Gaurav Kapoor – COO MetricStream, discusses why companies should have integrity at the heart of the business strategy, particularly following the coronavirus pandemic and looming recession set to be worse than 2008. After the 2008 financial crash, it became clear that no company is too big to fail. Banks and financial institutions have been held to the highest standards and scrutinized by regulators, shareholders, and employees alike. The consumer's voice is now stronger and louder than ever owing to the rise of social media, and companies need to be aware of their influence during these challenging times. News of company scandals frequently graces the headlines, and reports of businesses appearing to capitalize or act unethically during this time will not go unnoticed or be forgotten by the public any time soon. Gaurav explains the importance of organizations acting with integrity and draws on his own experience of changing company culture for the better. His advice includes placing ethics and integrity at the core of the business strategy, setting the tone at the top, investing in holistic, regularly assessed governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) programs and ethical technologies to keep an organization on the right track during the pandemic and beyond. Gaurav has been involved with the company since its inception and as the COO, is responsible for the overall Go-to-Market Strategy, Sales, Marketing, Customer Advocacy, and the Partner and Community Ecosystem. Until 2010, he also served as the CFO of MetricStream. Previously, Gaurav held executive positions at OpenGrowth and ArcadiaOne. Prior, he spent several years in business, marketing and operations roles at Citibank in Asia and in the U.S. He also serves on the board of Regalix, a digital innovation and marketing company.