Fabiana Muniz
I graduated in Law in 2004 and in 2005 my first legal-related job was a Federal Tax Court for four years and a half. In late 2009, I started working for the Brazilian Development Bank, a state-owned company, in the Department of Internal Legal Procedures, which was responsible for setting standards in contracts and supporting the design of policies and procedures. This Department duties have increased and now its tasks include the legal advisory for the Compliance and the Risk Divisions too – and I am the legal manager responsible for that. We also represent the Bank in interinstitutional initiatives against corruption and money laundering.
"It is still a difficult to go beyond what is legal and take a step further in establishing deeper commitments to ethical and social responsibility."
Why did you decide to do the Master in Global Corporate Compliance at IE?
One reason was that I feel emotionally attached to Spain, where I made many friends since 2003, my first of many times there, when I took a summer course. Spain has been highly considered in regard to its anti-corruption legislation and as it related to my job, I started searching for universities where I could develop more skills in compliance, in a global level. When I found IE, I liked the content of the course and the part-time format seemed perfect for me, because I can’t take much time abroad now. After that, I checked out IE’s reputation and the recommendations made up my mind.
What are your plans after the Master? What are your professional goals?
I have just been assigned the previously mentioned responsibility at the Bank and I believe for at least the next two years I have many challenges to come. I wouldn’t discard the possibility of a work experience abroad in the future, but I also like the idea of an academic career in the area, parallel to what I do now.
What do you enjoy most about your profession (your work)?
Although now as a manager I have many meetings and supervisory activities, I really enjoy writing legal opinions and while I am researching, I can learn more about different approaches in other companies, other legislations, the solutions taken by other countries to deal with corruption, compliance and AML.
You are in a very diverse classroom, with classmates from all over the world. Do you find cultural difference s in the approach to compliance? If so, what are they and how do you these differences enrich the learning experience?
Besides coming from different countries and cultures, we work in various sectors of the economy. Likewise, we have different backgrounds, as not all of us are lawyers, which adds much to the experience. I see that each of the companies we work for are in diverse levels of maturity in compliance and the jurisdiction in which they make business drive the difference in the approach. All this together, make sure that we bring various points of view, enhancing the value of our classes.
What are the main challenges facing compliance professionals?
I believe the biggest challenges relate to culture and buy-in from the top. It is still a difficult to go beyond what is legal and take a step further in establishing deeper commitments to ethical and social responsibility, in a fierce competition environment. Although Brazil is facing more corruption scandals than ever, still private corruption and conflicts of interest are themes that deserve a close attention.
What are your hobbies (or the activities that you enjoy in your spare time)?
I love to travel and discover new cultures and places, as well as I like the company of dear friends – so it’s always nice to put those two things together. Cultural activities are my favourites and museums and architecture always attracted me. I go to the cinema frequently and living in a big city as Rio, there are always new bars and restaurants to check out, which is something that I enjoy doing when I am travelling too. Although I live close to the beach, it’s a crowded city. So, I prefer the contact with nature in more remote places or smaller cities.
