A castle may not seem like the obvious location to hold a workshop on compliance, but that didn’t stop the company from hosting 29 experts from 11 countries at Schloss Benkhausen, a moated property near the German city of Espelkamp.

But besides team-building exercises, several big topics were on the agenda. These included the introduction of a new, group-wide management system, as well as international reporting obligations, with a focus on regulatory requirements, and issues such as risk registers and whistleblowing.

The two-day gathering gave Gauselmann compliance officers from the UK, Serbia, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Malta, Spain, Croatia, Mexico and Peru, among other countries, a chance to share the challenges in their respective markets.

This all comes in response to the everchanging and multi-faceted face of compliance and regulation, and to a company like the Gauselmann Group, whose operations are quite diverse, it has to tread carefully when navigating these potentially hazardous areas.

As a result, workshops such as these, said Gauselmann AG’s Chief Compliance Officer Ludwig Beckmann, present an opportunity to learn from others’ experience.

“Meetings like this are always very useful,” commented Beckmann. “Since we generally face similar challenges, we can also benefit from the experiences of others.”

Ultimately, Gauselmann said the topic of compliance will gain more traction across the industry going forward, and the response to the increased requirements will hinge on “an effective exchange of information and further optimised processes.”