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Control Chatter

January 2024

News that Control Professionals need to know

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The Internal Control Institute™ (ICI) improves organizational Internal Controls worldwide by providing internationally recognized training, products, services, and individual Professional Certifications. The Institute would like to help more organizations and professionals by expanding further into areas where it is not directly represented. For a list of areas already represented see the end of the newsletter.


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Internal Control Chatter
Each month the staff of The Internal Control Institute reviews hundreds of articles related to Internal Control and Corporate Governance. Here are brief summaries of some of the top articles (along with links to the original article) that may be of interest to you.

Steps For Renewing Trust In Corporate Boards

By Xavier Prabhu

forbes.com

Jan 26, 2024

The wise men and women of the board are having a hard time of late—at least if one goes by the headlines in the case of OpenAI's influence on Silicon Valley and in the BharatPe saga playing out in India. It's easy and tempting to brush these off as unconnected and one-off incidents that have no larger bearing or longer-term consequences. And for those who think the rise of activist investors and third-party proxy advisory firms are the primary and sole causes of such publicly played out and often murky boardroom battles, my suggestion would be to think again—hard. The boardroom battle between Nelson Peltz and the Disney board is partly due to an activist shareholder. Beyond that, the larger question that lingers for some is why the board at such a large company is having trouble with its succession plan.

Steps For Renewing Trust In Corporate Boards (forbes.com)

RISK MANAGEMENT ISO 31000 and COSO–ERM remain central banks’ leading standards

By Central Banking staff

centralbanking.com

25 Jan 2024

Central banks participating in the Risk Management Benchmarks 2024 are most likely to employ two frameworks. The most commonly used guideline among participants is the International Organization for Standardization’s ISO 31000. This is followed by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission enterprise risk management framework (COSO-ERM). ISO 31000 is the most widely used standard by central banks regardless of their country’s income level.

ISO 31000 and COSO–ERM remain central banks’ leading standards - Central Banking

Should We be Grateful for SOX and Other Regulations?

By Mary E. Shacklett

informationweek.com

January 23, 2024

Enacted by Congress in 2002, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) was put into place to protect investors from fraudulent company accounting and reports, which saw investors lose billions of dollars in companies like Worldcom and Enron in the early 2000s. For publicly traded companies, complying with the new SOX regulations meant the development of new rules for reports, accounting, and financial record keeping that impacted almost all of their systems. In 2006, four years after SOX was passed, the Manufacturers Alliance estimated from a survey of 40 large companies that it was costing the average large enterprise $1.6 million for external audit fees for Section 404 SOX compliance, plus about $1.9 million for internal compliance work. Sixteen years later, in 2022, Protiviti’s survey of companies found that the number of companies spending more than $2 million during the 2021 fiscal year on internal SOX compliance efforts was still increasing,

Should We be Grateful for SOX and Other Regulations? (informationweek.com)

BizTrends2024: Trends shaping the corporate governance landscape

By Ricci Hackner

bizcommunity.com

23 Jan 2024

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, amid prevalent corruption and public distrust, maintaining strong, transparent corporate governance is vital. Firms adopting best corporate governance practices not only meet stakeholder expectations but also ensure enduring sustainability and success. This article delves into some current trends shaping corporate governance in South Africa.

#BizTrends2024: Trends shaping the corporate governance landscape (bizcommunity.com)

Navigating the AI Frontier: Strategies for Effective Governance

With regulation still in early days, companies using AI would be wise to establish sturdy guardrails now

by Lou Bachenheimer  

corporatecomplianceinsights.com

January 23, 2024


The global AI market is projected to grow by more than 30% per year through 2030, while as many as 80% of business are either using AI or actively exploring whether to deploy it. In the absence of strong regulation governing responsible use of the technology, chief technology officer Lou Bachenheimer explores how companies can self-regulate — for now.

How to embrace responsible innovation when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI) is top of mind for both public and private organizations. As the government grapples with guidelines for ethical AI development and industry heavyweights agree on the need for guardrails on new tools, the time to begin building a framework for governing AI in your company is now.  

Navigating the AI Frontier: Strategies for Effective Governance | Corporate Compliance Insights

DOJ Targets Foreign Officials with Long-Awaited Anti-Corruption Law: 5 Takeaways for Multinational Corporations and State-Affiliated Entities

wsgr.com

ALERTS

January 22, 2024

After years of anticipation, President Biden signed the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA) into law on December 22, 2023, ushering in a new era of international anti-corruption prosecution. The FEPA will make it easier for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to prosecute foreign officials who demand or accept bribes from U.S. companies. As the long-awaited corollary to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the FEPA is one of the most important expansions of anti-corruption laws in decades. In this client alert, we analyze and discuss how compliance and risk management for companies (and state-owned entities (SOEs) in particular) are impacted by the FEPA and its key differences from the FCPA.

