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Mar 13, 2016

Making the right connections

Best use of technology by a corporate secretary or general counsel: Marsh & McLennan Companies

Marsh & McLennan Companies (MMC) was recognized for its year-round use of technology, which is imbedded in how it does business. The judges cited the cleverness of MMC’s animated videos, which seem integrated into the entire governance program.

The company has increased the use of its internal social media platform to promote governance and manage risk. Since September 2014, Colleague Connect has served as a central hub to inform and engage employees around the world in a wide range of initiatives. It also connects colleagues to each other across MMC’s operating companies. The legal & public affairs section of Colleague Connect provides business colleagues with direct access to contact information, standard forms and educational resources.

‘[Colleague Connect] has made it easier for our colleagues to find us, to know how to get in touch with us and find policies and other resources that are useful to them,’ says Tiffany Wooley, senior benefits and compensation counsel and assistant secretary at MMC.

In the latter half of 2014, the legal & public affairs department (which has since combined with the compliance department) launched a new intranet site, LegalConnect, to facilitate communication within the department. This covers sharing research on topics from innovation and patents to global employment laws, as well as enhancing access to forms and templates, M&A resources and tool kits for each operating company. Accompanying LegalConnect’s launch was an introductory video produced within the department and linked to the first Communications Challenge, created by the legal & public affairs department in 2014 to solicit ideas for innovative ways in which to improve the department’s impact within the business as well as the effectiveness of communications within the department.

The winning idea came from an attorney in Italy who created a series of animated videos depicting real-life legal and compliance ‘lessons learned’ on a minuscule budget. The series has been used in town halls in Italy to communicate unpopular messages in an engaging way.

Wooley points to LegalConnect features such as colleague spotlights, which profile the accomplishments of colleagues around the world, including a woman who became the director for European government relations. Because of that profile, ‘you’re more likely to feel comfortable sending her an email or reaching out to her for help if you need it,’ Wooley says. ‘A lot of our technology use is around increasing communication and making that communication more effective within the department and from the department to our business colleagues.’

David Bogoslaw

Associate Editor and Online features producer for Corporate Secretary