Page 25 - CCCA 292467 Magazine_Spring 2019

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Moreover, he says, “we are in a war for talent. Employees have a ★ analytical;
lot more bargaining power than they used to” and culture mat- ★ understanding the shifting regulatory landscape;
ters in recruiting wars. ★ capable of infuencing different audiences;
In addition, employees are exercising their power in ways ★ comfortable with change management;
not seen before. Take Google, for instance. Employees there ★ ability to collaborate;
staged a walkout to protest the company’s handling of sexual ★ good business judgment;
harassment allegations against top executives. ★ experience developing policies;
However, it’s not just employees who are becoming more vo- ★ speaking and thinking on your feet; and
cal. Thawer notes that “we’re in a whole new internet age, where ★ problem solving.
social media gives people a platform. You can have small but vo- “You have to be able to get to the heart of behavioural issues,”
cal pockets of stakeholders—be they employees, activists, critics says Ubani. “You need to be able to cut through the noise and
or citizens—who all have a voice or say that can get attention.” fgure out what is really important and relevant to your organi-
That’s where a Chief Ethics or Integrity Offcer can step zation. You need to be analytical and an infuencer. It’s a form
in with their moral compass and help the company navigate of change management every day.”
stormy ethical waters. Driscoll adds that his job is “very dynamic. It’s not for those
When speaking to those who hold such roles, a few things who need a very structured day.”
become evident about this emerging position. First, the respon- Finally, when it comes to whom the Chief Ethics or Integrity
sibilities are broad and a typical day can touch on a wide range Offcer answers to, it is often a hybrid- or dual-reporting structure.
of issues, often linked back to some type of compliance issue. In many instances, the job falls under the watch of the Chief
“Most of what I do relates to managing the ethics and com- Legal Offcer, but not always. There is also often some direct
pliance programs,” notes WSP’s Fox. Driscoll adds that there reporting link to the Board, either through a risk or audit com-
is a “policing” element to the role and “frefghting comes up mittee, or a responsibility to report on conduct or ethical lapses
on a daily basis.” directly to the Board in some type of regular report.
There is also the opportunity to be creative with solutions Rotman’s Powers says “it makes sense” that the legal depart-
and push the envelope into the developing sphere of social re- ment is involved in oversight of the Chief Ethics Offcer, but
sponsibility and ethics when it comes to creating things like there is also some risk of confict in the event the Chief Le-
codes of conduct, policies and best practices. gal Offcer and Chief Ethics Offcer don’t see eye to eye. Ways
around that include having the Chief Ethics Offcer report to a
Chief Risk Offcer, the CEO or directly to the Board.
for example, Jennifer drost And what about the difference between a Chief Ethics Of-
started an ethical and cultural fcer versus a Chief Integrity Offcer? That’s mostly semantics.
training program two years ago WSP’s Fox says, “I don’t think there’s a difference. To my mind,
that is gaining traction across the it’s the same function.” And Powers adds, “It comes down to the
company: “we want employees favour of the day.”
to realize that even though On one hand, ethical seems to conjure up a parallel notion
something may be legal, it may of unethical, whereas integrity speaks more broadly to positive
not be ethical,” she explains. conduct. The Canadian Oxford Dictionary defnes integrity as
“moral uprightness; honesty,” while ethics is defned as “moral
correctness.” Either way you cut it, there is a form of moral im-
perative at play.
She notes that her job extends well beyond a traditional legal job of LinkedIn’s Thawer, however, believes the integrity role will pre-
writing memos and opinions. “You need to understand all aspects vail over the long term. “I think if you look out three to fve years,
of the business,” she says, adding that “it’s much more interesting there’s going to be even more emphasis on the integrity piece.” ❚
and a lot more variety” than in a typical in-house counsel role.
As for the skills necessary in such a role, they vary widely but
those interviewed identifed nine traits that help them in their Jim Middlemiss is a writer based in London, Ontario.
job. They include:

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