01 // TELL US WHAT YOUR GROUP IS FOCUSED ON THESE DAYS.
We focus on our international affiliates, especially in the higher risk and growth markets, to ensure that our compliance and ethics programs are robust and up-to-date.
02 // WHAT SPECIFIC INITIATIVES HAVE WORKED WELL THAT YOU CAN SHARE WITH OTHERS?
We’ve had considerable success building a global compliance program that leverages existing organizational structures, processes and expertise. There’s a common myth that good compliance requires huge budgets, lots of incremental personnel and layers of bureaucracy. If done correctly, none of that should happen, ever.
03 // WHAT IN YOUR BACKGROUND HAS MOST PREPARED YOU FOR THIS POSITION?
I’ve been fortunate to hold senior leadership positions in all the key legal functions including corporate, regulatory, environmental and litigation. Those experiences provided a broad understanding of the business that was invaluable in the early days of designing global compliance programs for Ford and its affi liated entities throughout the world.
04 // WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT?
The things that former Defense Secretary Rumsfeld called “unknown unknowns”- things we don’t know that we don’t know. The best in-house counsel and compliance offi cers anticipate what’s around the next corner, and are extremely proactive on the cost and risk management fronts. It’s not easy, but it’s essential to aligning objectives with the business and sustaining high performance.
05 // WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTES OF AN IN-HOUSE LAWYER OR COMPLIANCE OFFICER?
Integrity above all else. Do more than just explain the rules and the legal and financial risks to management; embrace the responsibility of being part of the business and the decision-making process. Be candid and courageous in pointing out potential legal and ethical hazards. Be courteous and fair in dealing with others, both inside and outside the company. I could go on, but those are the important ones.
06 // WHO DO YOU REPORT TO? WHAT ROLE HAVE THEY PLAYED IN THE COMPLIANCE AND ETHICS PROGRAM?
Depending on the capacity and what’s at issue, I report to one or more of the general counsel, the chief financial officer, the head of human resources & labor affairs, the chair of the audit committee and administratively, to the company secretary. Due to the nature of my duties, I’ve been fortunate to work closely with most of the company’s top management. The CEO and general counsel have been instrumental in communicating the proper tone at the top, and that’s really the key to maintaining a high-performance culture that adheres to high behavioral standards as well.
07 // WHAT’S THE WORST JOB THAT YOU HAVE EVER HELD?
I was the full-time cook for about 25 guys at a University of Michigan fraternity house. My cooking was terrible, but they were stuck with me because nobody else wanted the job.
08 // WHAT KINDS OF CARS ARE YOU DRIVING?
My wife and I have “his and hers” Ford Expeditions.
09 // WHAT ARE SOME LEISURE ACTIVITIES OR THE LAST BOOK YOU READ?
I enjoy family, tennis, and skiing, and I recently read The New Capitalists, by the Harvard Business School Press.
