Compliance experts will explore how to embed a sense of accountability beyond “tick-box” exercises at insurtech Curium’s inaugural conference next month.

A session titled Engaging Your People – Turning Compliance into Culture will address the dilemma that “if your people don’t own it, your policies don’t matter”.

Curium CEO Tetiana George says real compliance requires a culture of accountability and transparency, and it must be “owned” by the whole organisation.

It needs to be part of training and performance metrics, she says. If woven into the DNA of the business, every employee “makes ethical choices instinctively, not just because a policy tells them to”.

“The goal should be to build a culture where doing the right thing becomes second nature,” Ms George said. “Compliance is a mindset that must be ingrained in every level of a business, from leadership to front-line staff. Implement a ‘see something, say something’ culture where self-reporting becomes the norm.”

The session’s panel features AUB head of compliance Chamila Fernando, Insurance Brokers Code Compliance Committee chairman Oscar Shub and Insurance Advisernet head of compliance Karenne Hill.

Mr Fernando told insuranceNEWS.com.au an environment in which people are not afraid to escalate incidents and flag breaches and complaints is key.  

Breaches are often the result of process breakdown or control failure, he says. Managers must find a balance between “consequence management and a no-blame” culture. The right tools are also important.

“It’s having an environment where people are empowered to escalate,” he said. “If you have a cumbersome tool, people are going to be reluctant to spend time lodging a complaint and to escalate and raise incidents and breaches, which is exactly what you want.”

Mr Shub says good compliance culture means all members of an organisation are committed to ensuring full disclosure of relevant issues. 

“We need to ensure the culture is instilled through education and training, and that all members of the group are aware of their obligations,” he said.  

“The culture of the organisation needs to address people’s concerns about disclosing faults or weaknesses ... There’s nothing wrong with coming and saying you made a mistake, or you discovered a mistake, or you may have done something wrong. It will not be held against you.”  

Insurance News is media partner for the conference – From Red Tape to Value – at Sydney Opera House’s Yallamundi Rooms on October 2. The platinum partner is law firm Gilchrist Connell. 

Find out more here.