Tracking Local Compliance Associations

Radical Compliance strives to be a community resource for compliance professionals everywhere, so today we are looking at local groups of compliance officers who get together for networking. Are you part of a group that should be on this list?

We have had a running list of local compliance associations for several years, although the entries there are few and possibly out of date. Hence I’ve been scouring the internet lately to see what else is out there. If you have a local compliance officer group and want to be included, let us know! If you’re a compliance officer looking for colleagues to talk shop about the job market, FCPA enforcement, or where to get a good dinner, read on!

Atlanta. The Atlanta Compliance and Ethics Roundtable, large enough that the group has its own website and steady stream of events. 

Austin. Austin does have an Austin Trade Compliance Roundtable, with a page on LinkedIn and a somewhat dormant Twitter feed. One local contact there is Matt Beck, and word on the street is that Beck also wants to launch a local ethics and compliance group. Give him a shout if you’re in the area.  

Boston. The Eastern Massachusetts Compliance Network is a group for banking and financial services professionals. Alas, corporate ethics and compliance officers don’t have their own network here, although I am co-hosting a Boston-area compliance officer networking party on May 15. I’ve also heard whispers that hedge fund compliance officers in town have their own group, but like all self-respecting hedge funds, they keep it on the down low.

Charlotte. Apparently the University of North Carolina at Charlotte runs the Greater Charlotte Ethics and Compliance Officers Network under the auspices of the school’s Center for Professional and Applied Ethics. No specific events listed, but apparently there’s an email list for which you can sign up.

Chicago. The Chicago Regional Business Ethics Network is a group I found on LinkedIn that claims several hundred members, but its posts are restricted to members only. I don’t know who helps to run the group, but I suspect that Gwen Hassan, a long-time ethics and compliance hand in Chicago, knows the scoop.

Dallas. The Dallas Area Compliance Association is another group large enough that it has its own dedicated website and a newsletter! There is also the North Texas Ethics and Compliance Council, managed by the University of Texas at Dallas.

Houston. The group to join here is the Greater Houston Business Ethics Roundtable. I have had the privilege of speaking at several GHBER events over the years, and the group’s meetings are always top-notch. Excellent bunch of leaders and a thriving local compliance community.

Indianapolis. OK, I’ve only heard rumor that Indianapolis has a compliance officer association, but found no hard evidence yet. If anyone in the Indianapolis region wants to step forward as a contact or share a website address, please do. 

Miami. The South Florida Compliance Association is a group that caters more to banks and other financial firms, presumably with lots of attention on the Latin America market as well. 

Orlando. Central Florida does have its own compliance professional association, run by the energetic Elizabeth Simon (who also helped run the Atlanta group when she lived there). I couldn’t find a website for the Central Florida group, but Simon can get local people steered in the right direction. 

San Francisco. The Bay Area Ethics and Compliance Association is another group that has a page on LinkedIn, but I can’t find a dedicated website or other information about the group. If anyone at the group wants to give me more current information, please do.

Southern California. The South Orange County Compliance & Ethics Roundtable (known as SOCCER, naturally) recently launched to serve ethics and compliance officers from Irvine down to San Diego. Run by Mary Shirley, Jay Rosen, and Kurt Stitcher. 

Washington, D.C. The Capital Area Business Ethics Network is a group for ethics and compliance professionals in the Washington, D.C. environs. This group exists as a page on LinkedIn; I couldn’t find any dedicated website. Compliance officers specifically in banking and financial services also have the Washington Compliance Roundtable.

Associations Everywhere Else

Obviously the list above only consists of groups in the United States. Compliance, however, is a global profession— so if you know of a local networking group overseas, please do let me know and I’ll add that entry to the group immediately.

Nor should we overlook the numerous trade associations out there that have local chapters or host local conferences from time to time. Those groups include:

• Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics
• Health Care Compliance Association
• Institute of Internal Auditors
• Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists
• Pharmaceutical Compliance Forum

What else can we do to keep the compliance community strong and thriving? Let me know at [email protected].