SEC Exams During a Pandemic: The CCO Role When ......General Counsel/CCO, Millburn Ridgefield Corp....

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Carl AyersPublisher

SEC Exams During a Pandemic: The CCO Role When Working Remotely

2Tuesday, September 15, 2020 www.regcompliancewatch.com

Chad EarnstCCO, PGIM ($1T in AUM)in Newark, N.J

Kyrstin RitsemaCCO, Executive Wealth Management ($924M in AUM) in Brighton, Mich.

Rob TullManaging DirectorProgressive Compliance Advisors in Tucson, Ariz.

Steven FelsenthalGeneral Counsel/CCO, Millburn Ridgefield Corp. ($5.6B in AUM) in New York

William NelsonCCO, Mercer Global Advisors ($15B in AUM) in Denver

SEC Exams During a Pandemic: The CCO Role When Working Remotely

Our Agenda

• How the Pandemic has Changed OCIE Exams

• The Special Challenges Facing CCOs Given Remote Exams

• How You Can Still Do a “Day One” Presentation—virtually

• A Rundown of the Hottest OCIE Exam Topics

• Examiners’ Focus On BCPs

• Tips For Your Peers When it Comes to Preparing for an OCIE Exam

3Tuesday, September 15, 2020 www.regcompliancewatch.com

What’s Hot

4Tuesday, September 15, 2020 www.regcompliancewatch.com

Driscoll Spoke Today at London Conference

• Remote since March

• Will Continue through December and “we’ll likely go further than that”

• Exams Down Slightly in 2020

• FY 2019: 3,100 Exams

• FY 2020: 2,900

• New OCIE Risk Alert Coming Today

• Cybersecurity Credentialing (Passwords): Fraudster Risks

• 9th Risk Alert in 2020: Most Ever by OCIE in One Year

• New SEC RIA Registrants in Europe

• GDPR Issue Remains

• Found a Solution for UK Firms

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Peter DriscollOCIE DirectorSEC Washington, D.C.

Tuesday, September 15, 2020 www.regcompliancewatch.com

The pandemic & OCIE exams

• Receiving the Request List

• Internal Notification and Taking Inventory

• Document Production & Review

• Electronic Storage and Production

• Virtual Walk-Throughs

• Opening Presentation

• Planning and Remote Engagement by Senior Leaders

• Presentation Materials

• Coordination

• Standing Calls – Internal and with Staff

• Explicit Communication of Roles / Responsibilities

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Rob TullManaging DirectorProgressive Compliance Advisors in Tucson, Ariz.

Tuesday, September 15, 2020 www.regcompliancewatch.com

The pandemic & OCIE exams

• The Pandemic has Not Slowed Down Regulatory Inquiries

• No Grace Period for Pandemics

• Anticipate the Exam Staff’s Anxiety about Your Businesses and Your Responses

• Structuring Exam Responses for the Staff’s Benefit

• Answer Just the Question Presented by the Staff

• Have Two People on Calls with the Examination Staff

• Helps to Confirm Conversations

• Helps to Build More Robust Dialogue with the Staff

• Be Aware that the Exam Staff’s Approval of a Practice is Not Binding on the SEC

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Chad EarnstCCO, PGIM ($1.4T in AUM)in Newark, N.J

Tuesday, September 15, 2020 www.regcompliancewatch.com

The pandemic & OCIE exams

No One Knows Your Business Better Than You Do!

• Determine What Type of Auditor You are Working With

• Make Your Pre-exam Presentation CONCISE

• Give a High-Level Overview

• Take No More Than 15 Minutes

• Build on the Pre-exam Presentation the First Day

• More Detailed; Repeat, and Then Build

• Preemptively Answer Questions You ANTICIPATE Them Asking

• What Did You Pick Up On In the Pre-exam Call?

• What Have You Seen Come Up on Resources or Networks?

• Provide Exceptional Organization in Your Responses

• Provide Responses How You Anticipate They Would Like to See Them

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Kyrstin RitsemaCCO, Executive Wealth Management ($924M in AUM) in Brighton, Mich.

Tuesday, September 15, 2020 www.regcompliancewatch.com

The pandemic & OCIE exams

• Keep It Simple

• Literal, Precise, Brief

• An OCIE Interview is Still an OCIE Interview, Regardless of Whether Video or In-Person

• Sustain and Promote Your Approachability

• Prepare Your Team!

