Global Corruption Prevention: A View from France

In this episode of Great Women in Compliance, Lisa sits down with Valentina Lana, a Paris-based attorney and ethics & compliance leader who bridges industry and academia. Valentina shares how an early-career opportunity sparked her passion for anti-corruption work and led her to where she is today. She has helped build major compliance programs and teaches at Sciences Po. She worked with Michael Sapin on the Sapin II law and breaks down its core elements for the GWIC audience. She discusses the requirement for companies to prevent corruption through formal compliance programs—and highlights why risk mapping and third-party due diligence remain the biggest practical challenges for organizations. Valentina also discusses the evolution of cross-border cooperation between France and the U.S., how trust was built after years of tension, and why she believes that the partnership remains stable despite shifting global priorities. She shares her view on AI’s growing role in compliance, emphasizing that AI is a powerful assistant, not a replacement for human judgment, nuance, and interpersonal insight, which remain the core of what we do.