"The implementation of compliance policies tends to make things right and avoid the loss of credibility of institutions and companies, not only to avoid a criminal incident", said Alain Casanovas, head of compliance services at KPMG Spain, at a forum of the magazine Palabra that took place in a central location of Banco Sabadell in Madrid.
The theme of the Forum was The implementation of compliance programs in ecclesiastical entities, opportunities and challenges, and met expectations with the attendance of university professors, professionals in the sector, lawyers, judges, bursars from different Spanish dioceses, and other interested persons, who were welcomed by the director of the magazine Palabra, Alfonso Riobó, and the director of Religious Institutions of Banco Sabadell, Santiago Portas.
After welcoming remarks by Blanca Montero, Director of Institutional Business at Banco Sabadell and Deputy General Manager of the Bank, Diego Zalbidea, Professor of Canon Law at the School of Canon Law at the University of Navarra, presented the topic.
Along the same lines as Alain Casanovas, Zalbidea Alain Casanovas, Zalbidea pointed out that "compliance has a broader perspective, which is not only to avoid the Criminal Code, but also to avoid damage to the Church for non-compliance with the avoidance of the Criminal Code, avoidance of damage to the Church through non-compliance with a regulation, but because we want to because we want to carry out our mission in a more effective, more honest and, basically, more evangelical way. more effective, more honest, and basically, in a more evangelical way. The canonical canonical regulations will be better understood if this is our spirit, as an aid and support for a sustainable, transparent and evangelical sustainable, transparent and evangelical management of goods and resources".
In this sense, added the canonist, "Compliance will not be will not be one more thing to be done by the bursars or whoever is in charge of carrying it out It will be a support to carry out our mission in the best possible way. to carry out our mission in the best possible way".
Change the perspective
In past years, the primary reason for implementing compliance programs or compliance has been "The fear of a criminal incident, but in the last year the perspective is changing. In the end, the most important thing is the concern for doing things well and implementing an ethical culture that respects the deepest values of the company", Alain Casanovas points out.
"In matters of faith and trust, the danger is the loss of credibility, not the financial penalty, which can be periodized, also in the budgets of a diocese."The KPMG expert stressed. To support his thesis, he gave as an example Facebook's recent problems with data leaks and some inappropriate behavior in non-profit organizations.
In response to questions from the audience, Alain Casanovas answered in the affirmative Casanovas answered in the affirmative to questions about whether entities linked to the Church could have Church could have incidents of compliance in relation to cases of child abuse or gender ideology laws. Y also pointed out that "In matters of child abuse and corruption, it is decisive to have clear and corruption of minors, it is crucial to have clear guidelines for conduct and to communicate them. communicate them. It must be known that such behavior is not tolerated, and that everything possible has been done to prevent it. everything possible to prevent them.
Due diligence
The KPMG consultant, in referring to corporate governance, added that management, added that "not having compliance models compliance models, which are insufficient, or which seek to hide or hinder, is a clear business obstacle. is a clear business obstacle. We are seeing this all the time. For example, an organization organization that asks a bank for financing, and the bank, in its due diligence, risk assessment due diligence, risk assessment procedures, asks the organization whether or not it has a compliance model. organization whether or not it has a compliance model. This can have a significant significant impact on whether or not to finance an entity. The same with making an insurance policy. A good compliance model decreases the likelihood of having a claim.
"In the business world." -he added- "compliance issues are being seen right now, not out of fear not out of fear, but because it is not going to be possible to carry out operations, because at some point in time if they ask me for something, I will not be able to prove that I have it. If they ask me for something, I won't be able to prove that I have it. It is an evidence of corporate responsibility, compliance is closely linked to diligence. diligence.
One of the one of the reasons for having a compliance model is to do things right. done. But then to prove that everything possible has been done. Doing everything possible does not mean that we will not have compliance incidents, and that nothing will happen in the future. nothing is going to happen in the future (it refers mainly to criminal incidents), but it does criminal incidents), but it decreases the likelihood of that happening".
