Demonstrate Corporate Ethics, Not Just Compliance, Officers Say

Doing the right thing isn’t just a compliance win—it’s a competitive advantage, legal pros said Monday at the Association of Corporate Counsel annual meeting in Philadelphia.

The fact that corners of the internet cheered the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare Inc. CEO Brian Thompson last December showed how far consumers’ dissatisfaction with certain industries has gone, Garrett Heenan, vice president of compliance and ethics for PDSHealth, told an ACC panel.

A recent public trust survey shows 68%of people fear that business leaders knowingly lie.

“It’s that much more important to demonstrate” company values right now, Heenan said. “Push that narrative ...