1995-2017 Norman was based in Brazil, where he helped a long list of organizations to improve their governance, risk, and compliance practices and standards. He is currently a Partner with risk management consulting firm GRC Vista, which advises companies on strategies for white collar crime deterrence.

Panelists:

James N. Mwangi – CEO, Kurrent Technologies Ltd.

James has held key roles for over 30 years in the Energy (power generation and renewable energy) and Oil & Gas sectors. He is a Registered Consulting Engineer with the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK), and was recently elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC). He also chairs the FIDIC Integrity Management Committee. James is the Chairman of the Private Sector Initiative against Corruption under the umbrella of the Multisectoral Forum (MSF), and is a past Chairman of the Association of Consulting Engineers of Kenya (ACEK). His company, Kurrent Technologies Ltd., is a Consulting Engineering firm registered with the Engineers Board of Kenya. It is currently undertaking major energy and oil & gas projects, as well as studies for LNG power generation plants, solar and wind power projects, and electrical transmission lines, primarily in East and Central Africa.

John Ritchie – Vice Chair, FIDIC Integrity Management Committee

John is a Civil Engineer with more than 40 years of experience obtained in Canada, Asia and Australia. His water resources and hydropower experience includes projects in many parts of Canada, and in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nepal and India. Until recently he served on the Board of Directors of BC Hydro and Transparency International Canada. Mr. Ritchie developed and implemented an anti-corruption compliance system for his Canada-based engineering firm, Acres International. He subsequently served as full-time Compliance Director for an EPCM team implementing a major LNG project that is under construction in Western Australia, followed by the establishment and initial management of a Project anti-corruption compliance system for another major LNG project under construction in northern Australia.

Paul Townsend – Principal, Townsend Risk Advisory

Paul is a Chartered Accountant (CA, CPA) and Certified Internal Auditor with over 30 years of experience in risk management, audit, and compliance. As Principal, Townsend Risk Advisory, Paul has assisted several organizations enhance their compliance programs, ensuring they effectively manage the risks of bribery and corruption. For 16 years he was the Chief Risk Officer, VP Audit, and Chief Compliance Officer for the Teekay Group of Companies, leading a global team that was responsible for Enterprise Risk Management, audit, and global anti-corruption efforts including training and investigations. He was also the Vice Chair of the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network and past President of the Institute of Internal Auditors (Vancouver).

Photo by Floriane Vita on Unsplash.