DOJ Targets Foreign Officials with Long-Awaited Anti-Corruption Law: 5 Takeaways for Multinational Corporations and State-Affiliated Entities | Wilson Sonsini (wsgr.com)

SCOTUS Predictions: Ruling in Whistleblower Retaliation Case Will Impact Employers’ Defense Strategy

fisherphillips.com

Insights

1.19.24

Does a fired whistleblower need to show their employer acted with retaliatory intent to prove retaliation under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX)? The Supreme Court has been asked to review the standard of proof in such cases – and the outcome could resolve a disagreement among federal appeals courts and set a consistent standard once and for all. The ruling will impact how publicly traded companies defend against SOX retaliation claims and may also affect whistleblower protections under other laws that are similarly structured. How will SCOTUS decide? During oral argument, the Justices seemed ready to rule in a way that will see more whistleblower claims make it to jury trials, and employers should be prepared to adjust to this new reality. Read on for an analysis of the issues and our specific predictions on how the Justices will decide the case.

SCOTUS Predictions: Ruling in Whistleblower Retaliation Case Will Impact Employers’ Defense Strategy | Fisher Phillips

What To Know About the Corporate Transparency Act

By Jilly Kuehn

marketwatch.com

Jan 19, 2024

In the dynamic world of business, regulatory changes are constant, and business owners must stay ahead of the curve to thrive. The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) is a transformative piece of legislation, designed to enhance corporate transparency. It impacts millions of businesses nationwide. Whether you are at the start of the limited liability company (LLC) formation process or hold a significant share of an active entity, we will help you determine if the CTA applies to your business. We at the MarketWatch Guides team have created a comprehensive guide that details the intricacies of the Corporate Transparency Act, how to ensure compliance for your business and where to find additional resources.

Everything to Know About the Corporate Transparency Act: Complete Guide (marketwatch.com)



Below is a list of WorldWide Affiliates currently serving the profession. If your area is not represented please consider partnering with ICI by contacting us today!

ICI World Wide Affiliates


Bangladesh
Contact: Mr Aminur Rahman
Email: info@aaa-associate.com
Tel: +88 01749 400600
Benin
Contact: Soulémane BABA DAMAGUI
Email: sbabadamagui@gmail.com
Tel: +0022997492600

Botswana
Contact: Mr Humphrey Chawafambira
Email: humphrey@internalcontrolinstitute.co.bw
Tel: +267 75618647
Brazil
Contact: Mr Eduardo Person Pardini
Email: eduardo@crossoverbrazil.com
Tel: +55 11 2599 8360
Cameroon
Contact: Mr Eric Kamegne
Email: eric.kamegne@ipeonline.net
Tel: +237 658 292 978
The website of ICI Cameroon is now operational https://icicameroon.org/

Our first CICS session in April is online only
China
Contact: Mr Qiu Jianting
Email: cert@neikong.com
Tel: 400-098-1119 or 010 68004176

Europe

Contact: Mr.Nikolai Triffet 

Email: nikolai@icib.org

India
Contact: Mr Summit Goyal
Email: info@bncglobal.in
Tel: +91 9810 575 613
Mexico

Contact: Mr Nereo Guzman Mendoza

Email: nguzman@businesssolutionvalley.com

Tel: +52 811 181 3514

Middle East
Contact: Mr Belal Abdul Jabbar
Email: b.ajabbar@osooltc.com
Tel: +962 6 5927171
Morocco
Contact: Mr Yazid Berrada
Email: yazid.berrada@bcloud.ma
Tel: +212 (0) 522-872-585
Nigeria
Contact: Mr Joel Aluko
Email: tunjialuko5@yahoo.com
Pakistan
Contact: Mr Muhammad Farooq Hammodi
Email: nardac_k@yahoo.com
Romania
Contact: Mr Cosmin Serbanescu
Email: contact@incir.ro
Tel: +40 752 525 525
Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia & Taiwan China
Contact: Mr Bob Seetoh
Email: bobseetoh@theglobalgrc.com

South Africa
Contact: Ms Sedie Jane Masite
Email: sediem52@gmail.com or info@ciagol.com
Tunisia
Contact: Ms Nadia Yaich
Email: nadia.yaich@bfc.com.tn
Turkey
Contact: Ms Ilknur Tunc
Email: ilknur.tunc@iciturkey.org
Tel: +90 312 442 50 15
Venezuela
Contact: Mr Jesus Salazar Ras
Email: salazarras1970@gmail.com
Tel: +58 426 737 8096 or + 58 416 291 3788
Vietnam
Contact: Mr Nguyen Thanh Tung
Email: info@fmit.vn
Tel: 848 3803 5020
Zimbabwe
Contact: Dr Proctor Nyemba
Email: admin@internalcontrolinstitute.co.zw
Tel: +263 4 443124

Control Quote

Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.

Margaret Mead



About ICI
The Internal Control Institute™ (ICI) is a worldwide organization devoted exclusively to internal control and corporate governance. The Institute is dedicated to the development of world-class educational programs and best practice guidelines on internal control and corporate governance, based on the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the COSO internal control framework.
Visit us on the web at the Internal Control Institute
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