Speak Up with Shannon: Insights on Whistleblowing and Internal Culture

Shannon Walker is the Founder and President of WhistleBlower Security Inc. and the Executive VP of Strategy at Case IQ. WBS was founded in 2005 and acquired by Case IQ in 2023 after years of partnering on global intake solutions for mutual clients. WBS provides global ethics, compliance, and risk prevention hotlines, along with IntegrityCounts, a proprietary case management software platform. Shannon is a thought leader on whistleblowing, ethics, corporate culture, and diversity in the workplace. A former elected City Official, Shannon has also sat on numerous non-profit and community boards and is currently on the BC Epilepsy Society Board.

Articles

• Ten Ethical Behaviors That Drive Better Compliance (Ethikos): In this article, Shannon discusses how transparency, proper investigations, and ethical leadership training can lead to a healthier work environment, happier clients, and a respectable brand reputation. Read it now.
• The ROI Of Whistleblower Programs: Reducing Financial Fraud And Protecting Bottom Lines (DMN Magazine): Far from a mere compliance measure, whistleblowing initiatives are increasingly seen as an investment in a company’s long-term financial health and ethical standing. Yet, many organizations hesitate, viewing these programs through a narrow lens of expense rather than as a strategic advantage with measurable returns. Learn more about why they’re important in this article.
• How Ethics and Compliance Officers can Improve Organizational Culture (CEP Magazine): A strong ethical culture doesn’t emerge on its own. It requires deliberate actions, systems, and leadership. In this article, Shannon explains actionable strategies and resources to change your culture and achieve long-term success. Read it here.
• Safeguarding Patient Trust: The Importance Of Anonymous Reporting In Healthcare Organizations (Healthcare Business Today): Patients often hesitate to voice concerns for fear of retaliation. Anonymous reporting provides a safe and confidential way to address issues without jeopardizing patient treatment or healthcare professionals’ careers. Read more here.
• How to Build Resilience in Employees (HR.com): Building resilience requires more than just addressing stressors—it’s about equipping employees with the right tools to navigate challenges effectively. Read how in this article.
• Best Practices for Comprehensive Risk Assessments in 2025 (The TJB American Business Magazine): Comprehensive risk assessments are no longer a periodic check but a critical, ongoing process. Learn how to refine your approach and leverage modern tools to keep your organization protected and agile in this article.
• Whistleblowing: More Reporting Channels Creates More Engagement (ERE): In this article, Shannon explains how increasing reporting channel options can increase the number of reports you receive, helping catch incidents and issues faster. Read it now.
• Investigation Tools You Need to Increase Workplace Efficiency (Workplace.ca): Employment law compliance can feel like a never-ending effort for HR teams. Read this article to learn three tools and processes that can help you increase efficiency and success.
• The Importance of Employee Feedback for Identifying Crises (CPHR Alberta): There’s no “silver bullet” solution for encouraging employee feedback in the workplace. However, having the right feedback mechanisms is vital for identifying and addressing crises sooner. Learn about these methods in this article.
• 3 Whistleblowing Elements You Might Not Have Considered (Corporate Compliance Insights): In this article, Shannon shares her best tips for improving a whistleblower program that many leaders overlook. Read it here.
• What a “Speak-Up” Culture Is and Why It’s Essential in Hospitality (Hotels Magazine): Each industry has its own unique issues, but hospitality’s customer-facing work, late-night hours and smaller staffs can lead to more incidents. Building a culture that values ethics and encourages speaking up is a must for these companies to protect employees and patrons. Learn more here.
• Promoting a “Speak Up” Culture in the Restaurant Industry (QSR): Whistleblowing is a common and sometimes legislated process in the restaurant industry, but it’s often not communicated or managed well, which limits its value to owners and managers and, ultimately, employee safety. Learn how to keep your restaurant free of whistleblower retaliation in this article.
• Interview with Executive VP of Strategy Shannon Walker (Logit.io): In this interview, Shannon shares her passion for helping companies implement a speak up culture, plus other insights into leadership in the tech sector. Read it now.
• 3 Tips to Boost Workplace Safety and Compliance in Your Restaurant (FSR Magazine): Discover essential strategies for ensuring compliance and fostering a safe working environment in full-service restaurants, from robust policies to a speak-up culture in this article.
• How Investigation Tools Can Increase Efficiency for Compliance and Ethics Professionals (CEP Magazine): Ensuring your internal investigations are as efficient and effective as possible can be difficult if you’re a small team, have a large caseload, or just don’t know where to start. To help you out, Shannon compiled a list of tools that will make every ethics and compliance professional’s job easier. Read it here.
• Addressing Ethical Complaints & Mitigating Risks in Credit Unions (CU Times): Credit unions and other financial institutions can reduce their organizational risk by handling ethics issues proactively. Read more here.
• How to Successfully Create a Speak Up Culture in Your Company (WhatWork): Shifting to a speak up culture can take significant time, money, and effort. You have to plan your approach, set up reporting mechanisms, and get your employees on board. But all of this work comes with benefits for your organisation, both tangible and intangible. Learn more in this article.
• Using Technology to Tackle Organizational Toxicity (SHRM): When toxicity affects the workplace, organizations face risks, including claims of harassment and hostile work environments. There’s evidence to suggest that technology can play a role in minimizing and addressing toxic work environments. Read more in this article.
• Managing HR Risk With Workplace Investigation Tools (HR Tech Series): This guide will help you identify, analyze, and prevent hazards in your workplace, so you can better protect your employees and your organization. Read Shannon’s insights now.
• Why Anti-Retaliation is Essential to a Speak Up Culture (Institute of Supply Chain Management): Employers and leaders who fail to see the importance of employees speaking up against workplace discrimination often react through retaliation against the employee, which effectively inhibits an inclusive speak-up culture. Read this article to learn why retaliation should never be tolerated in the workplace.
• The Future Of Work Is Driven By A Speak-Up Culture (HR.com): In this step-by-step guide, Shannon shares tips for implementing and benefits of making your internal culture speak-up friendly. Read it now.

