2025 IFBEC Highlights & 2026 Outlook_ A Year of Achievement and Forward Momentum
For sixteen years, the International Forum on Business Ethical Conduct (IFBEC) has provided an opportunity for companies within the aerospace and defense (A&D) industries to exchange information on best practices in the areas of business ethics and global trends. IFBEC has strengthened commitments to ethical conduct with A&D throughout the globe through public events discussing best practices, industry wide initiatives, and providing a forum for our industry to communicate efforts made within the industry. 2025 IFBEC efforts include:
· Webinars: Throughout the year, IFBEC successfully delivered a series of informative and engaging webinars designed to support ongoing learning, professional development, and community engagement. These sessions brought together participants from diverse backgrounds, fostering meaningful discussions and providing actionable insights across a variety of topics.
Our webinars covered a broad spectrum of themes, such as:
• Keep Compliant and Carry On: The New FCPA Enforcement Policies [in collaboration with The George Washington University Law School and DLA Piper US, LLP];
• AI: Real World Ways to Drive Impact Within the Compliance and Risk Functions [in collaboration with EY];
• U.S. Government Contracts: Key Legal Issues for Compliance Professionals [in collaboration with Fluet];
• Navigating the Norwegian Transparency Act [in collaboration with Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace]
· NATO Building Integrity: IFBEC members continued to work with NATO on its Building Integrity (BI) programme as part of the 15-year public-private partnership. This included IFBEC speaking at the NATO BI annual course on Defence Leadership in Germany and a series of compliance best practice discussions brokered by NATO with the Ukrainian Defence Industries (UDI) anti-corruption team supported by the Basel Institute on Governance. There was also a very interesting NATO BI panel session at the IFBEC annual conference with a spotlight on the work conducted with UDI.
· IFBEC Ethics and Compliance Officer Academy: The IFBEC Ethics and Compliance Officer Academy is the first of its kind. Launching in January 2025, the Academy is a comprehensive training course designed to delve into principles and practices in the aerospace and defense industry spread over a 12-month period. This year’s graduating class consisted of 19 participants 2 representing 15 IFBEC member companies. Congratulations to our first graduating class of the IFBEC Ethics and Compliance Officer Academy! Nominations are now open for the 2026 Academy class!
· Annual Conference: This year’s IFBEC Fall Annual Conference successfully united members from across the world for two days of collaboration, learning, and shared purpose. With participants representing diverse regions, disciplines, and perspectives, the event reinforced our commitment to fostering an inclusive and connected international ethics and compliance community.
A sincere appreciation to Leonardo, our valued conference host for their generous support. Their commitment made it possible to deliver a meaningful and impactful event for our global membership. Their contribution not only strengthened this year’s experience but also helped advance our shared vision for international cooperation and community-building.
We’re grateful to everyone who contributed to the success of this year’s conference. As we look forward to the year ahead, we remain committed to creating meaningful opportunities for global dialogue, cooperation, and community growth. We can’t wait to welcome you back in the United States next year!
In 2026, we’re redefining what it means to connect. Coffee with Compliance series brings together top professionals, innovators, and decision-makers for high-impact, time-efficient networking sessions. Whether you're looking to build partnerships, uncover opportunities, or expand your circle with purpose, this series gives you direct access to the people who matter—quickly. We will expand our impact through targeted initiatives designed to elevate performance, enhance efficiency, and create long-term value. Together, these initiatives position 2026 as a breakthrough year of connection, collaboration, and opportunity.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support!
Bry Spinella, IFBEC Executive Director