Organisations of all industries, from financial institutions to international energy companies, can gain distinct benefits from ABAC® Certification for ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management System standard. The fact is, any company is potentially susceptible to bribery and corruption. Some industries face increased risk – which is why CRI Group’s ABAC® tailors ISO 37001 for companies across a wide range of industries, including automotive, aviation, insurance, pharma/healthcare, property, IT/telecommunications, financial, oil and energy, and others. In today’s business climate, no organisation can afford the risk of being non-compliant and unprotected. The following are some of the issues facing companies in different industries.
Automotive
The automotive industry is a huge worldwide business, and corruption and “pay-to-play” schemes make the headlines on a regular basis. Considering the markets involved include steel, labour, shipping, and others, it stands to reason that the industry can be a target for bribery and corruption problems.
One example is Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, which was punished to the tune of an $800 million (U.S.) global settlement that included a deferred prosecution with the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO), the U.S. Justice Department and Brazilian authorities. The company was found to have engaged in systemic bribery spanning 13 years and 22 countries. There were multiple schemes in various countries and locations, including Indonesia, Thailand, India, Nigeria, China, and Russia. Learn more in detail about the Rolls-Royce investigation in CRI Group’s case study, “Ethics, Compliance and Rolls-Royce”.
Aviation
The aviation industry is facing a series of pressures that challenge each airline’s profitability and growth. Over the course of the next 20 years, the global commercial aircraft fleet is expected to double to approximately 45,000 aircraft, driven by increased air travel due to an expanding middle class in emerging economies. Risk of bribery and corruption is ramped up, however, by the fact that the supply chain struggles to keep up with demand due to the ramp-up in production, volatility in the geopolitical and economic environment is increasing, and a growing labour shortage is lurking in the background.
Look at major cases like Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), which has been embroiled in a scandal. The allegations involve “organised failure of institutional management, state, and internal controls,” in some cases connected to air accidents with loss of lives. PIA is just a high-profile example of what can result when such corruption goes unchecked, with mismanagement, corruption and kickbacks causing irreparable harm. Read more about the PIA case in the CRI Group white paper, “Organised Catastrophe of Pakistan International Airlines: Major Critical Risk Elements – Mismanagement – Corruption”.
Insurance
While every type of insurance is ripe for fraud, did you know that bribery and corruption are among those schemes in the insurance industry? Fraudsters are opportunists who look for an opening, and that can involve collusion, such as between claimants and adjusters, for example; or bribing officials to provide false reports or otherwise fabricate evidence in support of an insurance claim. In fact, there are well-known cases of highly organised criminal gangs who have built money-making enterprises on insurance fraud.
With the enormous liability presented by insurance fraud, every organisation should address their risk with proper control systems in place. This includes vigorous anti-bribery anti-corruption measures such as those implemented in ISO 37001. Successful risk mitigation includes conducting regular risk assessments, staying in compliance with all major laws and regulations, and regularly measuring and evaluating results.
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Who is CRI Group?
Based in London, CRI Group works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management, Employee Background Screening,
In 2016, CRI Group launched Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC®) Center of Excellence – an independent certification body established for ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems, ISO 37301 Compliance Management Systems and ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management, providing training and certification. ABAC® operates through its global network of certified ethics and compliance professionals, qualified auditors and other certified professionals. As a result, CRI Group’s global team of certified fraud examiners work as a discreet white-labelled supplier to some of the world’s largest organisations. Contact ABAC® for more on ISO Certification and training.