TRACE Launches World's First Anti-Bribery Compliance Specialist Accreditation

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland, February 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- TASA Provides a Rigorous, Tailored Training for Professionals Around the Globe

TRACE, the internationally recognized anti-bribery organization today announced the launch of the TRACE Anti-bribery Specialist Accreditation (TASA). TASA provides a comprehensive framework for anti-bribery compliance training and certification and establishes the standards for professionals to demonstrate their expertise and credibility in this growing industry.

As leading experts in anti-bribery compliance, TRACE has seen explosive growth in the anti-bribery compliance field. Ten years ago, anti-bribery conferences attracted just two-dozen people. Now, leading conference organizers cap attendance at 500. The field of anti-bribery compliance has been flooded with new lawyers, accountants and other compliance professionals.

The combination of a demand for greater corporate transparency, rigorous international and local laws, and stepped up enforcement activity by regulatory bodies worldwide, requires global businesses, governments and other entities to have qualified employees or consultants to ensure their compliance with anti-bribery laws and policies. "Until now, there has been no standard for verifying the training or qualifications of anti-bribery compliance specialists," said Alexandra Wrage, president of TRACE. "TASA will set such a standard by delivering a rigorous training program that culminates in participants' accreditation as anti-bribery compliance specialists."

According to Wrage, this accreditation is the first-ever available to anti-bribery compliance professionals worldwide and will be a key and meaningful differentiator for them. TASA establishes the standards and discipline for professionals to gain mastery of anti-bribery compliance principles and practices and validate their domain expertise.

"Businesses operating in today's fast-moving and interconnected global markets need compliance professionals with top-notch skills," said Kelly S. Austin, a Hong Kong based partner with the international law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. "TASA will bring TRACE's stellar anti-bribery expertise together with an experienced international faculty to deliver a program that is essential for the compliance community."

The TASA curriculum includes both introductory anti-bribery courses and a broad range of specialized courses that participants can select to tailor the training to their specific interests and professional goals. The course topics span: corporate compliance, law enforcement, global issues, international organizations and industry-specific topics.

"With the ever increasing international and national focus on adherence to anti-corruption laws, the TASA program offers a comprehensive and cost effective accreditation for lawyers and other professionals interested in developing more substantive expertise in the issues and challenges for effective anti-bribery compliance," said Susan Ringler, Senior Counsel for International Compliance at ITT Corporation.

TASA's comprehensive accreditation program makes available over 100 hours of specialized online and in person training annually, all delivered by a world-renowned faculty from more than a dozen countries. TASA's training faculty includes industry experts; Dr. Mark Pieth, Professor of Criminal Law and Criminology, University of Basel, Switzerland and Chairman, OECD Working Group on International Bribery will be Senior Faculty Advisor. Other faculty members include Kelly Austin, partner, Gibson Dunn, Hong Kong; Matt Birk, CPA and partner, Deloitte Financial Advisory Services, St Louis; Pascale Dubois, The World Bank Office of Evaluation and Suspension, Washington, DC; Jason Matechak, General Counsel, International Relief Fund, Washington, DC; Mark Mendelsohn, partner, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, Washington, DC; and Professor Chris Yukins, George Washington University, Washington, DC to name just a few. A complete list of confirmed faculty can be found at http://www.TheTasa.org/about_us/faculty.html

TASA's extensive training program and examination fee is priced at $2,200 for individuals in the private sector and $1,800 for Government, NGOs and full time students at accredited institutions of higher education.

For more information on the TASA accreditation program, visit http://www.theTASA.org or contact TRACE at +1-410-990-0076.

About TRACE

TRACE is an international anti-bribery organization that provides practical and cost-effective compliance solutions for multinational companies and their commercial intermediaries. The organization provides several core services and products, including due diligence reports on commercial intermediaries; an on-line tool for tracking gifts and hospitality; in-person and online anti-bribery training; and research on corporate best practices. TRACE provides a practical and cost-effective alternative to increasingly expensive and time-consuming corporate compliance. For more information, visit http://www.traceinternational.org.