Workshop B – The Compliance Crisis Simulation: Managing a High-Pressure Global Bribery Investigation From Allegation to Resolution

Dec 9, 2026 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm

Stephanie Accuosti
Global Head of Integrity Investigations
ABB

William Barrett
Assistant General Counsel, Business & Regulatory Investigations
Microsoft

Lidia Maher
Senior Director, Head of Investigations and Anti-Corruption, Office of Global Ethics & Integrity
Salesforce

Lamia Matta
Senior Director, Anti Bribery & Anti-Corruption and Investigations
Cook Medical

When allegations of corruption arise, compliance leaders must make critical decisions quickly—often with incomplete facts, competing legal obligations, mounting business pressures, and the possibility of scrutiny from regulators around the world. The decisions made during the first days of an investigation can have lasting consequences for enforcement outcomes, organizational credibility, and business operations. This simulation places participants in the role of a multinational company’s crisis response team as they navigate a rapidly evolving cross-border bribery investigation, using audience polling to make real-time decisions as new facts emerge and the investigation unfolds.

Discussion Topics Include:

  • Responding to initial allegations while preserving evidence and protecting legal privilege
  • Determining the appropriate scope and strategy for an internal investigation
  • Managing whistleblower complaints, media inquiries, and internal communications during a rapidly evolving matter
  • Coordinating investigations across multiple jurisdictions while navigating data privacy, employment law, and regulatory requirements
  • Making strategic decisions regarding employee interviews, document preservation, digital evidence collection, and the engagement of outside counsel and forensic experts
  • Evaluating whether misconduct is isolated or indicative of broader compliance failures requiring expanded investigation
  • Communicating effectively with Boards of Directors, executive leadership, Audit Committees, and other key stakeholders
  • Assessing remediation strategies, disciplinary measures, and immediate compliance enhancements while maintaining business continuity
  • Evaluating whether, when, and how to pursue voluntary self-disclosure and cooperation with enforcement authorities
  • Preparing for parallel investigations involving multiple domestic and international regulators while protecting the organization’s long-term legal and reputational interests