A Commercial Approach to Avoiding Corruption

A Commercial Approach to Avoiding Corruption

• Dr. Maximilian Burger-Scheidlin, Senior Director, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Austria

The standard anti-corruption approach, “criminal law and compliance,” threatens corrupt individuals with prison if they do not comply. This approach is consistent with the typical Western method of solving problems. While theoretically sound, it is quite antagonistic and difficult to accept in the Global South. Consequently, progress in higher-risk countries has been minimal.
There is a growing realization that a compliance-focused approach alone will not change the mindset of corrupt individuals. International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Austria’s new “Commercial Approach to Corruption Avoidance” tells corrupt individuals that they can increase their long-term income by avoiding corruption. In his Integrity Talk, Dr. Maximilian Burger-Scheidlin will present this nonconfrontational approach, which appeals to each person’s long-term self-interest.

Dr. Maximilian Burger-Scheidlin is a Senior Director at International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Austria. He is a law graduate who specializes in business ethics, arbitration, and mediation. From 1990 to 1993, he served as the Austrian Commercial Counselor in Japan. From 1986 to 1990, he worked as an "International Investment Expert" for UNIDO, advising corporations on investing and setting up factories, primarily in Southeast Asia and South Asia. From 1976 to 1986, he worked for the Austrian Chamber of Foreign Trade in several countries. In this role, he advised manufacturers and exporters of machinery and technical equipment on selling and investing in Southeast Asia, East Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

The event will take place on 1 September 2025 10 a.m. AEST / 2 a.m. CEST