- Clients, partners and suppliers expect strong guarantees regarding compliance with rules (e.g. data protection, financial integrity, transparency).
- Sound compliance helps build lasting trust with stakeholders.
- It often conditions access to certain markets or the ability to conclude contracts (e.g. public tenders, interbank relationships).
Enhancing reputation and attractiveness for investors
Compliance is perceived as a guarantee of seriousness, robustness and transparency, criteria increasingly taken into account by:
- Institutional investors (subject to their own regulatory obligations),
- Extra-financial rating agencies (ESG),
- The media and the general public in a context of heightened ethical awareness.
- A compliant company is better equipped to face crises or controversies and may emerge strengthened.
Building a culture of ethics and responsibility
- Integrating compliance into internal processes helps foster a corporate culture based on ethics, integrity and responsibility.
- It strengthens internal cohesion, improves decision-making and enhances employee engagement by providing a clear and protective framework.
- In the long term, this culture reduces risky behavior, internal fraud and strengthens organizational resilience.
- The tightening of national and international regulations (e.g. GDPR, MiFID II, AML/CFT, SFDR) exposes companies to severe sanctions in case of non-compliance.
- Fines may reach hundreds of millions of euros, in addition to indirect costs related to litigation, audits and loss of business partners.
- Compliance therefore acts as a shield against risks by identifying and controlling legal and operational vulnerabilities.
Securing business relationships
- Clients, partners and suppliers expect strong guarantees regarding compliance with rules (e.g. data protection, financial integrity, transparency).
- Sound compliance helps build lasting trust with stakeholders.
- It often conditions access to certain markets or the ability to conclude contracts (e.g. public tenders, interbank relationships).
Enhancing reputation and attractiveness for investors
Compliance is perceived as a guarantee of seriousness, robustness and transparency, criteria increasingly taken into account by:
- Institutional investors (subject to their own regulatory obligations),
- Extra-financial rating agencies (ESG),
- The media and the general public in a context of heightened ethical awareness.
- A compliant company is better equipped to face crises or controversies and may emerge strengthened.
Building a culture of ethics and responsibility
- Integrating compliance into internal processes helps foster a corporate culture based on ethics, integrity and responsibility.
- It strengthens internal cohesion, improves decision-making and enhances employee engagement by providing a clear and protective framework.
- In the long term, this culture reduces risky behavior, internal fraud and strengthens organizational resilience.
- Regulatory monitoring: anticipating legal developments and ensuring continuous compliance of activities,
- Implementation of internal policies: procedures, codes of ethics, staff training,
- Control and monitoring: audits, compliance indicators, corrective action plans,
- Risk detection and management: handling alerts, liaising with authorities (AMF, ACPR, CNIL, AFA, etc.),
- Awareness and training: building a culture of integrity at all levels of the organization.
Students from the Master 2 program were able to participate in various assignments during their work-study placements. Here are a few testimonials:
Binta – specialized credit institution
« I work within the compliance team, more specifically on matters relating to personal data protection (GDPR). I keep the processing register up to date, participate in aligning internal processes with regulatory requirements, and ensure compliance with data retention, security and access rights ».
Melek – industrial company
« For a multinational company subject to the Sapin II law, it is essential to have a compliance program that meets regulatory requirements. My team designs and manages a rigorous program deployed throughout the organization. My role is to support its implementation by updating internal policies, ensuring compliance with reporting obligations, and contributing to continuous improvement initiatives ».
Jules – asset management company
« As part of my work-study placement, I hold the position of compliance officer within the transaction monitoring team of a portfolio management company. My role focuses on investment compliance and includes analyzing market abuse alerts, drafting and updating internal procedures, filing major shareholding disclosures and monitoring compliance with international sanctions ».
Louanne – credit institution
« Within the Permanent Control and Compliance department of a credit institution, I was responsible for implementing a partner risk assessment framework with regard to corruption risk. I also conducted research on politically exposed persons and analyzed the impact of legislative developments ».
Gabriela – insurance services company
« I work in the AML/CFT and ethics department within the management center of an insurance company. My responsibilities include monitoring high-risk transactions, analyzing enhanced due diligence cases, filing suspicion reports, and providing AML/CFT training to teams ».
