Ethics and compliance can be a lonely job. You are expected to offer clarity when no one else can, see around corners, and hold the line when pressures stack up. The fastest way to get better at that work is to spend time with peers who are living with those same realities and are willing to share what actually works.
That’s what makes the 2026 Global Ethics Summit (GES) different. In addition to strong content and practical tools, there is also an uncommon professional generosity among the attendees themselves. From hallway conversations, between-session benchmarking, candid workshop exchanges, and the Q&A moments where someone gives you the detail they wish they had a year ago, it’s all the lived proof of our belief that there is no competition in compliance.
GES takes place March 30–31, 2026 in Atlanta, with in-person and virtual options, plus pre-event executive roundtables and a welcome reception on March 29. It’s hosted at the Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park.
Erica’s challenge: leave with “four new ideas, two new friends, and three new stories.”
GES can be a little overwhelming. That’s why Ethisphere’s Chief Strategy Officer, Erica Salmon Byrne, recommends attendees come away from the conference with “four new ideas, two new friends, and three new stories.”
Four new ideas. The agenda delivers for leaders who need actionable insight, not theory. This year’s topics include board and employee engagement, program transparency, AI, ethical leadership, third-party risk, cross-collaboration, and regulatory updates. The format includes longer breakouts, workshops, and peer-to-peer sessions for pressure-testings decisions before you take them back to leadership.
One example: the Data Intelligence Lab, a working space where attendees can get hands-on with benchmarking, measurement, and next-step planning. This turns insight into action in real time, not three months later when your calendar finally opens up.
There is an enormous amount of expertise at work throughout the conference; those who enter with an open mind will find themselves inspired to innovate in ways they hadn’t thought of before.
Two new friends. GES is warm by design. Many attendees are part of the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA). But you don’t need to be a member to experience what the community feels like. You will meet people who understand the constraints you’re navigating, and who will share how they solved for them. Those relationships often become the calls you make after the conference when something lands on your desk that can’t be solved alone.
Three new stories. The best compliance leaders do not just know the rules. They know how to make the case for integrity in a way people remember. GES is full of hard-won stories, what worked, what failed, what they changed, and why. Those stories become fuel for your own program narrative when you need to influence, train, or brief the board.
If you’re considering GES, use a simple filter: do you want to go back to work with sharper ideas, stronger relationships, and better stories to move your program forward? If yes, then we’ll see you in Atlanta. And if you want to spend a few days connecting with peers who understand your goals and challenges, and want you to succeed, too? Then we’ll definitely see you in Atlanta.
Bill Coffin | Editor-in-Chief, Ethisphere Magazine, Ethisphere
Bill Coffin is the Editor-in-Chief of Ethisphere Magazine and supports the larger content strategy of Ethisphere. He is an internationally recognized writer and editorial leader in the fields of ethics, compliance, insurance and risk management. His work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, Forbes and Fortune, as well as Compliance Week, National Underwriter, Risk Management, Best’s Review and other B2B media. Previously, Bill served as Director, Senior Editor at AIG, leading content strategy for one of the world’s largest insurance companies.
