Etika LLC

Etika, LLC is a consulting business that provides presentation and educational programs on the topics of Ethics for businesses, universities, professional societies, and law enforcement. These services are delivered through Lessons From Prison, Stolen Without A Gun, live seminars, video training, and case study exercises. Etika, LLC also provides prison-consulting services designed specifically to help defendants and their families manage and thrive through the life altering experience of the criminal justice system. Walter Pavlo created LLC in 2004, and was joined by Justin Paperny shortly after his release from federal prison in 2009. Together they are helping others appreciate the tangible benefits that come from leading a values-based life and the dire consequences that inevitably follow lapses in ethical behavior.

Lecture Topics for compliance training and educational programs include the following:

(1) Lessons From Prison

In this presentation, Justin walks the audience through his journey as a federal prisoner. He explains how making decisions from a supposed ethical gray area can lead to financial devastation, loss of reputation, separation from family and community. It will debunk misperceptions about country club prisons by discussing what he learned from others and his own experiences.

(2) Value-Centered Decisions

As a former financial professional, Justin learned the hard way that an abandonment of a personal ethical code can lead to serious career troubles, possible legal complications, and in some cases, imprisonment. By establishing a personal ethical code, and ensuring that all personal and business decisions comply with that code, individuals can lead more fulfilling lives. In this speech, Justin describes his past, what he has learned by listening to other white-collar offenders, and the ethical code that now guides all of his decisions.

(3) Aggressive Corporate Culture Within Ethical Context

In today’s hyper growth business climate, many corporate professionals operate from short-term perspectives. Rather than providing service to clients within ethical guidelines, some professionals lose sight of the value that comes with sustained relationships. When professionals pursue aggressive tactics to meet short-term targets, they sometimes put themselves and their businesses at risk. Justin contrasts lessons he learned from professionals who built careers honestly and ethically in aggressive corporate cultures.

(4) Pressures of Performance

Bottom-line thinking, together with the pressure to perform frequently belies the primary mission of the company, which should be to put clients first. Too often companies make decisions based on the expectations of Wall Street. These pressures are not only put on the CEO and other high ranking executives, but are passed down to middle management who must perform their assigned tasks to meet those goals. The pressure of meeting those goals influenced Justin’s decision-making process and interfered with his ability to make sound business decisions. The pressure to hit these performance quotas was immense. Moreover, he was never criticized or investigated when he found a way to hit these numbers. In this part of Justin’s speech, he emphasizes the importance of management’s role in addressing pressures put on all employees in order to assure ethical business practices.

(5) Impact Of A Role Model

Moral lapses are insidious and subtle, and without a role model to help guide him, Justin easily crossed the line from unethical to illegal behavior. As a student-athlete, he had the privilege of learning from coaches who also acted as role models. Justin was held accountable if he deviated from the stated principles of the team. In the brokerage business, however, the pressure to perform, coupled with lax oversight from management washed away the values he learned as an athlete. This part of Justin’s speech highlights the importance of mentoring young people within an organization.

(6) Exacerbating Troubles Through Denial

Many people remember reading about Martha Stewart’s legal complications. The initial act would not have resulted in imprisonment, but the lies, the cover-up, and the denial did. Justin interacted with and interviewed many federal prisoners who complicated their own legal struggles through similar denials. Too many prisoners, like Justin, simply could not accept that they engaged in behavior that legislators deemed criminal. As a result they served longer terms in prison; delayed the healing that could have begun sooner; and brought more pain and shame to those that love and support them. In this speech, Justin educates audiences by telling their stories and his own.

For more information including rates, please contact: info@etikallc.com