Why has compliance become a strategic issue?
Compliance: from an administrative constraint to a strategic lever
Once perceived as a simple regulatory obligation or administrative burden, compliance has now become a major strategic issue for companies, particularly in regulated sectors such as finance, banking, insurance and asset management. This paradigm shift can be explained by several factors related to risk, reputation, governance and overall business performance.
Reduction of legal, financial and reputational risks
- The tightening of national and international regulations (e.g. GDPR, MiFID II, AML/CFT, SFDR) exposes companies to severe sanctions in case of non-compliance.
- Fines may reach hundreds of millions of euros, in addition to indirect costs related to litigation, audits and loss of business partners.
- Compliance therefore acts as a shield against risks by identifying and controlling legal and operational vulnerabilities.
Securing business relationships
- Clients, partners and suppliers expect strong guarantees regarding compliance with rules (e.g. data protection, financial integrity, transparency).
- Sound compliance helps build lasting trust with stakeholders.
- It often conditions access to certain markets or the ability to conclude contracts (e.g. public tenders, interbank relationships).
Enhancing reputation and attractiveness for investors
Compliance is perceived as a guarantee of seriousness, robustness and transparency, criteria increasingly taken into account by:
- Institutional investors (subject to their own regulatory obligations),
- Extra-financial rating agencies (ESG),
- The media and the general public in a context of heightened ethical awareness.
- A compliant company is better equipped to face crises or controversies and may emerge strengthened.
Building a culture of ethics and responsibility
- Integrating compliance into internal processes helps foster a corporate culture based on ethics, integrity and responsibility.
- It strengthens internal cohesion, improves decision-making and enhances employee engagement by providing a clear and protective framework.
- In the long term, this culture reduces risky behavior, internal fraud and strengthens organizational resilience.
Main areas of compliance
Banking and insurance
In the banking and insurance sectors, compliance is essential to protect customers and ensure the stability of the financial system. It notably covers:
- The fight against money laundering and terrorist financing (AML/CFT): → customer due diligence (KYC), transaction monitoring, reporting to TRACFIN.
- Consumer protection: → transparency of conditions, products suited to the customer’s profile, duty of care and advice.
- Sector-specific regulation: → compliance with obligations under the IDD Directive (insurance) or prudential standards (Basel III for banks, Solvency II for insurers).
- Supervision of commercial practices: → combating abusive sales practices, conflicts of interest and misleading advertising.
Financial markets
In the financial and stock market sector, compliance aims to prevent market abuse and ensure fairness for all participants. It includes:
- Compliance with market rules (AMF regulations, MiFID II, MAR),
- The fight against insider trading and market manipulation,
- Transparency in financial information: publication of clear, complete and verifiable documents,
- Sound governance of investment funds and listed companies.
Key stakeholders include asset managers, brokerage firms, financial analysts and trading platforms.
Corporate compliance
This area of compliance governs professional conduct, ensuring that decisions are taken in the general interest and free from undue influence. It includes:
- prevention of conflicts of interest,
- prohibition of active or passive corruption,
- regulation of gifts, invitations, sponsorships and patronage,
- implementation of internal whistleblowing mechanisms,
- application of the Sapin II law and international ethics standards (FCPA, UK Bribery Act).
Cross-cutting compliance areas
Cross-cutting principles apply to all sectors of activity, whether banking, insurance, industry, services or the public sector.
They require organizations to comply with common standards of responsibility, transparency and risk management.
Environmental and social compliance (ESG – CSR)
An increasing number of companies integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) dimensions into their compliance frameworks, in line with their corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies. This involves:
- compliance with environmental standards (carbon footprint reduction, recycling, circular economy),
- preventing human rights violations throughout the value chain (forced labor, discrimination),
- implementing ethical governance: transparency, diversity, equality and social commitments.
Obligations are evolving with recent European legislation such as the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) and the due diligence directive.
Personal data protection (GDPR)
Organizations must ensure the security, confidentiality and transparency of personal data processing:
- defining the purposes of data processing (collection, retention, deletion),
- informing data subjects of their rights (access, rectification, objection, etc.),
- securing information systems,
- managing data breaches (notification to the supervisory authority),
- governing international data transfers.