• Be Open and “Read” Your Auditors

• Ask Questions

• What is it that You are Attempting to Determine from this Line of Requests?

• Answer Auditor Requests Expediently

• Prepare Your Team!

• The Faster You Get Requests to Auditors, the Faster You are Done

Defend What You Believe Is Right!

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Kyrstin RitsemaCCO, Executive Wealth Management ($924M in AUM) in Brighton, Mich.

Tuesday, September 15, 2020 www.regcompliancewatch.com

The pandemic & OCIE exams

• Companies Should Track Pandemic-related Decision-making

• Companies Should Be Prepared to Provide Information Related to the Continuity of Business Operations and the Ability of a Firm to Work Remotely for Extended Periods

• Companies Should Ensure that their Cybersecurity Policies Guarantee Proper Oversight of Remote Employees and that the Policies are Tested

• The SEC Will Be Understanding with Respect to Timing of Responses to Document Requests, But Know There are Limits to their Patience

• Coordination is Important, So Good Communication (Intra-group, Intra-company) is Critical

• Companies Should Ensure All Staff Who Will Interact with the SEC are Trained On All Electronic Systems, Including Videoconferencing and Document Submission Software

10

William NelsonCCO, Mercer Global Advisors ($15B in AUM) in Denver

Tuesday, September 15, 2020 www.regcompliancewatch.com

The pandemic & OCIE exams

• Approach to an Exam

• No Different, Except

• Create Rapport

• Communicate with Employees

• Expectations

• Preparation

• Availability

• Dedicated Workspace

• Distractions

• More Important to Explain Up Front

• Prepare a PowerPoint Overview

• Address Issues Important to You

• Address Issues Raised by Staff

• Head Off Misconceptions

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Steven FelsenthalGeneral Counsel/CCO, Millburn Ridgefield Corp. ($5.6B in AUM) in New York

Tuesday, September 15, 2020 www.regcompliancewatch.com

The pandemic & OCIE exams

• Examiners May Be More Understanding, But

• Don’t Test It

• Extreme Responsiveness

• Focus Your Employees and Keep Them Alert

• OCIE Has an Increased Focus On:

• Business Continuity/Disaster Recover

• Collection of Data and Analysis

• Increased Risks in the COVID Era

• Cyber Risks - Bad Actors are Trying to Exploit

• MNPI

• Pay Attention to the Aug 12, 2020 OCIE Risk Alert:

• Protection of Investors’ Assets - Did You Modify Your Procedures to Accommodate Remote Working? Don’t Compromise on Identifying Investors and Authenticating Instructions

• Supervision of Personnel - Make Sure You are Supervising and Make Sure They Know It

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Steven FelsenthalGeneral Counsel/CCO, Millburn Ridgefield Corp. ($5.6B in AUM) in New York

Tuesday, September 15, 2020 www.regcompliancewatch.com

The pandemic & OCIE exams

• OCIE Has an Increased focus on:

• Practices Relating to Fees, Expenses and Financial Transactions - Firms May Be Tempted to Make Up For Lost Revenue

• Investment Fraud - Properly Investigate Investment Opportunities - Tempting To Invest in Vaccines & Cures

• Business Continuity - We Just Had The Ultimate Test - Reevaluate and Adjust Your P&Ps

• Protection of Investor and Other Sensitive Information - Increased Platforms Mean Increased Risk (Computers, Tablets & Mobile Devices). Reevaluate

13

Steven FelsenthalGeneral Counsel/CCO, Millburn Ridgefield Corp. ($5.6B in AUM) in New York

Tuesday, September 15, 2020 www.regcompliancewatch.com

14Tuesday, September 15, 2020 www.regcompliancewatch.com

Chad EarnstCCO, PGIM ($1T in AUM)in Newark, N.J

Kyrstin RitsemaCCO, Executive Wealth Management ($924M in AUM) in Brighton, Mich.

Rob TullManaging DirectorProgressive Compliance Advisors in Tucson, Ariz.

Steven FelsenthalGeneral Counsel/CCO, Millburn Ridgefield Corp. ($5.6B in AUM) in New York

William NelsonCCO, Mercer Global Advisors ($15B in AUM) in Denver

SEC Exams During a Pandemic: The CCO Role When Working Remotely

Carl AyersPublisher

SEC Exams During a Pandemic: The CCO Role When Working Remotely