NY Times-profiled “whistleblower” to speak at 2015 Honor Roll
A tenet of a business that espouses an ethical culture is a policy that encourages employees to speak up without fear of reprisal if they observe legal or ethical breaches and fraudulent practices in their company.
At its Honor Roll event on January 28 at the Nazareth College Arts Center, the Rochester Area Business Ethics Foundation hosts a special guest: Bill Lloyd, who makes a presentation based on his personal experience trying to expose a financial fraud at a large, nationally-known insurance company.
A successful financial advisor, not a disgruntled employee, Lloyd worked internally within the company’s bureaucracy to correct a problem that would short-change his and other clients – all to no avail. Turning to the Securities and Exchange Commission, he succeeded, thanks to the SEC’s whistleblower’s policy of protection and reward.
His story was featured in the New York Times this past August in an opinion piece by columnist Joe Nocera, who describes Lloyd’s actions in further detail. In fact, at the time the piece was written, Lloyd was one of only 13 individuals rewarded under the SEC’s Dodd-Frank financial reform law and its whistleblower policy.
At the January 28th event, Lloyd will bring an important message on ethics with a presentation entitled “Not on My Watch: A Whistleblower’s Journey to Justice.”
His presentation is particularly relevant to RABEF’s mission to pursue a year-round conversation on the practice of good business ethics, which is why the presentation will be open to the public. Further, a whistleblower policy is an important part of an entry application for an ETHIE Award, a policy that ETHIE judges look for when determining the recipients of the award.
“Bill Lloyd’s experience as a whistleblower will enlighten all who attend the Honor Roll event,” says RABEF president Tywla Cummings. “As RABEF strives to make business ethics a year-round conversation, Bill’s talk will do just that.”
The annual Honor Roll event honors the most recent ETHIE Award winners and finalists and is usually considered an internal event. However, considering the stature and topic of this year’s speaker, the event is open to the general public so that his message can be shared more widely in our community.
Learn more about the Honor Roll event or register to attend.