Great Women in Compliance

Hosted by Lisa Fine and Hemma Lomax

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315

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Jun 2026

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About the show

For a long time, compliance was perceived as a part of the larger legal world. Today, compliance is its own profession—a place where people work tirelessly to make the world a better place, one where doing the right thing is the standard for everyone. There are a lot of amazing and inspirational women who have helped the compliance field develop into what it is today, and women are joining this field every day. They are leading the work on cutting-edge issues and breaking barriers for women. Join Hemma Lomax and Lisa Fine as they talk with women in compliance who are making a difference. This podcast is part of the Compliance Podcast Network.

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60 recent

June 10, 202632 min

Raising the Bar on Compliance Training

What makes compliance training actually work in 2026? It has come a long way from the days when simply having a training program was considered enough. In this episode, Lisa talks with Kirsten Liston, CEO and Founder of Rethink Compliance, to discuss how expectations for compliance training have evolved over the past two decades and what organizations should be thinking about today. Kirsten discusses her experience in the compliance learning space and shares insights from her recent white paper, “Raising the Bar: A New Standard for Compliance Training.” She reflects on the best ways to create training that is engaging, relevant, and capable of driving real impact in organizations of any size. Kirsten and Lisa discuss the growing focus on engagement and effectiveness, the challenges of reaching global audiences while maintaining consistency, and the importance of helping employees understand why ethics and compliance matter rather than focusing on the rules. They look ahead to the role AI plays now and will play in the future of compliance learning and why, even as technology advances, human-centered communication remains essential. This conversation offers both a look back at how the field has changed and practical insights for compliance professionals seeking to ensure their training programs continue evolving to meet their unique organizational needs.

June 3, 202621 min

Wildly Effective, 10 Years Later

Author and compliance professional Kristy Grant-Hart on the 10th anniversary of her book. Sarah Hadden sits down with Kristy Grant Hart to discuss the 10th anniversary edition of her influential book, How to Be a Wildly Effective Compliance Officer. They explore how the compliance profession has evolved over the past decade — from a rules-and-regulations mindset toward a more human-centered approach grounded in influence, resilience, storytelling, and leadership. They also dig into some of the book’s more debated ideas, including personal branding, visibility, networking, and whether being “wildly effective” requires becoming an influencer. Along the way, they tackle burnout, resilience, AI’s rapidly expanding role and why human judgment remains irreplaceable. This is a candid and energizing conversation about what it really takes to thrive in compliance today — and why the future of the profession is bright.

May 27, 202650 min

Designing The Rooms Where Leadership Happens

This week on Great Women in Compliance, Hemma Lomax sits down with Meredith Anastasio, Managing Director of the Emerging Technology Division at Opal Group, for a thoughtful conversation about leadership, emerging technology, governance, and the power of designing meaningful dialogue. Meredith’s career journey has taken her from law to executive leadership and strategic convening, where she now creates high-impact forums that bring together leaders across compliance, governance, AI, technology, and business. Her work focuses on building spaces where complex ideas can be explored honestly, collaboratively, and with practical impact. Meredith shares why she believes compliance and governance professionals are uniquely important in moments of rapid technological change, and why thoughtful conversations matter more than ever in the age of AI. She and Hemma discuss the difference between simply organizing events and intentionally designing environments where leaders can challenge assumptions, wrestle with complexity, and move industries forward together. The conversation also explores Meredith’s legal background, her passion for leadership development, and her belief that compliance work remains one of the most meaningful and influential professions inside modern organizations. Topics include: Meredith’s journey from lawyer to leadership strategist The vision behind Opal Group’s emerging technology initiatives Why governance and compliance conversations matter now The role of human judgment in increasingly automated systems Designing rooms where meaningful leadership conversations can happen About Meredith Anastasio: Meredith Anastasio, J.D., MSEL, is the Managing Director of the Emerging Technology Division at Opal Group. She leads conferences and executive forums focused on AI, governance, leadership, and emerging technologies, bringing together cross-functional leaders for deeper, more collaborative conversations about the future of business and society. Meredith also serves as the Founder and CEO of MAEvents, LLC, and has a background in law and executive leadership.

May 15, 202620 min

Compliance Week 2026 Highlights with Nick Gallo

Team #GWIC and the #GWICfam were out in full force at the 2026 Compliance Week conference in Washington, DC. Nick Gallo, a Great Gentleman in Compliance, was gracious enough (or agreed when he was “voluntold”) to be our roving reporter, asking people about their conference highlights, practical takeaways, and about AI in compliance, as that was one key event focus. The episode also highlights the importance of collaboration, mentorship, and authentic connections in our community, and Compliance Week is such a great reminder of that. From discussions about everything from culture to analytics to celebrating Joe Murphy’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the conference reinforced both the rapid evolution of compliance and the generosity of the people working in it. You will hear the themes of friendships, learning, and shared purpose that continue to define the compliance community from our friends and colleagues.