The role of the Compliance Officer
The Compliance Officer is responsible for ensuring compliance with internal and external obligations. This role is transversal, strategic and increasingly valued within large corporations, financial institutions, listed companies and specialized firms.
Main responsibilities
- Regulatory monitoring: anticipating legal developments and ensuring continuous compliance of activities,
- Implementation of internal policies: procedures, codes of ethics, staff training,
- Control and monitoring: audits, compliance indicators, corrective action plans,
- Risk detection and management: handling alerts, liaising with authorities (AMF, ACPR, CNIL, AFA, etc.),
- Awareness and training: building a culture of integrity at all levels of the organization.
Students from the Master 2 program were able to participate in various assignments during their work-study placements. Here are a few testimonials:
Binta – specialized credit institution
« I work within the compliance team, more specifically on matters relating to personal data protection (GDPR). I keep the processing register up to date, participate in aligning internal processes with regulatory requirements, and ensure compliance with data retention, security and access rights ».
Melek – industrial company
« For a multinational company subject to the Sapin II law, it is essential to have a compliance program that meets regulatory requirements. My team designs and manages a rigorous program deployed throughout the organization. My role is to support its implementation by updating internal policies, ensuring compliance with reporting obligations, and contributing to continuous improvement initiatives ».
Jules – asset management company
« As part of my work-study placement, I hold the position of compliance officer within the transaction monitoring team of a portfolio management company. My role focuses on investment compliance and includes analyzing market abuse alerts, drafting and updating internal procedures, filing major shareholding disclosures and monitoring compliance with international sanctions ».
Louanne – credit institution
« Within the Permanent Control and Compliance department of a credit institution, I was responsible for implementing a partner risk assessment framework with regard to corruption risk. I also conducted research on politically exposed persons and analyzed the impact of legislative developments ».
Gabriela – insurance services company
« I work in the AML/CFT and ethics department within the management center of an insurance company. My responsibilities include monitoring high-risk transactions, analyzing enhanced due diligence cases, filing suspicion reports, and providing AML/CFT training to teams ».
Why has compliance become a strategic issue?
Compliance: from an administrative constraint to a strategic lever
Once perceived as a simple regulatory obligation or administrative burden, compliance has now become a major strategic issue for companies, particularly in regulated sectors such as finance, banking, insurance and asset management. This paradigm shift can be explained by several factors related to risk, reputation, governance and overall business performance.
Reduction of legal, financial and reputational risks
- The tightening of national and international regulations (e.g. GDPR, MiFID II, AML/CFT, SFDR) exposes companies to severe sanctions in case of non-compliance.
- Fines may reach hundreds of millions of euros, in addition to indirect costs related to litigation, audits and loss of business partners.
- Compliance therefore acts as a shield against risks by identifying and controlling legal and operational vulnerabilities.
Securing business relationships
- Clients, partners and suppliers expect strong guarantees regarding compliance with rules (e.g. data protection, financial integrity, transparency).
- Sound compliance helps build lasting trust with stakeholders.
- It often conditions access to certain markets or the ability to conclude contracts (e.g. public tenders, interbank relationships).
Enhancing reputation and attractiveness for investors
Compliance is perceived as a guarantee of seriousness, robustness and transparency, criteria increasingly taken into account by:
- Institutional investors (subject to their own regulatory obligations),
- Extra-financial rating agencies (ESG),
- The media and the general public in a context of heightened ethical awareness.
- A compliant company is better equipped to face crises or controversies and may emerge strengthened.
Building a culture of ethics and responsibility
- Integrating compliance into internal processes helps foster a corporate culture based on ethics, integrity and responsibility.
- It strengthens internal cohesion, improves decision-making and enhances employee engagement by providing a clear and protective framework.
- In the long term, this culture reduces risky behavior, internal fraud and strengthens organizational resilience.
Main areas of compliance
Banking and insurance
In the banking and insurance sectors, compliance is essential to protect customers and ensure the stability of the financial system. It notably covers:
- The fight against money laundering and terrorist financing (AML/CFT): → customer due diligence (KYC), transaction monitoring, reporting to TRACFIN.
- Consumer protection: → transparency of conditions, products suited to the customer’s profile, duty of care and advice.
