Women in Ethics & Compliance Global (WEC Global) began as a coming together of a group of women who had a common interest in ethics and compliance. Each of these women was at different stages of their career, from all over the world and with a different specialism or link to ethics and compliance.

For our Chairwoman, Luciane Mallmann, WEC Global is about providing a unique space to host the brilliant and smart-minded women, or those that identify as women, in the ethics and compliance community so they can connect, inspire, learn and collaborate has been a huge driver in the creation of this group. With so many fields within the world of ethics and compliance, having somewhere to share knowledge and expertise has never been more important. And with new challenges coming our way every day, forming a group that advocates and helps shape the future with dynamic leadership fills a gap in this space.

When our founding members discuss why they work in ethics and compliance there were clear messages that came out time and time again: “doing the right thing”, “helping others” and “making change” are clear drivers for all of us.

Alex Harrington, Vice-Chair, captured our thoughts brilliantly. She believes “the passion of working within Ethics and Compliance comes because these are the areas in which the laws, rules and systems societies create can either become successful and have lasting impacts or fail and entrench problems. Without a strong ethical system and the ability to ensure that public and private actors comply with laws and rules, current and future generations will continue to suffer harm and be unable to meet the challenges they face in an inclusive way.”

Ethics and compliance may seem broad. Anti-bribery & corruption, anti-money laundering (AML), counter-terror financing (CTF), audit, data protection, and privacy, environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG), ethics, governance and risk, human rights, law enforcement, legal, social citizenship, or responsibility are some areas where we see most of our members joining from. For Kate Marston, Board Secretary, this is what makes WEC Global so exciting and unique. She says, “Although the specialisms in ethics and compliance are wide-ranging, there are crossovers within them all. Having a network you can look to when you need it, across all these areas is a powerful thing. The opportunities we will have access to as part of this group are also incredible.”

As well as the usual events and projects that come with any organization’s membership such as this, we will also be opening Mentoring/Mentorship programs. We want our members to have access to truly inspiring colleagues, friends, that will provide them with appropriate insight, support, and opportunities to expand their professional and personal competencies. Aaisha Mohamed Anees, Chief Technology Officer, explains “When I think of a compliance organization, I do not think of something exciting or dynamic. I believe WEC Global will change that.”

WEC Global members can benefit from a variety of perspectives and insights, from taking the stage at events to featuring as guests in blogs. Members will even contribute to the group’s growth strategy. Everyone will be equally important and valued in the organization. We want to help advance the careers of women in the industry and will have learning opportunities or support and sharing of job opportunities.

Natana Lanzarin, our Communications Officer, hopes “that WEC (Global) becomes a safe space for women to develop and grow professionally with the support of other women within the ethics and compliance field and it becomes a strong community based on friendship and respect.”

Of course, we recognize and value the men in ethics and compliance, and whilst our focus is on women, we welcome men to join us as Friends of WEC Global. After all, we want everyone to take part in changing the conversation. Gina Green, our Vice-Chair, sums up, “Let’s make the world a better place both in for work and personal environments. We all hope for a long prosperous healthy life, ethics, and compliance go hand in hand with making a world where we can thrive unitedly as the human race.”

This is the beginning of our journey and we invite you to join us in shaping the future.

We are the Women in Ethics & Compliance Global. Welcome!