Corruption in international business: risks and responsibilities for Nordic business

Join us on 4 November with top experts and company examples on best practice to take a deep dive into anti-corruption in international business!

In both Finland and Sweden, day-to-day corruption is virtually non-existent and there is a high level of trust between citizens and public administration. However, both countries have also a significant number of international companies that operate in global markets, with a higher risk of corruption. Coming from countries with very little day-to-day corruption, it can be challenging to see the severity of corruption in a global context and its impacts on people and sustainability efforts. However, as recent anti-corruption protests in for example Nepal and Philippines demonstrate, not all locals view the way thing are as a desirable way of doing business.

To help raise awareness on anti-corruption in international business, UN Global Compact Networks Finland and Sweden will organize a webinar on what the risks and responsibilities are on this issue for Nordic business. The webinar will also contribute to implementing the 10 principles of the UN Global Compact, the 10^th of them dedicated to anti-corruption.

What and when?

What forms do corruption and bribery take in international business? How does the legal framework look like? What can we learn from legal cases? Does international political reality affect the implementation of anti-corruption measures? How does best practice to tackle corruption in international business look like? To answer these questions and raise awareness on anti-corruption, UN Global Compact Networks Finland and Sweden will organize a webinar on 4 November 2025 from 14.00 to 15.30 (Fi time)/from 13.00 to 14.30 (SE time), in Zoom.

Speakers include the following top experts: 

Venla Mäntysalo, Senior Specialist, Ministry of Justice of Finland
Ulrik Åshuvud, Secretary General of Transparency International Sweden
Anna Romberg, Executive VP Sustainability, Legal & Compliance, Getinge
Kati Mattila, VP, Compliance & Internal Audit, Konecranes
Lothar Lieske, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer, Volvo Group.

Please see the bios of the speakers below.

The webinar will be held in English.

Target audience

The event is cost-free and open to all. It is aimed especially at company representatives working with compliance. The event is organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice of Finland as part of the project ‘Strengthening the Fight against Corruption’ (co-funded by the European Union).

This event is a part of an event series on anti-corruption, tackling issues on corruption in a national context, anti-corruption measures in international business, and anti-corruption in the context of Ukraine.

Registration

Please register for the event by 3 November 2025.

Speaker bios

Lothar Lieske LL.M. oec., is currently holding the position as the Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer for the Volvo Group based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Following a regular legal studies program Mr. Lieske received a Master of Law in economics from the Friedrich-Schiller University in Jena (Germany) where he was able to focus on white collar crime and anti-corruption legislation. Mr. Lieske has been an active compliance professional since 2008 and has held various compliance management positions in international companies since.

His most recent assignment was the position as Head of Group Compliance for the Hamburg based trading and logistics company Marquard & Bahls AG. Prior to this engagement Mr. Lieske worked for the global electronic component manufacturer TE Connectivity as Ethics & Compliance Counsel with responsibility for the EMEA region. The first years of his career in compliance Mr. Lieske spent within the compliance department of the Daimler Group where he also held the position as Compliance Manager Mercedes Benz Special Trucks.

Venla Mäntysalo, Senior Specialist at the Ministry of Justice of Finland, is responsible for coordinating and implementing national and international anti-corruption measures at the department of Criminal Policy and Criminal Law.  Ms. Mäntysalo acts as the secretary of the national anti-corruption cooperation network which promotes the Finnish anti-corruption strategy and its related action plan. Ms. Mäntysalo also participates in EU legislation on the directive on anti-corruption. In addition, she reports with her team to the United Nations on Finnish actions to implement international anti-corruption treaties and recommendations. She holds a Ph.D. in Administration from the University of Vaasa.

Kati Mattila is a seasoned compliance and audit executive with extensive experience in driving integrity, transparency, and accountability across complex organizations. In her current role as Vice President of Compliance & Internal Audit at Konecranes, she supports the organization in enhancing governance practices and aligning operations with ethical standards and regulatory expectations. Known for her pragmatic approach and ability to take a holistic approach to ethical and compliance risk management, Kati has successfully guided teams through transformative compliance programs. Her career has included a variety of roles that have deepened her understanding of internal controls and operational resilience. She remains committed to continuous learning and improvement, and she sees her work as a shared effort - supporting others in making sound, ethical decisions.

Anna Romberg is an executive leader and governance expert passionate about enabling responsible decision-making at every level of an organization. She has supported numerous companies, across industries and jurisdictions, to address complex compliance challenges and rebuild stakeholder trust. As part of the Executive Management team at the Swedish MedTech company Getinge, she heads the global Sustainability, Legal, and Compliance function. She also chairs the board of North House and co-founded the Nordic Business Ethics Initiative. Anna is Ph.D. and co-author of “The Grey Zone – a practical guide to corporate conduct, compliance and business ethics” as well as the Harvard Business Review article “How to approach business ethics as global consensus breaks down”.

Ulrik Åshuvud is currently the Secretary General of Transparency International Sweden. Ulrik is an international lawyer with a passion for process management and quality assurance of both justice and migration processes. He has a long experience from different management and expert positions in the field of Justice and Home Affairs since 1994 in the Swedish Ministry of Justice and Swedish Migration Agency, e.g. as Head of Secretariat for the Baltic Sea Task-Force on Organized Crime, JHA Counsellor in Brussels (anti-terror & criminal law), National Process Manager for Return, Head of Department for Reception, Contingency Manager, Chief of Staff for EU and International Affairs at the Swedish Migration Agency. He has led multilateral operative co-operation frameworks and has been Lead Consultant as well as Head of Delegation for several international assignments to e.g. Afghanistan, Iraq, Turkey, Ukraine, Vietnam, Malawi and Mozambique both in the field of justice and migration.

One more event on anti-corruption in a high-risk context

Our event series continues with one more webinar, please join us then too!

The event on anti-corruption in Ukraine “How to operate responsibly in a high-risk context? Case Ukraine” will take place online on 18 November 2025 14.00–15.30 (FI time) and is organized together with UN Global Compact Networks Ukraine and Sweden.