352: Inside Principal Financial Group’s Culture of Ethics

Want a behind-the-scenes look at how real leaders make ethics practical on a day-to-day basis? In this conversation with Noreen Fierro at Principal Financial Group®, you’ll hear how, as Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, she builds trust by asking questions, owning mistakes, and keeping teams aligned to values, not just outcomes. You’ll also get an insider’s view of the rigorous Ethisphere “World’s Most Ethical Companies” application—what it takes, why cross-functional collaboration matters, and how to sustain momentum over months.

You’ll come away with fresh, usable ideas: pausing unsustainable busywork, watching for stress signals, and turning misses into shared learning instead of blame. Plus, you’ll discover a mentoring approach grounded in humility, self-awareness, and long-term relationships that helps people grow with confidence.

Noreen is Senior Vice President and Enterprise Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer at Principal Financial Group®. She joined Principal® in 2022. Her career spans 30 years in the financial services industry, both in-house in legal and compliance roles and as outside counsel. Prior to joining Principal in 2022, she was Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer at Guardian Life and before that held various senior-level positions at Prudential Financial. You’ll hear Noreen’s passion for strong leadership in our conversation, and she speaks often about it at industry events.

You’ll discover:

• How vulnerability (and “I don’t know yet”) elevates leadership.
• A practical playbook for complex, months-long ethics initiatives.
• What to do after a miss: learn, don’t blame.
• Ways to protect your team’s capacity and values in real time.
• A mentoring style that blends humility, curiosity, and care.

Check out all the episodes
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
Connect with Meredith on LinkedIn
Follow Meredith on Twitter
Download the free ebook Listen Like a Pro