Webinars

• Advancing Speak-Up by Improving Investigations Case Management (“Ethicast” Ethisphere podcast): Watch this video to hear Shannon discuss how Case IQ helps organizations create a greater degree of psychological safety for reporters and witnesses, thereby promoting stronger speak-up culture that improves business integrity for everyone.
• Combined Power: Employee Whistleblower Hotlines & Case Management Software: In this webinar co-hosted by Shannon and Jakub Ficner, Director of Partnerships at Case IQ, you’ll learn the benefits of using both a hotline and a case management system to promote trust and empower employees. Watch it now.
• How to Apply Speak Up Best Practices from the Mining Industry to Your Organization: Watch this webinar with Shannon, Audrey Hlembizky , VP at RJC Global Impact, and Susan Lomas, Founder of the Mine Shift Foundation, to learn how to optimize your corporate culture and build psychological safety within your organization using learnings from the mining industry. Watch the panel for free here.
• Hot Topics in HR: Watch this video with Shannon and Gayle Wadden, Chief Legal Officer at Compliance Works, to learn how to keep your internal culture ethical, compliant, and positive for employees.
• Responding To Whistleblower Reports with a DEI Mindset: Approaching whistleblower reports with a mindset of diversity, equality, and inclusivity helps build a people-first workplace culture. Learn how in this video with Shannon and DEI expert Janelle Aaker.
• How To Create Inclusive Workplaces And Communities: Watch this video with Shannon to learn how your organization can create a more inclusive environment where employees feel safe, secure, and that they belong.
• How Speak Up Hotlines Keep Athletes Safe: In this video, Shannon and Olympic skier Allison Forsyth discuss the importance of providing a safe and positive place for athletes of all levels to speak up about wrongdoing and why the relationship with anonymous reporting hotlines is critical. Watch it here.