One of ECI’s greatest resources is its members. A pillar of our organization, we are proud to have E&C practitioners from industries across the globe in our community. Our new Member Spotlights are an opportunity to highlight just a few of our many great members, showcase their achievements and show our appreciation for their support of the incredible ECI community. This month, meet Terry Stringer! Terry is Head of Ethics, Integrity Policy and Operations at Hewlett-Packard, an Organizational Member with ECI. She recently spoke on ECI’s Ethics Ambassador Webinar as an expert from our Working Groups.
How long have you been involved with ECI, as a member or in any other capacity?
I have been involved with ECI for over 10 years. When I started my ethics and compliance career, one of the first organizations that I joined was ECOA, the Ethics and Compliance Officers Association, which has merged [into] ECI. I was in the energy industry at that time and so I worked with many of the individuals in Houston who were leaders in ECOA.
I was also a member of the Greater Houston Business Ethics Roundtable (GHBER). I remember that we would host a meeting every year at which Pat Harned would share her wisdom on the state of ethics and compliance. I can say that as far back as I can remember, I have used data and insights from ECI to help shape the ethics and compliance programs for which I was responsible.
What is your organization’s most-used benefit of ECI membership?
We often use information on ECI’s site for benchmarking various elements of our ethics and compliance program and culture. One of the primary resources we use every year as we are planning our program strategy is the Global Business Ethics Survey®. We also use other resources when making improvements or launching new programs.
For instance, we search ECI’s site to find practical resources, white papers, templates, and research when looking to implement a new program. We also have reached out to the ECI community when we have questions and would like to get practical information based on experiences or real-life application.
I have found the Working Group process invaluable for several reasons. I have been working with a Working Group on an update to the Ethics Ambassador program research that was released a few years ago. The timing and topic of this Working Group coincides with a launch of a pilot Ethics Ambassador program at HP. We relied heavily on ECI’s initial Ethics Ambassador program report in shaping our pilot. Serving on the Ethics Ambassador Working Group has enabled me to expand my network, learn about innovative activities other E&C leaders are implementing, and provide practical input global companies may find useful based on our experiences when considering an Ethics Ambassador program.
How has ECI membership impacted your perspective on Ethics & Compliance more broadly?
Iron sharpens iron. ECI provides opportunities for the Ethics and Compliance Community to sharpen our programs through idea sharing and relationship building. What I also like is that those at smaller organizations have access to colleagues at larger organizations and vice versa.
ECI provides access to government regulators, vendors, consultants, and academics. Each of these groups provide valuable information on context to regulations, as well as tools, processes, and data for program improvement. ECI is also a necessary voice to communicate the concerns of the Ethics and Compliance community back to regulators and the other groups that I mentioned. The work that ECI has done in helping organizations determine the maturity of their programs adds credibility to our profession and has helped to frame business cases to deliver to various stakeholders.
Has your organization utilized any of ECI’s Advisory Services offerings (I.e., consulting, HQP or culture assessments/benchmarking)? If so, which service(s) and what was your experience?
We haven’t, as of yet. We have sought out consulting services from service providers that are associated with ECI. In fact, when we were about to conduct a third-party assessment of our program, we pulled profiles of consultants and experts associated with ECI. We also checked the references of those we shortlisted with several members in the ECI network.
If you could have lunch with any business leader, current or historical, who would it be and why?
Let me cheat on this question a bit because there are several different business leaders both current and historical with whom I would love to have lunch.
First there is an African American businesswoman who rose to prominence in the during the 1890s, Madame CJ Walker. She was the first in her family that was freeborn who rose to great wealth and prominence post-slavery. She struggled early in life with failed marriages, racial discrimination, and limited prospects as an African American and a woman to make enough money to feed her family. A turning point and the birth of her business came when she started to experience hair loss. She invented and sold a hair product that helped restore hair growth for woman. Madame Walker became a very wealthy woman. Nevertheless, more important to her than adding to her own wealth was her desire to create an avenue where single mothers could make money and build personal wealth. If I were to have lunch with Madame Walker, I would be interested in her story, the struggles she encountered, and the ethical challenges she faced and how she dealt with them.
Now, as an HP employee I would be remiss if I didn’t point to two other historical figures who have had a huge impact on technology, Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard. Every HP employee has heard about or visited the iconic Garage where two pioneers started the company with its first product the audio oscillator which was used by Walt Disney in the movie Fantasia. While I would be thrilled to talk with them about their inventions, business philosophy, etc., what really intrigues me is their commitment to communities as a stakeholder and other principles that comprise the HP Way – long before such commitments were vogue or expectations for business.
There is a story that is told at HP in which Bill Hewlett is presenting to a group of leading CEOs. He tells the group (paraphrased) that it important for companies to not only commit to profitability, but also to serving their communities. The CEOs laughed at him. Nevertheless, Hewlett Packard remained true to these principles and commitments to people, their employees and the communities in which they operated. This is part of HP’s DNA to this day and I would love to hear about how they arrived at this commitment and why they felt it important to infuse into their company.
What is your proudest achievement outside of your career?
Apart from raising three very talented and accomplished children, I would have to say a recent honor that I received from the World Affairs Council of Houston at the 25th Jesse H Jones Awards. I was recognized with 24 other Houston area leaders as a Global Leader of Influence. I was extremely honored and humbled to receive this honor. However, for me, it was more the reason that I was recognized that I am most proud. My husband and I have been doing missionary work in Africa for several years. We have been working with schools in Zimbabwe and have formed partnerships with the school leaders and students across Zimbabwe. We have been working with these students on opportunities for STEM projects, building business and entrepreneurial skills and even hope to introduce baseball in Zimbabwe.
One of the schools that we work closest has been involved in an exchange program and joint projects since 2016. We have hosted or helped facilitate exchanges between students in Zimbabwe with students at Booker T. Washington High School, an engineering high school in Houston, Texas. The students have been working on joint projects to build water filtration systems, wind turbines and other STEM projects. We are currently working with the school in Zimbabwe, Rydings College (Prep High School) to bring several students to the US to work with the students at Booker T. Washington in February 2024.
Finally, this work is about to produce its first college graduate. A young man from Zimbabwe who we have been helped to attend school here in the US will be graduating from Texas Tech in December. I can’t wait to attend his graduation.
If you were stranded on an island, what three things would you want to have?
- My purse which has often been known to have nearly everything but the kitchen sink inside (that would knock out a whole lot of birds and stones). Some of the things I have been known to carry in my purse include:
- Lighter or matches
- Penlight
- Snacks
- Sewing Kit
- First Aid Kit
- Bible
- Sunscreen
- Essential oil for a natural insect repellant
- A device that can be used to cut seatbelts and break windshields
- Water
- Sharp Knife
Who has had the largest impact on you and your career and how have they influenced you?
My parents really instilled strong values, a can-do attitude, and love of people. My grandfather who was also my pastor was the epitome of servant leadership. It is these values of integrity and leading by serving others that shaped my life decisions and even help to guide me in my career. When it comes to those who influenced me in work decisions, I would have to say the EVP of HR when I worked in energy is who I would consider my strongest career role model. She was a true servant leader, high energy, strong integrity, and she had the uncanny knack to bring out the best in everyone who came into her orbit. I learned and have implemented the importance of developing my people and seeking opportunities for them to strive and thrive from her.
Please contact membership@ethics.org if you are interested in submitting your own member spotlight contribution.
