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{ FEATURE }

Like most chief ethics officers, Jennifer drost admits
that it wasn’t a job that was on her radar screen

while studying at university. “i didn’t set out to
become a chief ethics and compliance officer,” says

drost, who holds that role as well as senior counsel,
canada, at insurance firm travelers canada.

he was handed the Chief Ethics title in 2014, following the
creation of a similar role at the frm’s U.S. parent company. “when i started in this role, i found
S She worked her way into the position through the legal out if you go in and talk about
and compliance department, breaking ground to take on what ethics, most people tune out, not
is increasingly becoming an emerging key role in organiza- because they are unethical, but
tions—the executive who oversees ethics and integrity. She says because they feel they are ethical.
the appointments signaled a conscious effort by the company when you talk about culture, values
to emphasize its culture and values. “We started putting the em- and behaviour, it’s a different
phasis on doing the right things,” she says, including focusing conversation," says
on “honesty, integrity and accountability.” uLa ubani.
Words like values, culture and honesty roll off the tongues of
those in charge of ethics and integrity with the same passion as
a litigator in a closing argument. Scott Driscoll also stresses the importance of value and culture
Take Ula Ubani, Chief Ethics and Conduct Offcer at Bank when keeping a company on the straight and narrow. Driscoll
of Montreal Financial Group. She has had a front-row seat on was appointed the frst Chief Ethics Offcer at Export Develop-
issues of culture and integrity in organizations since being ap- ment Canada (EDC) in 2015. He is responsible for the agency’s
pointed Chief Ethics Offcer in 2014; in 2018, her role was ex- compliance and ethics program, noting that EDC operates
panded to include Conduct Offcer. much like a fnancial institution and abides by many of the rules
The MBA-educated Ubani, however, is not a lawyer. Rather, and regulations governing banks.
she arrived at her destination through investor relations, and “We are doing business pretty well around the globe. We
then as Director, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, need to make sure our employees know what the expectations
and Director, Environmental, Social and Governance, where are and how to help guide them in different cultural norms and
she was exposed to a wide range of emerging issues facing cor- environments. We need to make sure we are doing business in
porate Canada. the right manner,” he says.
“The role that I have now and the way that it is set up here Things like culture, values, integrity and honesty are quickly
was born out of conversations thinking about and looking at becoming table stakes for corporations in an economy where
emerging trends and really trying to be more innovative,” she consumers are increasingly suspicious of business and public
explains. It is a position continually evolving, and culture and institutions, notes Richard Powers, a professor of governance
values are central. at the Rotman School of Management and a former corporate

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