SAN DIEGO, Jan. 19, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG), an international specialty finance company, announced that Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer Doris Hektor recently addressed the faculty for Consero’s 2015 Corporate Compliance & Ethics Forum at the Fairmont San Francisco. Hektor participated in a panel of Chief Compliance Officers from various industries about creating and sustaining an organizational culture of compliance.
Speaking at the panel, Hektor emphasized the need for businesses to embed compliance in the structure from top-to-bottom: “Compliance needs to become part of the DNA of the business and can only be achieved by Compliance working with their respective business partners and becoming their trusted advisors and go-to-persons.” Hektor continued by adding that one of the means to achieving this is to introduce the model of Line of Business Compliance Officers: “This involves having dedicated Compliance Officers who are responsible for certain business lines, are part of the business leadership teams, participate in their meetings and are—despite their independent role—viewed as an integral part of the business.”
The Consero Corporate Compliance & Ethics Forum is designed to address the growing demands facing today’s Chief Compliance Officers and provide an opportunity to share best practices and innovative ideas to help make compliance skills an enterprise-wide capability. Hektor was joined on the panel by compliance executives from Walmart, Eaton, Colonial Savings and the Layne Christensen Company.
During the panel discussions Hektor elaborated on the Three lines of Defense Concept which is one of many approaches employed by Encore Capital Group to create a sustainable culture of compliance. “The first line of defense is the business itself—the business is at the forefront of defending a company against regulatory criticism, law suits and negative publicity.” Hektor stressed that this is the foundation of our culture at Encore Capital. “Compliance is not owned by Compliance but by the business!”
“Compliance, Legal, Risk Management and (potentially other functions) are the second line of defense that play a critical role in advising and guiding the business on how to demonstrate true ownership of compliance and to conduct independent Compliance monitoring and testing.” In conclusion, Hektor stated that, “Internal Audit is the third line of defense—a last chance to detect compliance weaknesses and to help to drive them to a timely resolution.”
Hektor has more than 20 years of legal and compliance experience in the international banking and finance industry. She previously worked for JP Morgan Chase based in New York City, where she last served as Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Strategy and Development for Consumer and Community Banking Compliance. Hektor came to JP Morgan from American Express headquarters in New York, NY, where she was Global Head of Compliance for Commercial Card. She started her career as an international banking and securities attorney working for Clifford Chance in their Frankfurt/Main, Germany and London, UK offices. In addition to the German equivalent of a J.D., she holds a Ph.D. in the philosophy of law and ethics from the Universität des Saarlandes, Germany.
About Encore Capital Group, Inc.
Encore Capital Group is an international specialty finance company that provides debt recovery solutions for consumers and property owners across a broad range of assets. Through its subsidiaries around the globe, Encore purchases portfolios of consumer receivables from major banks, credit unions, municipalities, and utility providers. Its Propel Financial Services subsidiary also helps home and business owners resolve property tax debt and avoid foreclosure through affordable monthly payment plans.
Encore partners with individuals as they repay their debt obligations, helping them on the road to financial recovery and ultimately improving their economic well-being. Encore is the first and only company of its kind to operate with a Consumer Bill of Rights that provides industry-leading commitments to consumers. Headquartered in San Diego, Encore is a publicly traded NASDAQ Global Select company (ticker symbol: ECPG) and a component stock of the Russell 2000, the S&P Small Cap 600 and the Wilshire 4500. More information about the company can be found at http://www.encorecapital.com. Information found on the company’s website is not incorporated by reference.
Kevin Saidler Encore Capital Group, Inc. 858-309-9772 kevin.saidler@encorecapital.com
