Young Professionals Committee
Denzel Washington said “Show me a successful individual and I’ll show you someone who had real positive influences in his or her life. I don’t care what you do for a living, if you do it well, I’m sure there was someone cheering you on or showing the way. A mentor.”
In this spirit, the Young Professionals Committee of the Compliance Institute Southern Africa committed 2022 to refocusing the mentorship program. The program is key to both accelerating aspirational compliance officers’ entrance into the compliance profession and to guiding existing compliance officers in their professional journey. The program closely supports the Institute’s professional pathway – a framework that provides a pragmatic understanding of how users can get their foot on the compliance ladder and what steps need to be taken to continue climbing in the profession.
The revised mentorship program has introduced junior mentees – a step toward recognising the contribution of compliance officers who do not hold a Compliance Practitioner (SA) / CPrac (SA) designation, but who offer invaluable guidance and insight through their business knowledge and understanding of the compliance landscape.
Mentors on the program will participate in a training workshop provided by the Institute and will be guided by a mentorship roadmap. Mentees will now receive further benefits, including a certificate of participation, a personalised roadmap from his/her mentors well as entrance into CISA events (1 national forum event of non-members choice). Mentees, who are members of CISA, will have an additional benefit of getting access to CISA’s ‘human library”.
The 15 June 2022 Youth Day event was aligned with the Institute’s annual conference in that it acknowledged the “superpowers” required of a compliance officer. After introducing the compliance profession and asking attendees if they “have what it takes”, the Institute introduced speakers that explored aspects pertaining to self-branding and the importance of behavioural linguistics in their careers.
Breadcrumbs Linguistics challenged attendees with how they see words, and explained the importance of words in persuading, compelling and driving action. Attendees learnt language principles that could assist in nudging behaviour – a key skill to demonstrating that the compliance function rather relates to enabling and strengthening strategy, opposed to challenging and hindering operations. Lifa Communications showcased how self-branding can improve professional visibility and how the use of a “compliance communication toolbox” can support shifting the compliance narrative and drive powerful messaging.
2022 is set to be a year for encouraging, creating opportunities, and steering young professionals toward a successful career in compliance.