As the regulatory landscape continues to evolve, ethics and compliance programs must be more adaptive, data-driven, and aligned with organizational values than ever before. In LRN’s latest webinar in collaboration with the International Compliance Association, Adapting to a Changing World: Measuring E&C Program Effectiveness in 2025, a distinguished panel of experts explored how compliance leaders can navigate leadership perception gaps, generational shifts, and emerging risks in 2025 and beyond.
Featuring insights from LRN’s 2025 Ethics & Compliance Program Effectiveness Report, Caught in the Middle, the discussion focused on how organizations can bridge compliance gaps, strengthen training programs, and leverage data to enhance program effectiveness.
Meet the speakers
The webinar brought together leading voices in ethics and compliance, each offering unique perspectives on the challenges and opportunities shaping the industry:
🎙️ Tim Tyler, Senior Advisor, International Compliance Association (ICA)
🎙️ Imogen Haddon, Chief Compliance Officer, News Corp UK & Ireland
🎙️ Lance King, Head of Compliance, Virgin Media O2
🎙️ Meredith Hunt, Senior Ethics & Compliance Advisor, LRN
Together, these experts provided actionable insights on how compliance programs can stay ahead of regulatory changes, enhance ethical culture, and address generational shifts in workplace expectations.
Bridging the leadership perception gap
One of the biggest challenges facing compliance programs today is the disconnect between leadership and employees when it comes to ethics and decision-making.
According to the 2025 E&C Program Effectiveness Report:
- 79% of executives say they make tough decisions based on company values—but only 37% of middle managers agree.
- 42% of executives say their organization fosters a strong ethical culture, yet only 23% of employees feel the same.
The panelists emphasized that closing the gap requires leadership engagement, transparent communication, and stronger training initiatives. When executives take an active role in compliance, employees are more lively to trust and embrace ethical policies.
Key takeaway: Compliance programs must prioritize clear, ongoing communication between leadership and employees to build credibility and trust in workplace ethics.
Generational shifts in workplace ethics
Another pressing issue for compliance leaders is engaging and retaining Gen Z employees, who bring different expectations and values to the workplace.
- Gen Z employees are twice as likely as older generations to express skepticism about managerial fairness.
- Many young professionals value transparency, accountability, and ethics over traditional corporate hierarchies.
The panel discussed the importance of modernizing compliance training, leveraging digital tools, and fostering open dialogue to meet the expectations of a younger workforce. Interactive, scenario-based training, social learning, and real-time feedback mechanisms were highlighted as ways to strengthen engagement and trust.
Key takeaway: Organizations need to rethink their training strategies and ethical leadership approaches to resonate with a more values-driven, tech-savvy workforce.
Adapting to emerging risks: AI, third-party due diligence & supply chain compliance
With regulatory bodies increasing scrutiny on corporate responsibility, organizations must stay ahead of emerging risks such as:
- AI Governance: Many organizations lack formal AI compliance frameworks, leaving them vulnerable to regulatory challenges.
- Third-Party Risk & Supply Chain Compliance: Nearly half of high-impact compliance programs are increasing oversight in this area, yet many organizations still lack robust third-party monitoring systems.
Panelists stressed that companies must implement strong AI ethics policies, enhance supplier due diligence, and ensure real-time monitoring of third-party risks to avoid legal and reputational damage.
Key takeaway: Organizations that proactively address AI ethics and third-party compliance will be better positioned for long-term success.
Final thoughts: Strengthening compliance for the future
The webinar reinforced that in today’s rapidly evolving regulatory environment, compliance programs must:
- Engage leadership to bridge the perception gap between executives and employees.
- Modernize training to better connect with Gen Z employees and emerging workplace expectations.
- Strengthen oversight on AI, third-party risk, and supply chain compliance to mitigate evolving threats.
Watch the full recording here or download the 2025 E&C Program Effectiveness Report to learn more.
