theAustraliancorporatelawyer
INTER VIE W LIFTING THE LID ON CORRUPTION Each year, International Anti-Corruption Day is recognised on the 9 th of December. Corruption destroys society’s trust and confidence in public administration, undermines due process and has an adverse financial impact on the operations of both the public and private sectors. In-house counsel play a critical role in advising on the risks and liabilities caused by corruption, bribery, misconduct and fraud. Amy Salapak, Senior Lawyer – Corruption and Crime Commission ( WA) recently spoke to the senior in-house lawyers leading Australia’s anti-corruption and integrity agencies about to the challenges and opportunities in combatting corruption. What do you enjoy most about working at your agency? Rod Jensen, Director, Legal Services, Independent Commissioner Against Corruption (SA): The best part of my job is the satisfaction I receive from knowing that I am making a contribution to upholding integrity in public administration. Geoff Kennedy, Director, Corruption Legal, Crime and Corruption Commission (QLD): The work has meaning. My work, and the work of the QLD CCC, make a difference. My work and the work of the people I work with makes a small contribution to ensuring Australia is as corruption-free as possible. I don’t want to live in a country where graft, bribery and corruption are rife, like some other countries. I enjoy that. Nikki Bensch, General Counsel, Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity (ACLEI) (Cth): It is very satisfying knowing I am contributing to making our community a fairer place, by ensuring staff of Australian Government law enforcement agencies act with integrity when exercising their powers and responsibilities and, where they don’t, ensuring corrupt conduct is detected and investigated. Wendy Endebrock-Brown, Director, Legal Services, Corruption and Crime Commission (WA): It sounds clichéd, but it is definitely the people. I work with an amazingly talented, motivated and dedicated bunch of lawyers, paralegals and Commission officers, who love what they do and contribute significantly to the incredible results being achieved by the Commission here in WA. What has been the best advice given to you in your career? Helen Fatouros, Executive Director, Legal, Independent Broadbased Anti-Corruption Commission (VIC): When I first started as a junior prosecution lawyer, it was the power of a good file note and not being scared to say I’d made a mistake. As an executive, it was having perfectionism figuratively ‘beaten’ out of me through lots of direct feedback. Figure out when you need to be at 100% versus 80% and if you want to have a shot at work-life balance, master the art of precise accountable delegation!
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VOLUME 30, ISSUE 4 – SUMMER 2020
Chrissy McConnel, In-House Legal Counsel, Office of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption (NT): Never to be afraid of being myself, challenging myself or embracing change. Nikki: Your attitude is everything. Nelson Mandela said it best: “I never lose. I either win or learn.” Wendy: “Do what you love, and love what you do”. Without this advice from my dad as a very junior lawyer, I would not be the lawyer, or the person, I am today.
“ Nelson Mandela said it best: “I
never lose. I either win or learn.” Nikki Bensch
What does effective leadership look like to you? Chrissy: To my mind, effective leaders are those who lead by example and, through good communication and self-awareness, inspire confidence and trust. Effective leaders appreciate the value brought to an organisation by each team member and recognise and respect individuality. Helen: When I think about the leaders I have worked for that have motivated me to give my best, leaders who have achieved real results for the community, it’s those leaders who were driven by purpose and knew how to set and communicate strategy or the horizon we were travelling towards and why. The best leaders then built teams that worked to achieve that end, with a seemingly prescient ability to anticipate risks and opportunities along the way, all while not losing sight of the horizon. The most effective leaders also built trust, were courageous, self-aware and often annoyingly persistent; all while genuinely caring about their staff not just in terms of their performance, but also in terms of developing them to become better public servants. Nikki: Effective leaders are courageous and committed, to both the organisation and the people within it. They keep their word, admit their mistakes and lead by example.
