Program 2023

Introduction by the organizers and Day Chair Therus de Villeneuve. The theme of the Risk & Compliance Summer School is Compliance Management, Regaining Trust.

First Aid Kit for Whistleblower Professionals

Stronger EU rules on whistleblower rights are among many new regulations around the world designed to protect employees and other witnesses who report misconduct from retaliation. In the EU, employers in both public and private sector with as few as 50 employees are required to set up internal reporting systems for their staff. Along with the opportunities they bring, these whistleblower systems present many new challenges for compliance officers, auditors, HR and other departments involved.

This session will present why whistleblowing and legislation is important. It will also focus on strategies in receiving and investigating reports of misconduct and retaliation, and ensuring reporters do not suffer reprisals when they make a report. Through our discussions, participants will craft their own ideas and tactics to use in their own work.

In this workshop Mark Worth and Caroline Raat will explain that Compliance Officers are often the first responders in whistleblower cases. Participants can share ideas and use their own experience in discovering ways to deal with whistleblowers and reported wrongdoings in the best possible way for all parties involved.

Introduction: The case of Patrick, by Caroline.

Why is whistleblower protection so important and so hard? by Mark

Brief overview of the EU Whistleblowing Directive, by Caroline

Group assignment 1

Wrap up by Caroline & Mark

Phone script

Lunch and networking

The importance of Nonverbal communication and practical tools for risk & compliance issues

We see a change in society in which, for example, hybrid working and incidents in the field of transgressive and unethical behavior are becoming more common. Today’s fact-finding tools don’t always give us the results we need. We are used to work with what people tell us, but what do we do with the information that is not said. Motives for resistance are often withheld. How do we handle this kind of information?

In this workshop, An shows which collection of innovative instruments she uses to connect with the interviewee in order to map motives, interests and behavior. She shows how she can get more information on the table about the causes of resistance and for effective information elicitation.

The workshop is partly theoretical and partly interactive, in which participants can also test their own knowledge and skills using notable examples from the media.

Wrap-up of the day by Therus de Villeneuve. Risk & Compliance TV will be available for interviews and statements of teachers and participants.

Networking Evening Program.

Introduction of Day 2 by Therus de Villeneuve, program director.

Supervisors & Corporate Ethics & Compliance Programs

Michael van Woerden is specialized in assessment of corporate ethics & compliance programs to ensure that it can meet with the latest standards of ‘good business practice. He will talk about the concept of ‘tried and tested’ in maintaining high level compliance programs and related consultations with stakeholders, to ensure a high level of integrity throughout the organisation.Michael has been selected and appointed by the Worldbank to conduct monitorships of Dutch companies with international business activities. He accompanies many companies with preventative, self imposed, compliance reviews to strengthen the compliance program, ensuring that it is ‘risk based’ and well designed.

Michael en René have the seniority, experience and expertise to assist executive management and supervisory bodies when they are put to the test. This may vary from threats of criminal prosecution, investigations by regulators, or involvement by other stakeholders, including banks and governmental organisations.

He will talk about how to deal with issues like being involved in settlement agreements with the Public Prosecution Service; how to adhere to agreements with foreign public authorities such as the DOJ in the US and/or the UK Serious Fraud Office; how to follow recommnendations by Central Banks, foreign regulators such as the UK Financial Conduct Authority and your external accountant, banks, (national) public authorities, and/or other stakeholders such as the World Bank.

Networking and lunch

International Risk Assessment and misuse of offshore companies

According to the Dutch National Risk Assessment (2022), the use of offshore companies is one of the biggest risks for money laundering in the Netherlands.

Also, several Leaks like the Offshore Leaks (2013), the Panama Papers (2016) and the recent Dubai Papers (2022) show us the risk of misuse of offshore companies. Additionally on April 19th 2022 the World bank has published a report called “Signatures for Sale” about the misuse of nominee services to conceal the beneficial owners of offshore companies.

Our statement is that you cannot make a good risk analyse without sufficient knowledge and understanding of this financial offshore world. On Friday 7^th July Jan van Koningsveld and Wendy van Koningsveld will take you into this fascinating offshore world. Starting with an analyze of the Dutch NRA, we will progress focusing on the offshore company. We will explain who the main players are on the offshore market. And look at the most important products. Also, we will work with you on a practical case about how to get online-information from an offshore company.

On the end of the day, you have a better understanding of the risks with transactions with offshore companies and nominee services and how to mitigate them. Also, we will give you a check list with the most common risks and a list of links where you can find useful information. This will make you daily work easer at the office.

Targeting professional financial crime enables is key to curb cyber fraud

Over the last decades, the world has witnessed increasingly massive cybercrime attacks being perpetrated across borders. These crimes are often facilitated by lawyers, accountrants, financial institutions and other professionals who help engineer the legal and financial structures seen in the financial crimes.

These professionals that create opportuinities to facilitate the commission and / or concealment of such crimes undermine not only the rule of law, but their own profession and public confidence in the legal and financial system. Therefore, targeting professional enablers and disrupting their activities is a key avenue for addressing criminal activity at the source.

Wrap-up and closing remarks by Therus de Villeneuve & Ingrid Gacci, followed by a networking cocktail. Risk & Compliance TV will cover this. Handover of cerificates.