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Farmington, CT June 5, 2006. Ethics and compliance professionals from several leading companies converged upon Hartford last week for the first EthicsAdvantage Customer Advisory Group Meeting, as Software Impressions, LLC hosted this first of its kind meeting in the Judge George Day Courtroom within the offices of Shipman & Goodwin, LLP.
Attendees from companies including United Technologies, Verizon Business and CA participated in the daylong event. Interspersed among sessions designed to help users make the most of the sophisticated case management and analytics available exclusively within EthicsAdvantage were presentations from preeminent experts in the fields of ethics, compliance and Ombuds programs.
Shipman & Goodwin Partner Chuck Howard, whose work has helped to shape how Ombuds programs are to be treated under the law and who has had an influential role in the development of federal organizational sentencing guidelines, opened the day. Mr. Howard synthesized recent developments in the areas of sentencing guidelines and Ombuds programs with the unique and dynamic challenges of managing an ethics compliance program.
Pat Gnazzo, CA's Senior Vice President, Business Practices and Chief Compliance Officer, shared with the group some of the lessons he has learned from the myriad challenges he has encountered in his professional career. Prominent among the insights shared by Mr. Gnazzo was the observation that the compliance officer's mission to have the company do the right thing requires continual vigilance and immersion into all aspects of the organization.
Special guest speaker Terry Thomas from the ethics training and communication provider Ethics, Inc. challenged attendees to identify and avoid the murk and confusion that can result from assuming that all concerned parties will share a common perception of the "buzzwords" that frequently permeate discussion of ethics compliance programs. The ensuing discussion among the participants highlighted several recurring dilemmas faced by ethics professionals.
EthicsAdvantage is a comprehensive electronic system designed to optimize the flow of sensitive information and to support prompt, efficient investigations within corporations and other organizations facing allegations involving issues of ethics. Whether sexual harassment, whistleblower, or any similar type of allegation, corporations must respond swiftly and appropriately upon learning of a potential issue. EthicsAdvantage utilizes technology to support the corporate response while maintaining documentation of the factual information and facilitating discreet communication to appropriate parties.
"We continue to expand and to develop additional capabilities to make EthicsAdvantage an ever-better choice to support the programs of our client companies" commented Mike Daigle, a principal of Software Impressions. "Insights provided by the members of our Customer Advisory Group will guide our development team as we prioritize enhancements and additional functionality. Our company is proud to provide the solution of choice to the business leaders who participated in this session" continued Mr. Daigle.
About Software Impressions LLC
Software Impressions LLC helps corporate business practices and compliance officers to increase the effectiveness of their ethics compliance programs. EthicsAdvantage is designed to enhance an organization's capabilities related to the proactive management of ethics matters and corporate governance reporting requirements.
Additional information about Software Impressions may be found at: www.softwareimpressions.com