May 2019 Covers

MAY 2019, ISSUE 3

WHAT IS THE CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICE?

A LOOK INSIDE THE BUSINESS UNIT THAT FACILITATES POLICY

AND CONTROL STANDARDS ACROSS AT & T

by Tariq Walker, Class of 2018

“The clean desk inspectors are HERE!”

controls to prevent, detect, respond and predict risks. Sounds like a lot, huh? Those were my thoughts exactly. As you may be aware, AT&T consists of multiple operating companies: AT&T Communications, AT&T Latin America, WarnerMedia and Xandr. These companies sit under AT&T Corporate. Within each operating company and their supporting organizations, there are regulatory requirements and business risks that must be closely monitored to minimize negative impacts to our customers, brand or financials. The CCO comprises several programs that align with the highest risks related to where and how our company does business. These programs include, but are not limited to, Anti- Bribery and Anti-Corruption and Data Protection and Privacy. Each program is customized for each respective business. Together with the CCO, the business develops an action plan to mitigate risks. Although the CCO plays a significant role in identifying and monitoring risks, it relies heavily on partnerships with the business to drive success. Ultimately, the CCO serves as an internal consultant throughout the implementation process.

Everything short of a smoke signal surges through the call center to warn others that the inspection has begun. If you’ve worked in a customer-facing environment at AT&T, I’m sure you can relate. However, have you ever asked yourself, “Why are (sometimes painful) policies necessary?”. “What value do our policies add?” or, better yet, “Who generates the policies?” To be honest, answers to these questions eluded me until I joined the Chief Compliance Office (CCO) earlier this year. Soon after starting my new role as a Lead Compliance Analyst within the strategy team, I quickly learned the CCO is composed of many different functions (not just training) and is always adapting with purpose. But let’s take a step back to develop a better understanding of the CCO. “What is the CCO?” is a question I often get. The CCO is the group that oversees compliance risks, including all regulatory requirements and internal policies and procedures. Simply put, the CCO enables the business to be successful by assisting it in identifying and creating the necessary