The Corporate Director Podcast

Episode: Tips for AI-Enhanced Compliance

Date: September 3, 2025
Host: Dottie Schindlinger & Megan Day
Guest: Cindy Mohring (Independent Director, former Chief Compliance Officer)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the evolving landscape of corporate compliance amidst regulatory flux and rapid technological advancements—especially artificial intelligence (AI). Host Dottie Schindlinger and strategist Megan Day set the stage with recent news about changes in FCPA enforcement, before sitting down for a deep-dive interview with Cindy Mohring, an accomplished compliance leader and board director. The conversation explores how compliance is becoming more strategic, cross-functional, and technology-driven, highlighting both challenges and opportunities for boards in today’s complex environment.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. FCPA Enforcement: A Changing Landscape

[00:51–04:40]

• Backdrop: Recent executive orders have drastically changed the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) approach to enforcing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), creating uncertainty for compliance professionals.
• Notable Quote:

  “You have to have a certain level of governance geekiness to want to listen to this show.” — Dottie [01:06]

• Companies (e.g., Liberty Mutual, GE Healthcare) are reserving funds for potential fines; indicating that businesses see this as a temporary shift and are preparing for possible future enforcement [02:42].
• Key Takeaway:
  Compliance risk is now more unpredictable, requiring compliance leaders and audit chairs to be even more agile and forward-thinking.

2. The Expanded Role of the Chief Compliance Officer

[07:26–09:11]

• The chief compliance officer (CCO) is now seen as a strategic advisor, essential for both the board and C-suite—not just a regulatory gatekeeper.
• Quote:

  “Chief compliance officers now need to be more focused on being agile, being nimble, being strategic, watching what’s going to come down the pike, learning from the examples of others, staying abreast of what's going on with technology...” — Cindy [07:52]

• Modern compliance is shifting from being solely backward-looking to anticipating and mitigating emerging risks proactively through collaboration with company leadership.

3. Global Scale & Complexity

[09:41–12:25]

• Multinationals face fast-changing and divergent regulatory environments, particularly around environmental and supply chain issues.
• Domestic companies, especially those in property/casualty insurance, also grapple with shifting trade and tariff landscapes.
• Key Point:
  “You really do have to have boots on the ground, local talent, and a way to be nimble and fast enough to be able to react.” — Cindy [09:41]

4. Compliance Across Organization Types: Public, Private, Nonprofit

[12:25–14:54]

• Fundamental compliance practices are moving beyond public companies to large private firms and even established nonprofits (e.g., the US Olympics organization).
• Maturity, scale, and industry matter more than ownership structure.
• Quote:

  “It became the guiding light for others to follow and to look at.” — Cindy [13:52]

5. Technology & AI in Compliance

[14:54–16:56]

• Technology radically enhances risk detection, monitoring, and board reporting through pattern recognition and connecting disparate data points.
• In Practice:
  AI helps manage by exception, enabling compliance teams to focus on critical issues rather than routine checks.
• Gap identified: More could be done to improve board reporting using AI-driven insights.
• Quote:

  “The humans can sort of manage by exception instead of …the bean counter… If you’re able to engage technology, it does a lot of that for you.” — Cindy [15:29]

6. Board-Compliance Team Relationships

[16:56–21:43]

• Constructive relationships between boards and CCOs lead to more trust and proactive risk management.
• Advice for boards: Build rapport with the CCO, ask probing and forward-looking questions, and treat compliance as a strategic asset rather than a checkbox.
• Quote:

  “Board members need to build a relationship with their chief compliance officer and make sure that they know who that person is and that that person knows them.” — Cindy [17:14]

7. What Boards (and Compliance) Get Wrong

[19:09–21:43]

• Compliance officers may focus too much on operational minutiae in board presentations, missing strategic context.
• Boards often underestimate the strategic value and breadth of the compliance function—especially its role in culture and ethics.
• Quote:

  “A compliance officer…is focused not just on [laws/regulations], they’re also very focused on the culture of the company and how do you drive to this higher level of values…” — Cindy [20:11]

8. Boardroom Best Practices: The Culture Conversation

[21:50–23:10]

• Cindy urges boards to regularly set aside agenda time for high-level discussion of company ethics and culture, not just regulatory compliance.
• Quote:

  “…Set aside time on their agenda to talk about the culture of the company, the ethical culture of the company from sort of the 50,000 foot view…” — Cindy [21:50]

9. The Future: AI in the Boardroom

[23:35–25:59]

• AI will shift from individual board member prep to real-time participation in meetings, scenario planning, feedback, and even governance evaluations.
• Example: AI can instantly suggest changes in meeting dynamics (e.g., speak time, tone) based on active listening.
• Quote:

  “With the use of AI, you can now do that real time…encourage director A and B to talk out more and encourage director X and Y to maybe not talk quite as much. Avoid using terms like ‘no brainer…’” — Cindy [24:40]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On AI’s Value:
  “GenAI is quite good at looking at disparate types of data and coming out with a new way of seeing that data, you know, kind of connecting the dots. And even if one dot is a dot and another dot is a square, it can kind of...say, here’s how those things might connect.” — Dottie [29:48]

• On Compliance as a Team Sport:
  “It just becomes part of the importance of doing good business. Right. For your customers, your investors, etc.” — Dottie [14:54]

• On Rapid Change:
  “Too many balls bouncing. You have to kind of keep your eye all over the place. And it just depends on what the executive order du jour says.” — Dottie [03:40]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:51] Megan explains the FCPA enforcement pause and recent DOJ non-prosecutions.
• [05:40] Cindy Mohring introduced; details on her compliance career.
• [07:52] Cindy on how the CCO role has evolved into a strategic function.
• [09:41] Challenges for compliance teams in global organizations.
• [12:38] Differences (and similarities) between compliance in public, private, nonprofit sectors.
• [14:54] Use cases and gaps for AI in compliance operations and board reporting.
• [17:14] Advice for board/CCO relationship-building and improving communications.
• [21:50] Cindy’s #1 habit for boards: agenda time for culture/ethics discussion.
• [23:35] Predictions: How AI will transform boardroom operations.
• [26:17] Cindy’s recent inspiration: Cross-functional, geostrategic board oversight.
• [28:00] Cindy’s passion project: Endowment for integrity and leadership initiative.

Final Reflections & Takeaways

• Compliance is now an anticipatory, strategic, and technology-powered function that goes beyond checking boxes.
• The best outcomes—for risk management, culture, and overall governance—come from robust relationships between CCOs and boards, mutual understanding, and a willingness to proactively raise the bar.
• AI’s role in compliance and board operations is rapidly expanding, promising enhanced oversight, better risk detection, and richer conversations—but successful adoption depends on breaking down data silos and investing in both technology and education.
• Prioritize culture, foster cross-functional collaboration, and use AI ethically to future-proof governance.

For those who want to stay at the forefront of governance, this episode is indispensable listening for actionable insights into both compliance best practices and the tangible opportunities (and challenges) of AI-driven transformation in compliance and the boardroom.