- Sector-specific regulation: → compliance with obligations under the IDD Directive (insurance) or prudential standards (Basel III for banks, Solvency II for insurers).
- Supervision of commercial practices: → combating abusive sales practices, conflicts of interest and misleading advertising.
Financial markets
In the financial and stock market sector, compliance aims to prevent market abuse and ensure fairness for all participants. It includes:
- Compliance with market rules (AMF regulations, MiFID II, MAR),
- The fight against insider trading and market manipulation,
- Transparency in financial information: publication of clear, complete and verifiable documents,
- Sound governance of investment funds and listed companies.
Key stakeholders include asset managers, brokerage firms, financial analysts and trading platforms.
Corporate compliance
This area of compliance governs professional conduct, ensuring that decisions are taken in the general interest and free from undue influence. It includes:
- prevention of conflicts of interest,
- prohibition of active or passive corruption,
- regulation of gifts, invitations, sponsorships and patronage,
- implementation of internal whistleblowing mechanisms,
- application of the Sapin II law and international ethics standards (FCPA, UK Bribery Act).
Cross-cutting compliance areas
Cross-cutting principles apply to all sectors of activity, whether banking, insurance, industry, services or the public sector.
They require organizations to comply with common standards of responsibility, transparency and risk management.
Environmental and social compliance (ESG – CSR)
An increasing number of companies integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) dimensions into their compliance frameworks, in line with their corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies. This involves:
- compliance with environmental standards (carbon footprint reduction, recycling, circular economy),
- preventing human rights violations throughout the value chain (forced labor, discrimination),
- implementing ethical governance: transparency, diversity, equality and social commitments.
Obligations are evolving with recent European legislation such as the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) and the due diligence directive.
Personal data protection (GDPR)
Organizations must ensure the security, confidentiality and transparency of personal data processing:
- defining the purposes of data processing (collection, retention, deletion),
- informing data subjects of their rights (access, rectification, objection, etc.),
- securing information systems,
- managing data breaches (notification to the supervisory authority),
- governing international data transfers.
The role of the Compliance Officer
The Compliance Officer is responsible for ensuring compliance with internal and external obligations. This role is transversal, strategic and increasingly valued within large corporations, financial institutions, listed companies and specialized firms.
Main responsibilities
- Regulatory monitoring: anticipating legal developments and ensuring continuous compliance of activities,
- Implementation of internal policies: procedures, codes of ethics, staff training,
- Control and monitoring: audits, compliance indicators, corrective action plans,
- Risk detection and management: handling alerts, liaising with authorities (AMF, ACPR, CNIL, AFA, etc.),
- Awareness and training: building a culture of integrity at all levels of the organization.
Students from the Master 2 program were able to participate in various assignments during their work-study placements. Here are a few testimonials:
Binta – specialized credit institution
« I work within the compliance team, more specifically on matters relating to personal data protection (GDPR). I keep the processing register up to date, participate in aligning internal processes with regulatory requirements, and ensure compliance with data retention, security and access rights ».
Melek – industrial company
« For a multinational company subject to the Sapin II law, it is essential to have a compliance program that meets regulatory requirements. My team designs and manages a rigorous program deployed throughout the organization. My role is to support its implementation by updating internal policies, ensuring compliance with reporting obligations, and contributing to continuous improvement initiatives ».
Jules – asset management company
« As part of my work-study placement, I hold the position of compliance officer within the transaction monitoring team of a portfolio management company. My role focuses on investment compliance and includes analyzing market abuse alerts, drafting and updating internal procedures, filing major shareholding disclosures and monitoring compliance with international sanctions ».
Louanne – credit institution
« Within the Permanent Control and Compliance department of a credit institution, I was responsible for implementing a partner risk assessment framework with regard to corruption risk. I also conducted research on politically exposed persons and analyzed the impact of legislative developments ».
Gabriela – insurance services company
« I work in the AML/CFT and ethics department within the management center of an insurance company. My responsibilities include monitoring high-risk transactions, analyzing enhanced due diligence cases, filing suspicion reports, and providing AML/CFT training to teams ».
Why has compliance become a strategic issue?
Compliance: from an administrative constraint to a strategic lever
Once perceived as a simple regulatory obligation or administrative burden, compliance has now become a major strategic issue for companies, particularly in regulated sectors such as finance, banking, insurance and asset management. This paradigm shift can be explained by several factors related to risk, reputation, governance and overall business performance.
