You are a world leading expert on international anti-corruption, corporate governance and risk management, as well as an experienced international lawyer. What appealed to you the most in the field of anti-corruption, and how did your journey in this sphere begin?

In 2000, I was working on Africa (as a lawyer for the World Bank) when the then brand new investigative department of the World Bank asked me to help on a case. International anti-corruption was a new discipline then and I was immediately attracted to it. I had seen and heard of some corruption situations and I was very glad that the World Bank had decided to hire investigators and address fraud and corruption in the projects it was financing.

When determining the fundamental steps and actions that pave the way towards curbing corruption, how important is it to understand the development of the anti-corruption movement? Where is it headed next?

As I said, international anti-corruption is a new discipline. It’s important to understand where it all came from. One, to keep the momentum going and two, to be able to replicate the anti-corruption movement in other countries, as and when the conditions present themselves. In the past years I have noticed a certain fatigue vis à vis international anti-corruption. But the pendulum always swings back and forth and I expect that, once the pandemic is more under control, public opinion will demand more anti-corruption actions from their governments.

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges in the anti-corruption fields. How has the pandemic intertwined with the anti-corruption movement, specifically considering the vast amounts being spent on Covid-19 relief?

Whenever there is a humanitarian emergency, there is a tendency to push money out very quickly. Even though it is necessary to make monies available quickly, unfortunately, there is not always the necessary focus on ensuring that the monies are actually used for the purposes for which they were given.

Why is it important to define terms and principles of transparency and independence when running anti-corruption organizations?

Independence is an essential part of an anti-corruption organization — personnel of an anti-corruption organization should not take any outside instructions or be under outside control. Transparency can help an organization’s independence in that it helps to build the credibility of the organization and establish its professionalism.

You received the Women in Compliance “Lifetime Achievement Award for Services to the Compliance Industry” and you were named one of Ethisphere Magazine’s “100 most influential People in Business Ethics”. Can you share more about these achievements?

I have been very fortunate to start in international anti-corruption as of 2000 and to see the movement grow and evolve. The field has really grown exponentially, especially over the past 5 to 10 years. I feel very privileged to be part of it and am always following any new developments. It’s a fascinating discipline.

You will be featured in one of IACA´s “Best Of” Seminars, which touch upon key anti-corruption topics through the experiences and take-aways of world leading professionals in the field. How important is it to share experiences when managing and sustaining efforts towards curbing corruption?

Fighting corruption is a tough job and one can get very lonely at times. I love any opportunity to share experiences with others and learn from each other. A seminar like the “Best Of” is a good opportunity for all present to pause for a moment and see what one is doing, how much progress one has made and pick up and share some tips and tricks. The seminar will be very interactive and I look forward to interact with the participants and learn from their rich experiences.