May 6, 202644 min

DOJ’s New Fraud Division: Practical Insights for Compliance Professionals

In this episode, Lisa and Ellen speak with Leigha Simonton and Jennifer Beidel, former prosecutors and now partners at Dykema Gossett. They discuss the changes in the U.S. Department of Justice, focusing on the National Fraud Enforcement Division and shifts in enforcement priorities. They discuss the spotlight on fraud involving federal funds, especially in healthcare, PPP loans, and other government programs. They discuss the new structure of the criminal fraud division and how that may change the government’s approach to prosecuting cases. At the same time, they also note that many experienced prosecutors and agents have left the DOJ, creating a gap between stated priorities and capacity and expertise. Leigha and Jennifer also provide practical guidance for ethics and compliance professionals. They confirm that a risk assessment is critical and that any company that received federal funds, such as PPP loans, should remain vigilant for possible exposure under the current enforcement trends. Even with these changes, they reiterate that effective, well-tested compliance programs do matter if the U.S. government is considering (or engaging in) prosecution. A proactive program—not the tick-the-box type—demonstrates implementation and remediation, increasing the likelihood of a declination. This is a great episode for those of us trying to understand the US DOJ’s current enforcement landscape amid uncertainty.

April 29, 202647 min

Risk as a Leadership Discipline: Lessons from Internal Audit

Guest Bio: Michelle Wagner is Vice President and Head of Internal Audit at DocuSign, where she leads global audit strategy and helps the organization strengthen governance, risk management, and internal controls while supporting a culture of integrity and accountability. With more than 25 years of experience across consulting and industry, Michelle has held leadership roles at Deloitte, Costco, and SAP, where she led large audit portfolios, built high-performing teams, and drove governance and risk transformation initiatives across complex global organizations. Michelle is known for her practical, people-centered approach to risk leadership and for translating complex risk insights into clear, actionable guidance. She is passionate about mentoring emerging leaders and helping organizations move from reactive risk management to proactive, insight-driven decision-making. Show Notes: Risk is often framed as technical work, but at its core, it is deeply human. In this episode of Great Women in Compliance, Dr. Hemma Lomax sits down with Michelle Wagner, Head of Internal Audit at DocuSign, to explore how curiosity, empathy, and partnership help organizations manage risk more effectively and build stronger ethical cultures. Michelle shares insights from a career spanning consulting and global leadership roles, reflecting on the moments that shaped her leadership philosophy and the lessons she has learned about influencing without authority, building trust, and helping teams see risks as opportunities to improve rather than problems to avoid. Together, they discuss the evolving role of internal audit, the importance of collaboration across risk functions, and how emerging technologies such as AI can help leaders identify patterns and generate insights while reinforcing the need for human judgment. This conversation is a reminder that great risk leaders don’t just protect organizations — they help them succeed. Episode highlights: Why risk management is fundamentally a leadership discipline Lessons from moving from consulting to executive leadership roles What makes an internal audit function truly valuable How audit, compliance, and business teams can partner effectively The role of curiosity and psychological safety in surfacing risks Michelle’s perspective on AI and the future of risk management Leadership lessons from mentoring and building teams

April 22, 202630 min

Culture Check: Are Your Speak Up Channels Effective?

Ever wish you could benchmark your Speak Up channels against more than volume, types of issues raised, and time to close? The Speak Up Self-Assessment (SUSA) was designed to help you go deeper by assessing organizational infrastructure—including reporting channels, confidentiality safeguards, follow-up processes, and governance of whistleblowing systems. In this roundtable episode, we speak with guests: Professor Jessica McManus Warnell Dr. Mary Gentile Allison Narmi about the work they are doing to bring a free, anonymous diagnostic tool to self-assess speak-up channels. Building on the work done in the EU, our guests today are members of the project team that has developed an American version of the tool, with support from the Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership. Link to the EU version here – https://edhec.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eleMjkHraHzw6Hk U.S. version coming soon.

April 15, 202632 min

Clarity, Confidence, Results: Women Over 50 at Work

In this episode, Sarah Hadden and Caveni Wong explore the unique strengths women over 50 bring to today’s workplace—and why those strengths are often overlooked. Drawing on a career that spans consulting, sales, and ethics & compliance leadership, Caveni reflects on the power of experience, the value of judgment and relationship-building, and the kind of leadership that doesn’t rely on title or authority. They talk candidly about nonlinear career paths and what it means to reach a stage where you can choose what’s next with clarity and confidence. Along the way, they find an unexpected metaphor in sourdough bread—patient, resilient, and built over time—much like the careers and capabilities we develop across decades.

March 25, 202637 min

Pretty in Pink: Inside the World of Women Fraudsters

Listen in to hear from two renowned fraud experts, Kelly Paxton & Professor Kelly Richmond Pope, talk about pink collar crime: What is it Why it happens How to spot it and What we can do to stop it With our guests, Sarah Hadden and Ellen M. Hunt, explore whether there are differences between women and men fraudsters, what tools are available or may become available in the future to detect fraud before it happens, and whether biases or preconceived stereotypes hinder our ability to prevent and identify pink-collar crime. Hear from two of the most experienced fraud professionals by tuning in on your favorite podcast platform, on Corporate Compliance Insights, and the Compliance Podcast Network.

March 18, 202622 min

SCCE ECEI 2026 - Berlin Highlights

Lisa Fine and Ellen Hunt were at the SCCE ECEI in Berlin earlier in March and asked some members of the #GWIC community to share their experiences and insights from the event. They asked people to reflect on something that stood out from the presentations, a takeaway to apply when they return home, and something memorable to them. And, no surprise, the answers were insightful and thought-provoking. Their reflections highlighted themes including the growing importance of behavioral science, third-party risk, and AI, as well as creativity and engaging our audience. Everyone mentioned the sense of community - from conversations over lunch to reconnecting with global peers, both inside and outside the sessions. Whether it was hallway discussions, shared meals, or cultural experiences in Berlin, the conference underscored the energy and innovation that come from the global ethics and compliance community, as well as the meaningful relationships built in person at the event.