Reduction of legal, financial and reputational risks
- The tightening of national and international regulations (e.g. GDPR, MiFID II, AML/CFT, SFDR) exposes companies to severe sanctions in case of non-compliance.
- Fines may reach hundreds of millions of euros, in addition to indirect costs related to litigation, audits and loss of business partners.
- Compliance therefore acts as a shield against risks by identifying and controlling legal and operational vulnerabilities.
Securing business relationships
- Clients, partners and suppliers expect strong guarantees regarding compliance with rules (e.g. data protection, financial integrity, transparency).
- Sound compliance helps build lasting trust with stakeholders.
- It often conditions access to certain markets or the ability to conclude contracts (e.g. public tenders, interbank relationships).
Enhancing reputation and attractiveness for investors
Compliance is perceived as a guarantee of seriousness, robustness and transparency, criteria increasingly taken into account by:
- Institutional investors (subject to their own regulatory obligations),
- Extra-financial rating agencies (ESG),
- The media and the general public in a context of heightened ethical awareness.
- A compliant company is better equipped to face crises or controversies and may emerge strengthened.
Building a culture of ethics and responsibility
- Integrating compliance into internal processes helps foster a corporate culture based on ethics, integrity and responsibility.
- It strengthens internal cohesion, improves decision-making and enhances employee engagement by providing a clear and protective framework.
- In the long term, this culture reduces risky behavior, internal fraud and strengthens organizational resilience.
What is Compliance?
Compliance refers to the set of rules, standards and internal mechanisms implemented by a company or institution to ensure compliance with laws, regulations and ethical commitments related to its activities.
Today, compliance has become essential in a context marked by:
- the increasing complexity of legal and sector-specific obligations,
- the intensification of controls by national and European authorities,
- strong expectations from clients, citizens and partners in terms of responsibility.
Compliance aims to protect the company, its clients, employees, partners and the public interest against risks such as:
- fraud,
- money laundering,
- terrorist financing,
- corruption,
- conflicts of interest,
- breaches of personal data protection,
- or irresponsible environmental and social practices.
Main areas of compliance
Banking and insurance
In the banking and insurance sectors, compliance is essential to protect customers and ensure the stability of the financial system. It notably covers:
- The fight against money laundering and terrorist financing (AML/CFT): → customer due diligence (KYC), transaction monitoring, reporting to TRACFIN.
- Consumer protection: → transparency of conditions, products suited to the customer’s profile, duty of care and advice.
- Sector-specific regulation: → compliance with obligations under the IDD Directive (insurance) or prudential standards (Basel III for banks, Solvency II for insurers).
- Supervision of commercial practices: → combating abusive sales practices, conflicts of interest and misleading advertising.
Financial markets
In the financial and stock market sector, compliance aims to prevent market abuse and ensure fairness for all participants. It includes:
- Compliance with market rules (AMF regulations, MiFID II, MAR),
- The fight against insider trading and market manipulation,
- Transparency in financial information: publication of clear, complete and verifiable documents,
- Sound governance of investment funds and listed companies.
Key stakeholders include asset managers, brokerage firms, financial analysts and trading platforms.
Corporate compliance
This area of compliance governs professional conduct, ensuring that decisions are taken in the general interest and free from undue influence. It includes:
- prevention of conflicts of interest,
- prohibition of active or passive corruption,
- regulation of gifts, invitations, sponsorships and patronage,
- implementation of internal whistleblowing mechanisms,
- application of the Sapin II law and international ethics standards (FCPA, UK Bribery Act).
Cross-cutting compliance areas
Cross-cutting principles apply to all sectors of activity, whether banking, insurance, industry, services or the public sector.
They require organizations to comply with common standards of responsibility, transparency and risk management.
Environmental and social compliance (ESG – CSR)
An increasing number of companies integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) dimensions into their compliance frameworks, in line with their corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies. This involves:
- compliance with environmental standards (carbon footprint reduction, recycling, circular economy),
- preventing human rights violations throughout the value chain (forced labor, discrimination),
- implementing ethical governance: transparency, diversity, equality and social commitments.
