By Emmanuel Bonzé, Revue Association Française des Juristes d'Entreprise (AFJE)
Professions related to compliance have changed and will continue to evolve over the coming years. Blandine Cordier-Palasse, from Blandine Cordier Conseil Executive search, explains.
First of all, could you tell us about your role?
I work as a headhunter for both firms and groups. I also work for national and international financial institutions and funds. I refer in particular to the legal and financial professions. Compliance. My expertise is based on over twenty years' operational experience as a lawyer and then legal director.
What do you think about the professions involved in the compliance ?
According to the Compliance In the end, this function is extremely diverse. What makes it special is its cross-functional nature and its interaction with all the functional and operational departments. Management, and first and foremost the Chairman and the CEO, must support and promote the spirit and approach of the CSR function. Compliance. All the departments have a role to play in working in synergy with the Compliance Officers (COs). They act as the internal interface with Legal, Risk Management, Audit, Internal Control and Quality, as well as with Sales, HR and Communications. They also liaise externally with the regulator(s).
Over and above this prevention and control approach, it is really a question of bringing ethics to life within the company. It's about getting the operational and functional departments to work even more closely together. Whether it corresponds to a dedicated or shared function, it is the highest level of the hierarchy that is responsible. This gives Compliance the necessary legitimacy to issue a constructive, authorised and independent opinion. The concept must take account of concerns on the ground and business constraints. These players do not set themselves up as judges or censors. They must provide real added value in the service of business and operational safety.
What profile is required for these professions?
The CO must demonstrate the following qualities: leadership, independence, rigour, charisma and integrity. He or she must be a good communicator, with a panoramic view of the company and a good knowledge of the business and its people, so as to be able to anticipate constraints and assess the level of risk. In particular - with the help of a directly or indirectly dedicated team - he or she must audit the chains of delegation of powers, analyse existing or potential conflicts of interest, draw up a risk map, ensure the traceability of information, and contribute to investigations by the various authorities.
COURSE
After working as a corporate lawyer at Slaughter & May and then as legal director for the Parfinance, Gemplus and Siparex groups, Blandine Cordier-Palasse decided to move into human capital. She was a partner at Boyden Executive Search in charge of the Legal, tax, financial communication and corporate governance practice. compliance before moving on to his own practice with two associates.
Have you noticed any changes in these professions?
In 2009, 80 % of CAC40-listed companies had appointed an ethics officer, and 50 % of these had a dedicated function. Ethics are increasingly taken seriously, with a virtuous circle effect. The increased role of the authorities, particularly the competition authorities at international level, and the development of investigations, are making it even more important. For COs who are in-house lawyers in France, obtaining legal privilege would be a fundamental element of security for the communication and processing of sensitive information.
The impact of scandals linked to corruption, competition, financial fraud and other offences, whether stock market-related or not, on the image and reputation of companies and the influence of Anglo-Saxon culture reinforce the place of the Compliance within the company. This trend is set to continue, and is becoming a key factor in boosting the performance and image of companies.
What changes are on the horizon to adapt to the demands of the legal departments on the one hand, and general management on the other?
Many legal directors - whether consciously or unconsciously - are deploying Compliance adapted to the company's activity or environment, on both a national and international scale, with a very business-oriented vision, since managing directors expect these programmes to ensure the security of operations as well as their own in the sense of "criminal and civil liability". This is one of the reasons behind the creation of the Cercle de la Compliance and CSR. Above all, the aim is to make this circle a place for reflection, proposals, development and exchange. The aim is to raise awareness among managers and all those involved in the Compliance. It also provides them with the resources and tools to deploy within their own companies.
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