Pennell Hart: Women in Compliance

SO: For many people the ?route into compliance is nonlinear, can you tell us how you entered the profession and what motivated you to pursue this career path?

AS: As an in-house lawyer, there is always an overlap with ethics and compliance in your fundamental deliverable of mitigating risk.?For me, the opportunity to head Ethics and Compliance for the ADNOC Group presented itself at a time when I felt I was ready to move from core operations to strategy and development – it was an exciting challenge that allowed for the ability to influence corporate culture, ?impact and support ADNOC’s international and domestic growth plans and enhance the compliance mandate. ?

SO: How important is it that organizations have a robust ethics & compliance function, especially here in the UAE?

AS: ‘Doing the right thing’ is a fundamental component of the sustainable growth of any organization. ?Compliance ensures adherence to laws and regulations and ethics ensures that integrity is a core corporate value.?As the UAE continues to develop into a global player, enhanced scrutiny and importance is and will continue to be placed on an organization’s ethical and environmental footprint, its ethos, its transparency and its governance process – UAE as the host of COP 28 is a brilliant example of this change driver.?

SO: How has compliance evolved in recent years, and what do you see the most significant trends and changes?

AS: For me, corporate functions like compliance, sustainability and governance are representative of the times we live in.?Employees and investors increasingly focus on a corporation’s culture and values and are no longer driven purely by financial results.?Recent growth in compliance related trends such as data privacy, sustainability, ESG, ?integrity due diligence and workers’ welfare are all reflective of this burgeoning sentiment.?

SO: What do you think are the most important qualities for success in compliance, and how can people develop these traits?

AS: I am a firm believer in EQ and I think the most important qualities for success in and outside compliance is strong interpersonal skills – the ability to gain the trust of your peers and frankly to be likeable are integral traits that enable the delivery of a successful ethics and compliance program.

?Further, the capability to challenge the status quo when required is necessary. Compliance risks are evolving and tacking ethical challenges requires an intrepid approach with sometimes novel solutions or mitigations.?Cultivate your curios mind.?

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SO: Tell me something about yourself that has nothing to do with compliance…

?AS: I love fashion and design and in an alter life, I would have pursued this path!?