Ep 149: The International Risks Associated with Corporate Reputation with Rupert Younger

02/12/24 • 39 min

In recent podcasts, we have talked a lot about ESG, and the corporate responsibilities companies must take into account in their day-to-day working. The ways in which consumers view companies has changed dramatically over the last two decades, and corporate reputation is more important than ever, and reputations and brands are scrutinized than ever before. To help us unpack the importance of corporate reputation, as well as the risks companies can incur by not upholding a positive reputation, we are honoured to be joined by Rupert Younger.

Rupert Younger is the founder and director of Oxford University’s Centre for Corporate Reputation and co-author of two books - The Reputation Game and The Activist Manifesto. He has published widely on matters related to legitimacy, status, stigma, celebrity, reputation, and trust. He chaired The University of Oxford’s Socially Responsible Investment Committee (2012-2017) and is a member of the Senior Common Rooms at Wooster College Oxford and St Antony’s College Oxford. His views are regularly featured in major news outlets including the BBC, CNN, the Financial Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Outside of Oxford, he is an Ambassador for the international mine clearance charity The HALO Trust and was appointed by HM Queen Elizabeth II as her High Sheriff of Hampshire for 2013-14. Rupert also co-founded the strategic communications consulting firm FGS Global.

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Previous Episode

Ep 148: The International Risks of Human Trafficking and People Smuggling with Roy McComb

A few weeks ago, we spoke to Nathan Paul Southern, who gave us a deep dive into the links transnational criminal organisations have to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Transnational crime is a topic so vast, it would be an injustice to only cover one aspect of it, given its impact on international risk. Today, we are going to discuss a hugely pertinent issue, human trafficking and people smuggling. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, ‘Human trafficking is a global crime that trades in people and exploits them for profit. People of all genders, ages and backgrounds can become victims of this crime, which occurs in every region of the world. Traffickers use violence, fraudulent employment agencies, and fake promises of education and job opportunities to trick, coerce and deceive their victims’ Victims of trafficking can be any age, any gender and from anywhere in the world. According to UNODC’s 2022 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons which is compiled using official figures from over 141 countries, female victims continue to be the primary targets. The Report shows that in 2020 42 percent of detected victims were women and 18 percent girls. For male victims, the Report shows that 23 per cent of detected victims were men and 17 per cent were boys. The Report shows that the share of children among detected trafficking victims has tripled while the share of boys has increased five times over the past 15 years. Globally, one in every three victims detected is a child. Girls are mainly trafficked for sexual exploitation, while boys are used for forced labour. The share of detected male victims has risen from around 10 per cent in 2003 to 40 per cent in 2020.
To help us unpack this vast global issue, we are excited to be joined by Roy McComb. Roy is an experienced former law enforcement officer having held executive leadership roles as the Head of Organised Crime in Northern Ireland and a Deputy Director in the (UK) National Crime Agency, where he was the UK law enforcement lead for Modern Slavery/Human Trafficking, as well as Child Sexual Abuse.

He now provides strategic advice on organized crime on a number of international projects, and is currently based in Mogadishu Somalia.

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Next Episode

Ep 150: The Changing International Risks of Transnational Organised Crime and Its Use of Technology with Dr Christopher Allen

The International Risk Podcast is a weekly podcast for senior executives, board members, and risk advisors. In these podcasts, we speak with experts in a variety of fields to explore international risk. Our host is Dominic Bowen, Head of Strategic Advisory at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms. Dominic is a regular public and corporate event speaker, and visiting lecturer at several universities. Having spent the last 20 years successfully establishing large and complex operations in the world's highest-risk areas and conflict zones, Dominic now joins you to speak with exciting guests from around the world to discuss international risk.
The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.

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Over the last few weeks we have talked about some of the facets of transnational organised crime, and today's episode will continue to explore these international risks. According to the UK Government, the illicit drugs market is big business, worth an estimated £9.4 billion a year in the UK alone. Globally, over 236.1 million ransomware attacks occurred globally in the first half of 2022.

The international drug trade and cybercrime are two independent but interconnected concerns that have emerged in response to the globalised aspect of the modern world. The international drug trade is the illegal trafficking of narcotics and psychoactive substances across borders, facilitated by sophisticated criminal organisations that operate on a global scale. In contrast, cybercrime refers to a wide range of unlawful crimes carried out using digital means, such as hacking, identity theft, and online fraud.

While these international risks may appear unconnected, they have some similarities, such as the employment of advanced technology, international networks, and the exploitation of vulnerabilities in global systems. Criminal organisations involved in the drug trade frequently use cyber tools to communicate, launder money, and evade law enforcement. Additionally, the dark web serves as a platform for both drug trafficking and various forms of cybercrime.

The intertwining of these illicit activities poses complex challenges for international law enforcement and requires a comprehensive and collaborative approach to address these risks. In order to help us unpack these two vast networks of transnational organised crime, and their potential intersections, we are thrilled to be joined by Dr Christopher Allen.

Dr. Chris Allen is a researcher, lecturer, consultant and commentator specialising in organised crime and how it operates. He has significant experience in lecturing on drug trafficking, cybercrime, human trafficking and firearms trafficking, among other subjects.

Chris is a Senior Lecturer and Consultant of the London Policing College. He is also the creator of the U BATTLE toolkit, an investigative strategy development tool that began under City of London Police in 2018 and since then has gained national and international recognition. U BATTLE uses the adapted versions of traditional business analysis techniques to improve the development of investigative strategies in order to dismantle organised crime groups.

Furthermore, he is a member of the Society for Evidence Based Policing, the European Political Research Consortium Standing Group on Organised Crime and the International Association for the Study of Organised Crime.

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