Optimising board oversight of compliance as a risk governance instrument

Author's Biography

Ilona Niemi is a globally experienced Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) with a track record in insurance, financial services and third party travel and medical assistance compliance. Ilona served most recently as the Group CCO and Chief Privacy Officer for Co-Operators overseeing the enterprise compliance programme for property and casualty (P&C) and life insurance, wealth management products, institutional investments and brokerage operations. Until May 2020 Ilona was VP Head of Compliance, CCO for Zurich Canada and part of Zurich Canada Executive Leadership Team. Prior to transferring to Zurich Canada, Ilona held the role of Global Head of Compliance Oversight and Reporting at Zurich Insurance Company in Switzerland. Ilona joined Zurich Insurance Company in 2008 as Head of Corporate Center Public Policy Issues, managing Zurich's International Advisory Council. Preceding that, Ilona had varying positions in management, strategy and communications consulting in Germany and Washington DC and served as Head of EU Health, Labor & Social Affairs in Brussels. Ilona is a member of the advisory council for the Ted Rogers School of Management Law and Business Program, and advisory board and faculty for the Osgoode Hall Law School Regulatory Compliance Management Program. She acts as co-chair of the industry groups of WomenExecs on Boards. Ilona is author of the book, ‘EU Council Presidency in an Enlarged European Union’, and a frequent speaker at regulatory and compliance conferences.