Who we are
About Ethics 1st
Ethics 1st is a multi-stakeholder initiative led by CIPE that is enabling companies in emerging markets, particularly in Africa, to standardize their business practices, develop sound corporate governance and business integrity systems, and demonstrate this to global partners and counterparts with the aim of creating pathways for accountable and sustainable investment in the region.
How companies get listed
African companies start their compliance journey by registering on Ethics 1st and progress through three levels that demonstrate the strength of their commitment to business integrity.
Green
Companies listed as Green in Ethics 1st demonstrate a commitment to business integrity by signing a corporate integrity pledge and evaluating their business integrity profile benchmarked by global best practice.
Silver
Companies listed as Silver in Ethics 1st demonstrate a commitment to business integrity by enhancing their business integrity profile benchmarked by global best practice.
Gold
Companies listed as Gold in Ethics 1st offer investors and partners assurance by having their business integrity and compliance standards independently verified demonstrating leadership commitment to accountability and transparency.
Ethics 1st Values
Building an eco-system of enterprises with shared values of corporate governance and ethics.
Loyalty is being faithful to commitments or obligations. Loyalty implies a firm adherence to a person or thing or to the oath or promise by which a tie was contracted resisting any temptation to abandon or turn against.
Honesty is the uprightness of character and action. It involves being truthful, trustworthy, and refraining from lying, misrepresentation, cheating, or stealing. Ethics 1st champions virtues of truthfulness, fairness and strong regard for what is right and fair to all.
Leadership is a process of social influence, which maximizes the efforts of others, towards the achievement of a goal. Leaders are expected to set an example for those around them of the high ideals they stand for.
Integrity is the adherance to a code of moral values that involves trustworthiness, incorruptibility, and equity. Ethics 1st recognizes an individual or organization with integrity is worthy of trust, responsibility, and commitment.
Accountability is the readiness to give an explanation or justification for one's judgements, intentions, and actions acknowledging and accepting responsibility for the results. To be accountable is to agree to be responsible for upholding the goals and ideals set forth upon the accountable party.
Respect involves high regard, honour or esteem for the feelings, wishes, rights, and dignity of all.
Advisory Committee
The Committee is composed of highly qualified individuals from across Africa and the United States with expertise on matters of ethical compliance and corporate governance specifically with backgrounds in Private Financial Institutions, multinational companies and banks, Business Organizations, Chambers of Commerce, and Business Associations with operations in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Dr. Amy Jadesimi
Dr. Amy is the Chief Executive Officer of LADOL, a $500 million Industrial Free Zone. Amy got financial training at Goldman Sachs & Stanford Graduate School of Business & medical training at Oxford University.
Her accolades include being appointed to UNDP Steering Committee on SDGs (2019) and the UNICEF Advisory Group (2019). Dr. Jadesimi was voted the Oil and Gas Leading Woman of the year (Foreign Investment Network, 2018), one of Top 25 Africans to Watch (Financial Times and she is a member Advisory Board of Prince’s Trust International and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Advisory Group on Trade Finance (ATF) and contributor to Forbes.
Dr. Jadesimi received her MBA from Stanford University, MA (OXON) and her BMBCh from Oxford University).
William Steinman (Rtd)
William Steinman has been providing advice to multinational companies regarding the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA”) and other anti-corruption laws for over a quarter century. Prior to establishing Steinman & Rodgers, Mr. Steinman was the head of the international practice group at a major U.S. law firm.
Mr. Steinman is considered an authority in the engagement of overseas third parties, such as sales representatives, consultants, distributors/resellers, logistics service providers, and other supply chain partners.
He is an adjunct professor at Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law and Roger Williams University School of Law, where he teaches advanced seminars on international anti-corruption law. Mr. Steinman received his J.D. from the Harvard Law School in 1993, and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Vermont in 1990. He is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.
Mohamed Komara
Mohamed Komara is a Senior Legal and Compliance Counsel with expertise spanning across the areas of strategic and operational management of regulatory matters, legal, compliance and corporate governance matters within sub-Saharan Africa. In January 2019, Mohamed assumed the position of General Counsel and Compliance Officer, Central, West & Central Africa Region and oversees the legal and compliance portfolio for Nestlé’s businesses in the Region (25 countries).
Before Nestlé, Mohamed had a wealth of experience from the FMCG and private sector in sub-Sahara Africa, having worked with multinationals such as Ernst & Young Senegal, British American Tobacco, GlaxoSmithKline, Lafarge-Holcim and The Coca-Cola Company. Aspects of his work record include implementation of Good Governance standards and proper adherence to Code of Business.
Mohamed holds a master’s degree in International Business Law and Tax. He enjoys sports, travelling, reading, music and is very passionate about developing Young African talents.
Thomas Fox
Thomas Fox has practiced law in Houston for 30 years. He is an Independent Consultant, assisting companies with anti-corruption and anti-bribery compliance and international transaction issues. He specializes in bring business solutions to compliance problems. He was most recently the General Counsel at Drilling Controls, Inc., a worldwide oilfield manufacturing and service company.
Tom is the author of the award winning FCPA Compliance and Ethics Blog and the international best-selling book “Lessons Learned on Compliance and Ethics”. He is a monthly columnist and weekly blogger for Compliance Week; a monthly columnist and frequent contributor to the SCCE Magazine and a Contributing Editor to the FCPA Blog.
Thomas is the founder of the Compliance Podcast Network and a notable speaker on issues related to compliance and ethics, the use of social media in compliance and corporate leadership
Samia Tnani
Samia Tnani, Chief Credit Officer at AfricInvest Private Credit, the debt vehicle of the AfricInvest Group is a seasoned credit professional with strong expertise on the African continent. In her current role, Samia drives credit transactions for African SMEs to finance their growth in a sustainable manner.
Previously, she was the General Manager of the Université Paris-Dauphine, Tunis Campus, where she led the launch of the university's campus in Tunis. Samia also has 11 years of banking experience with Citibank in Tunis, her last position being Country Risk Manager.
Samia is passionate about gender finance, she volunteers with the Cartier Women Initiative as Jury member for Sub-Saharan Africa. She holds a board position with the Fondation de la Maison de Tunisie in Paris. Samia is a graduate of IHEC Carthage (BA), and the University of Paris-Dauphine (Master and PhD in Finance).
Funding Partner (NED)
National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a private, US non-profit foundation dedicated to the growth and strengthening of democratic institution around the world.
Resource Partners (ABIN Members)
Africa Business Ethics Network (ABIN). The ABIN is the primary vehicle for delivering a unique business integrity and ethics training curriculum with mentoring support to businesses and business leaders across 13 countries in Africa. The network operates with 75 compliance professionals whose role as mentors, and champions for integrity has enabled CIPE’s training have a multiplier effect across the Region. In the last 5 years, ABIN professionals have supported over 250 businesses and industry leaders transforming culture and behavior one business at a time.
“Losses a country may suffer as a result of non-compliance with governance standards may be in the form of multinationals deciding to close their operations in the country resulting in citizens losing their jobs and the country losing revenue, reputational risks and diplomatic risks.”
