Compliance as culture: the invisible pillar that supports strategy

By Julia Freixo*

In environments regulated by the Central Bank, compliance needs to be at the heart of strategic decisions. More than a legal obligation or an appendage of the legal department, it must be incorporated into the culture, language and daily behaviour of organizations. This understanding has been gaining momentum in financial institutions and means of payment companies, which have been treating the issue as a competitive and credible differentiator in the market.

Increasing regulatory complexity requires financial institutions not only to adhere fully to the rules, but also to have a solid, transversal and permanently active culture of integrity. Beyond formal policies and controls, the current scenario demands active listening, continuous monitoring and prevention practices that are integrated into day-to-day operations.

Studies reinforce this view. According to the survey Corporate Integrity in Brazil 2022, carried out by Deloitte in partnership with the UN Global Compact, companies that treat compliance as a strategic pillar operate more solidly. The study shows that 87% of organizations analyze their risks based on industry standards; 83% promote training and continuous communication actions; and 79% rely on anonymous reporting channels as their main tool for detecting irregularities. Mechanisms such as due diligence (72%), conflict of interest management (63%) and internal and external audits (51% and 53%) are also among the most adopted practices.

The maturity of integrity programs, according to the study, is directly linked to their ability to permeate the organizational culture. When the topic is present in the decisions and discourse of the leadership, the results are reflected in greater trust, institutional credibility and mitigation of real risks.

Several institutions have already adopted practices to strengthen this understanding, such as weeks dedicated to the topic, with training, engagement actions and integration of areas such as Compliance, Legal, Information Security and Risk. Initiatives of this kind include lectures, themed videos, gamified actions, raffles and accessible dialog spaces, always with the aim of bringing compliance closer to the day-to-day work of the teams.

This is a vision we have adopted at Grupo Entre, whose CEO is Antonio Carlos Freixo Junior. More than fulfilling formal obligations, our goal is always to create consistent experiences that bring the subject closer to the teams and reinforce that "compliance is not imposed - it is built with context, belonging and continuous alignment". The result is a more concrete perception of the value of doing the right thing, even when there is no enforcement.

For organizations under Central Bank supervision, there is no more room for reactive models. We need to train professionals with critical thinking skills, the autonomy to identify inconsistencies and the clarity that integrity is a shared responsibility.

Treating compliance as an essential pillar of legal, reputational and human sustainability has become a basic condition for growing companies. Consolidating an ethical culture is as fundamental as developing new products or moving into new markets. This foundation is what allows us to grow with solidity, responsibility and institutional security.

* Julia Freixo is the legal director of Grupo Entre