Bribe, Swindle or Steal

Retired Canadian Supreme Court Justice Thomas Cromwell joins the podcast to describe the review he was commissioned to undertake of Hockey Canada's organizational structure in the aftermath of a sexual assault scandal that shook confidence in the sport in 2018.   This episode was originally published on 13 November 2024.

Sebastian Abbot, author of "The Away Game; The Epic Search for Soccer's Next Superstars," talks about Qatar and the biggest soccer talent search in history, as well as the darker side of recruiting for the sport.   This episode was originally published on 4 June 2018.

Leah Ambler, Director, Corruption Prevention at the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity and former Legal Analyst at the OECD, joins the podcast—in her personal capacity—to discuss her excellent chapter on Whistleblower Protections. Leah discusses the importance of whistleblower protections to reducing corruption and the challenges inherent in these protections in the absence of com...

Patrick Alley, co-founder of Global Witness and author of Very Bad People: The Inside Story of the Fight Against the World's Network of Corruption , joins the podcast to discuss the early days of his Global Witness investigations, how their efforts gained momentum and where we should be focusing our attention next.   This episode was originally published in 10 August 2022.

Melissa Goldin, a NY-based News Verification Reporter and Editor with The Associated Press analyzes and debunks fake news.    This episode was originally published on 24 July 2024.

Listen to the riveting first-hand story of a Unaoil executive who found himself at the center of a bribery scheme. This episode was originally published in 16 August 2017.

Diana Henriques, award-winning journalist and author, discusses the traits of fraudsters and the menace of reputation laundering.   This episode was originally published on 3 August 2024.

Shaul Shalvi, Professor of Behavioral Ethics at the University of Amsterdam, describes how people convince themselves that their misconduct is okay. This episode was originally published on 21 June 2017.

Nick McKenzie, award-winning Australian investigative journalist, shares the inside story of his role in exposing the Unaoil scandal.   This episode was originally published on 12 July 2017.

Brian Klaas, Associate Professor at University College London and host of the award-winning podcast "Power Corrupts," joins us to discuss his book "Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us". Brian describes research on who is drawn to positions of power and how power impacts us, including potentially re-wiring our brains. This episode was originally published 30 March 2022.

At the 2025 TRACE Annapolis Forum, Chuck Duross, Global Co-Chair of the FCPA and Global Anti-Corruption Practice at Morrison Foerster, discusses the DOJ's evolving voluntary self-disclosure policies and the balance of risks and rewards for companies. From increased incentives under the 2025 Corporate Enforcement Policy to the challenges of parallel investigations, Charles explores what drives the...

At the 2025 TRACE Annapolis Forum, Nicola Bonucci, Associate Professor at Paris Cité and former General Counsel of the OECD, reflects on 25 years of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and the evolving challenges of global enforcement. From uncertainties around FCPA guidance, political influence, and uneven implementation, to questions about the U.S.'s continued leadership in anti-bribery efforts, Ni...

Joel Bakan joins the podcast to discuss his books, and the films based on them. He outlines the fundamental conflict inherent in companies ostensibly committed to ESG principles while simultaneously driven by a legal requirement to maximize shareholder value.   This episode was originally published on 14 July 2021.  

Michael Forsythe, co-author with Walt Bogdanich of "When McKinsey Comes to Town", joins the podcast to talk about McKinsey's work in support of autocratic regimes, its rampant conflicts of interest and the distance between its stated values and its work on the ground.    This episode was originally published on 18 January 2023.

Speaking at the 2022 TRACE London Forum, Oliver Bullough, author of  Butler to the World , discusses the UK's role as an enabler of financial crime, efforts toward accountability, the balance between transparency and privacy, and the weaponization of lawsuits in British courts to silence journalists.   This episode was originally published on 26 October 2022.  

Richard Conway, Managing Partner at SPECTACLE, and former BBC Sport correspondent, describes the vast state-sponsored Russian doping scandal and how the credibility of global sports is being undermined.   This episode was originally published on 7 February 2018.

Declan Hill discusses the pervasive and sinister nature of match-fixing and how we can prevent sport from being turned into theater.   This episode was originally published on 2 August 2017.    

In this episode, we hear from Leonid Volkov, who spoke at the 2022 TRACE London Forum. Leonid, former Chief of Staff to Alexei Navalny and current Political Director of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF), discussed the role of corruption in Putin's Russia, as well as the impact of sanctions and the toll that rampant corruption is taking on the country.   This episode was originally published on...

Here's our conversation with Bill Browder from the 2022 TRACE London Forum. Bill discusses his book  Freezing Order and his ongoing quest for accountability and justice following the abuse and murder of his lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky.   This episode was originally published on 28 September 2022.

Sally Dennis, former President of Rugby Canada and current Canadian representative on the Council of World Rugby, describes her role in the professionalization of sports governance, where challenges remain—​ and rugby's arguably unique invulnerability to match fixing!   This episode was originally published on 17 July 2024.

Ken Bensinger, award-winning investigative reporter, author and Pulitzer Prize finalist, discusses his fascinating book,  Red Card , and the decades of misconduct by FIFA eventually uncovered by the FBI. We play "violation bingo" as Ken describes the bribery, self-dealing, conflicts of interest and money-laundering that were business as usual at FIFA.   This episode was originally published on 27...

At the 2025 TRACE Forum, Misti Mukherjee, Partner at Extensio Law, and Debra Joy Pérez, Chief Equity Officer at United States Pharmacopeia (USP), explore the evolving expectations for diversity, equity, and inclusion in organizations. They share recommendations for implementing evidence-based equitable practices and emphasize that DEI should be embedded in the core of compliance programs—not treat...

At the 2025 TRACE Annapolis Forum, Gordon McKechnie, Executive President of Canadian Bank Note, explores the evolving dynamics between the U.S. and Canada. As Canada's focus shifts toward Europe and Asia, Gordon discusses changing trade priorities, diverging foreign policies, and the impact of tariffs on both economies.

At the 2025 TRACE Forum, Kirk Foster, Assistant General Counsel and Director of Compliance at HII Mission Technologies, explores how organizations can use Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) alongside compliance to proactively address emerging risks. By leveraging ERM, Kirk discusses how companies can make data-driven decisions, increase efficiency, reduce redundancy, and support business growth.

At the 2025 TRACE Annapolis Forum, Billy Jacobson, Partner at Jacobson Lopez, explores the DOJ's shifting FCPA priorities—from a focus on "grand corruption" and the costs of investigations to prosecutorial uncertainty and statutes of limitation. In today's unpredictable environment, companies must stay the course, protect resources, and invest in training.