Corruption in business addressed at Leeds Beckett public talk

The talk, the second instalment in a series of guest lectures run by the Centre for Governance, Leadership and Global Responsibility (CGLGR) at Leeds Beckett, will see Laurence Cockcroft, former Chairman of TI and an integral figure in the revision of the UK's anti-bribery laws that lead to the Bribery Act of 2010, discuss the challenges posed by corruption in today’s world.

Laurence said: “Unfortunately, corruption is rife in so many organisations, be them home or abroad, public or private. My talk will address several key areas, including how public bodies (from police to national tender boards), where corruption has taken hold, get rid of it and sustain a pro-integrity strategy, and what actions UK universities can take to address corruption when seeking collaborations in very corrupt countries.

“I will be asking how far civil society organisations, such as TI and Global Witness, can go in fighting corruption? What are their achievements to date? And are industry leaders and governments listening?”

After a long career as a development economist in Africa, Laurence worked with Joe Githongo, a senior accountant in Kenya, and Peter Eigan of the World Bank, to found TI.  He was a member of both its first international Board and the Board of its UK Chapter, serving as Chairman from 2000 to 2008. In these roles he was particularly active in assisting with the development of chapters in Africa, in launching pioneering work on corruption in the global arms trade, and in launching TI's Business Principles for Countering Bribery.

A prolific speaker on the subject of corruption, Laurence is also the author of globally renowned book Global Corruption: Money, Power and Ethics in the Modern World for which he has received critical acclaim from influential legal and political figures, including Vince Cable, former Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and Luis Moreno-Acampo, former Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

Professor Simon Robinson, Director of the Centre for Governance, Leadership and Global Responsibility, said: “I am looking forward to welcoming Laurence to the series. Anyone who has had the opportunity to listen to Laurence before will know him to be an engaging speaker who always provides great insight.”

The series, which was launched on Tuesday 3 November by Major General Skeates, previous Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, will run until April 2016. It will see some of the nation’s most reputed leaders explore what leadership in the 21st Century involves.

Professor Robinson added: “The programme will showcase eminent leaders from different sectors, kick-start dialogue and debate on what leadership in the 21st Century involves. At the heart of the series is the question, what is the responsibility of leaders? - Not just in relation to their organisations, but to wider society?”

The next talk by Professor Dean Fathers will take place on Thursday 28 January.  Professor Fathers will be discussing ways of adding value in the public sector.

The Centre for Governance, Leadership and Global Responsibility was launched in 2014 as a University-wide research centre. It aims to address issues in governance and responsibility, across all sectors, in a global context.  For more information go to www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/cglgr/.

The full list of talks in the series is:

‘International business and the response to corruption’ - Laurence Cockcroft, Thursday 19 November 2015 from 5.30pm to 7pm.

‘Adding Value in the Public Sector’ - Professor Dean Fathers, Thursday 28th January 2016 from 5.30pm to 7pm.

‘Narrative – putting both strategy and culture in the shade!’ - David Welbourn, Thursday 18th February 2016 from 5.30pm to 7pm.

‘Process, practical coping and performance: Achieving sustainable excellence indirectly through phronetic self-cultivation’ - Professor Robert Chia, Thursday 21st April 2016 from 5.30pm to 7pm.