Check out your Company Bowl for anonymous work chats.
Laetitia Hoffmann, Control Risks' Head of Digital Automation and Transformation for VANTAGE, tells us about working at Control Risks, her interest in automation, and her career so far.
A message from our executive co-sponsors, Hannah Kitt and Bill Udell, in celebration of International Women's Day 2024.
Control Risks has been listed for the fifth year in a row in Global Investigations Review’s annual GIR 100 list of leading investigative consultancies worldwide. It is not only a huge achievement for our practice to be consistently recognized in the guide each year, but also a testament to our expertise in being the trusted global consultant for our in-house and external counsel. The diversity of perspectives our people bring from 73 nationalities around the world, speaking 68 languages and who come from professional backgrounds ranging from journalism and law enforcement to forensic accounting and the military is what makes our practice stand out in carrying out complex, global investigations. Control Risks was selected based on the diversity of our practice, the quality of our work as demonstrated by 20 cases completed in the past two years, and client references.
Our HRMS HR Director, Barrie Grant, and HR Manager, Annie Stacey, recently travelled to Baghdad and Basra to visit the operations teams and our colleagues based there. Whilst in Baghdad, a women’s coffee morning took place which included our local Compliance and HR team, protective services team leaders and the HRMS HR manager. In this meeting, we gathered feedback and recommendations on how we could improve the living conditions for women who live full time on the compound and for female clients visiting the camp. We discussed potential training and career opportunities whilst looking at internal mobility opportunities amongst both local and expatriate workforces. The local and expatriate staff are providing informal English and Arabic language lessons during free time, which has been well received, helping develop language skills by leveraging internal relationships and knowledge. This meeting and the outputs were a great example of our One Firm strategic pillar in action; open conversations and collaboration are key to developing our relationships with colleagues across the firm.
Supporting World Mental Health Day - 10th October Our recent Employee Engagement Survey at Control Risk’s established our employees feel that managers act with flexibility and care, and when issues arise, provide support in finding solutions. Control Risks are committed to continuing to nurture these strengths to encourage mental wellbeing. How do we support Through regular check ins and discussions, manager’s are often best placed to support our teams and to discuss and find solutions to work-related challenges and to also listen to any other concerns. Manager guidance is available to support wellbeing conversations and manager training sessions run regularly in regions. Mental Health Champions are also available to employees who wish to have a confidential conversation and can also share information on support and resources available locally. HR Team is available to support both managers and employees who require support and can provide guidance on additional expert resources as appropriate.
Volunteer and wellbeing days Control Risks understand that volunteer and wellbeing days are vital components of a thriving organisation and is committed to employee’s wellness. That’s why we offer wellbeing days to help people recharge and maintain a healthy work life balance. On top of that our volunteering days provide a unique platform for our people to give back, develop new skills, and strengthen their teamwork and leadership abilities, all while making a positive impact on society. Employees at Control Risks have a long history of supporting volunteering projects in support of local communities. Volunteering is integral to our role as a responsible business and core to our own values. It is also a great way to connect with the local community and provide a sense of individual purpose, making it a valuable tool for the wellbeing of individuals as well as the cause for which they are volunteering.
Supporting local chefs through social enterprise Last week, during their quarterly meeting in London, our Executive Committee partnered with Hey! Food . They are a social enterprise that helps refugees, immigrants, stay-at-home parents, retirees, or anyone who loves cooking to generate a meaningful income by sharing their native cuisine and culture. Co-founders Yuru Gao and Frankie Docker served up dishes from Brazil and Romania hich were met high praise for Chefs Renata and Petrisor. The lunch was a great success and a fantastic way to sustainably support local talent.
Women’s Network workshop at Hiscox Last week our Women’s Network hosted a skills workshop with our client and partner Hiscox for female brokers across the K&R, Product Recall and Terrorism products. This workshop focused on developing negotiation skills for brokers within everyday life, covering topics ranging from getting a discount on a new home, negotiating contracts with clients, and physical security, with tips on how women can feel safer day to day. Our exclusive partnership with Hiscox spans nearly 30 years and combines crisis management insurance and consultancy. This workshop has allowed for Control Risks to extend its Women’s Network initiatives to our partners. We were pleased to see over 50 women in attendance, all sharing knowledge and experiences. Feedback from participants across the numerous brokers, Hiscox and Control Risks colleagues was overwhelmingly positive, reinforcing the value of these workshops in strengthening our personal and professional relationship with clients.
Helping Local Families Fight Hunger n 11 April, members of the CSC and Cyber practices based in the Washington, D.C. office volunteered their time at the local Capital Area Food Bank. The food bank leads the region’s efforts to provide equitable access to food and opportunity to people struggling with hunger and food insecurity. Over the course of the shift, the Control Risks team worked with others to build and pack 527 boxes of food that will be delivered to the region’s senior population. This is a semi-annual tradition between the two teams in the office, and they plan to smash that box number record later this year! Everyone at Control Risks has the opportunity to take two volunteering days - visit our Charity and Community intranet page to learn more about how you can get involved.
D.C. office partners with Howard University – Diversifying our talent Identifying and recruiting a diverse range of talent plays a huge part in the firm's global DE&I strategy; this involves ensuring the workforce in our offices more directly mirrors the communities in which we serve. In the Americas, the HBCU (Historically Black Colleges & Universities) D.C. Office Internship recruitment program works towards achieving this global vision. Set up by Greg Esslinger and Bill Udell, CEO AMERS, the program aims to address and tackle issues faced by the black community in America by directly targeting local HBCU schools to find young talent for internships initially, with a view towards full time employment of these interns in the near future. The USA has 107 HBCU schools - these were established prior to the 1964 Civil Rights Act when racial segregation within the educational sector was a reality of life in the country. The program, initially being rolled out in our Washington D.C. office, aims to improve the range of diverse talent at Control Risks.