Obligations are evolving with recent European legislation such as the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) and the due diligence directive.
Personal data protection (GDPR)
Organizations must ensure the security, confidentiality and transparency of personal data processing:
- defining the purposes of data processing (collection, retention, deletion),
- informing data subjects of their rights (access, rectification, objection, etc.),
- securing information systems,
- managing data breaches (notification to the supervisory authority),
- governing international data transfers.
The role of the Compliance Officer
The Compliance Officer is responsible for ensuring compliance with internal and external obligations. This role is transversal, strategic and increasingly valued within large corporations, financial institutions, listed companies and specialized firms.
Main responsibilities
- Regulatory monitoring: anticipating legal developments and ensuring continuous compliance of activities,
- Implementation of internal policies: procedures, codes of ethics, staff training,
- Control and monitoring: audits, compliance indicators, corrective action plans,
- Risk detection and management: handling alerts, liaising with authorities (AMF, ACPR, CNIL, AFA, etc.),
- Awareness and training: building a culture of integrity at all levels of the organization.
Students from the Master 2 program were able to participate in various assignments during their work-study placements. Here are a few testimonials:
Binta – specialized credit institution
« I work within the compliance team, more specifically on matters relating to personal data protection (GDPR). I keep the processing register up to date, participate in aligning internal processes with regulatory requirements, and ensure compliance with data retention, security and access rights ».
Melek – industrial company
« For a multinational company subject to the Sapin II law, it is essential to have a compliance program that meets regulatory requirements. My team designs and manages a rigorous program deployed throughout the organization. My role is to support its implementation by updating internal policies, ensuring compliance with reporting obligations, and contributing to continuous improvement initiatives ».
Jules – asset management company
« As part of my work-study placement, I hold the position of compliance officer within the transaction monitoring team of a portfolio management company. My role focuses on investment compliance and includes analyzing market abuse alerts, drafting and updating internal procedures, filing major shareholding disclosures and monitoring compliance with international sanctions ».
Louanne – credit institution
« Within the Permanent Control and Compliance department of a credit institution, I was responsible for implementing a partner risk assessment framework with regard to corruption risk. I also conducted research on politically exposed persons and analyzed the impact of legislative developments ».
Gabriela – insurance services company
« I work in the AML/CFT and ethics department within the management center of an insurance company. My responsibilities include monitoring high-risk transactions, analyzing enhanced due diligence cases, filing suspicion reports, and providing AML/CFT training to teams ».
Why has compliance become a strategic issue?
Compliance: from an administrative constraint to a strategic lever
Once perceived as a simple regulatory obligation or administrative burden, compliance has now become a major strategic issue for companies, particularly in regulated sectors such as finance, banking, insurance and asset management. This paradigm shift can be explained by several factors related to risk, reputation, governance and overall business performance.
Reduction of legal, financial and reputational risks
- The tightening of national and international regulations (e.g. GDPR, MiFID II, AML/CFT, SFDR) exposes companies to severe sanctions in case of non-compliance.
- Fines may reach hundreds of millions of euros, in addition to indirect costs related to litigation, audits and loss of business partners.
- Compliance therefore acts as a shield against risks by identifying and controlling legal and operational vulnerabilities.
Securing business relationships
- Clients, partners and suppliers expect strong guarantees regarding compliance with rules (e.g. data protection, financial integrity, transparency).
- Sound compliance helps build lasting trust with stakeholders.
- It often conditions access to certain markets or the ability to conclude contracts (e.g. public tenders, interbank relationships).
Enhancing reputation and attractiveness for investors
Compliance is perceived as a guarantee of seriousness, robustness and transparency, criteria increasingly taken into account by:
- Institutional investors (subject to their own regulatory obligations),
- Extra-financial rating agencies (ESG),
- The media and the general public in a context of heightened ethical awareness.
- A compliant company is better equipped to face crises or controversies and may emerge strengthened.
Building a culture of ethics and responsibility
- Integrating compliance into internal processes helps foster a corporate culture based on ethics, integrity and responsibility.
- It strengthens internal cohesion, improves decision-making and enhances employee engagement by providing a clear and protective framework.
- In the long term, this culture reduces risky behavior, internal fraud and strengthens organizational resilience.