Being Serious About Integrity

Today I share two viewpoints about integrity, from much different perspectives and experiences. If there is one blog to read this week, it is Richard Bistrong’s blog posted on Monday, Too Big To Debar (Link). This article reflects a sense of integrity and humility that is rarely demonstrated. Imagine someone who has been convicted for FCPA violations, sentenced to jail, and debarred from doing business with the US Government, who now says loud and clear that it was fair and appropriate. Imagine the same person who now articulates that there is in fact only one way to do business, which is to behave ethically, comply with the law, and to demonstrate that compliant business is competitive business, i.e. 100% based on innovation and pricing which drives value to both the buyer and seller. He shares this unfiltered from a front-line experience that we don’t often hear in this debate.

When this very person (he is one of only two parties that were debarred in the OECD Bribery Report) says that enforcing authorities should be really serious when sanctioning companies for bribing public officials, we should listen if we really want a global, corruption free, business environment. But my conviction is that this has to be complemented by sharing the viewpoint of someone else who is serious about integrity, Mr. Angel Gurria, the OECD Secretary General. In an interview posted for the anti-corruption day on the ETHIC Intelligence Experts Corner (link), Mr. Gurria stated “The OECD recognizes that the supply of bribes to foreign public officials is one half of the picture, and that it is also important to address the solicitation of bribes." Mr. Gurria bravely elevates the often ignored issue that as long as public officials continue to gain personal advantage from bribery in a climate of impunity, our children will continue to be confronted with the same difficulties as today.

I will always remember a courageous magistrate who during an OECD conference said bluntly "corruption is a devil's deal, but the devil is the public official who requests and takes the bribe, while he is supposed to work on behalf of our general public interest.” While sanctions have to deter companies from corrupt activities, we also need to start focusing on public officials, in every country, to ensure that public procurements and processes will always be taken for the sake of the community. Treating the two sides of bribery differently is not only unfair, but mainly sends the wrong message by focusing entirely on the corporate component. Thank you Mr. Gurria and Richard for telling us so clearly and so courageously how things should be. A world without corruption is the one I want to leave to our children.