Adam Turteltaub: Profile of a Compliance Career (So Far)

Back in 2008, Roy Snell, then CEO of the Healthcare Compliance Association (HCCA) and Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE), asked me to join him, Adam Turteltaub and Adam’s wife Rhea for dinner in Los Angeles to help persuade Adam to make the leap from LRN to SCCE & HCCA. I’m quite sure that my role in Adam’s decision was exceedingly minor (perhaps non-existent!), but I like to think that my presence offered a small nudge. And if that’s true, then perhaps I played a tiny part in the enormous impact Adam has had on the profession over the past 17 years.

Building Something Bigger

When Adam joined SCCE & HCCA in July 2008, he brought not only seven years of experience from LRN but also a clear sense of how communications and storytelling could strengthen the compliance field. (A quick note of clarification, in case any readers are unfamiliar: The SCCE & HCCA operate as sister organizations under a single corporate umbrella, and Adam served both in a combined role as Chief Engagement & Strategy Officer.)  As LRN’s Corporate Relations Executive and Marketing Director, he had spent years highlighting compliance successes and discussing what effective programs can accomplish.

At SCCE & HCCA, Adam found a platform to expand that work. Starting as Vice President of Membership Development, he played a central role in the substantial growth of both associations: the HCCA member base more than doubled, and SCCE’s grew even more dramatically. Indeed, Adam was instrumental in the steady growth of SCCE & HCCA, which today stands as the largest membership association for compliance and ethics professionals worldwide. Beyond the numbers, this growth reflected the increasing visibility and reach of the compliance community.

The Voice of Compliance

One initiative that came to define Adam’s time at SCCE&HCCA was the Compliance Perspectives podcast. What began as a straightforward effort to share timely issues turned into a widely followed resource, ultimately surpassing a million downloads. Through interviews with compliance leaders, regulators, and practitioners, Adam helped make complex issues more understandable and helped professionals feel connected to a broader conversation.

The podcast showcased Adam’s talent for identifying topics worth exploring and for asking questions that brought out practical insights – always with an accessible and grounded tone.

For many years, Adam also devoted considerable time to profiling countless compliance professionals in both Compliance and Ethics Professional and Ethikos – capturing their stories, sharing their lessons learned, and offering practical insights that helped elevate the field. It feels particularly fitting, then, that we now have the opportunity to shine that same light back on him.

Strategic Vision and Global Reach

As Adam’s role at the SCCE & HCCA grew – from Vice President of Membership Development to Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and International Programs (2017), and later to Chief Engagement and Strategy Officer (2020–2025) – so did the scope of his work. Adam worked alongside all of the Association’s CEOs to date in shaping strategy, strengthening relationships with peer organizations and governmental entities, and expanding the Association’s international presence.

Through these efforts, Adam helped broaden the reach of the SCCE & HCCA and encouraged compliance professionals to think more expansively about their work and its impact across industries and regions.

A Communicator at Heart

Adam’s background played a significant role in how he approached compliance. Before joining the field, he spent more than a decade in advertising and marketing with major agencies such as J. Walter Thompson and BBDO, working on brands including Burger King and Nintendo. He later joined the founding editorial team at Excite.com, writing “Ask Will Tell,” an early internet advice column.

He also served for two years on the Washington staff of Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, gaining firsthand experience in government operations. This blend of communications, policy, and business experience informed Adam’s approach to compliance.

Speaking Truth and Building Community

Adam became a familiar presence at SCCE & HCCA events. He moderated some fabulous panels and spoke on just about every possible compliance topic.  He also expanded the conversation in creative and fun ways. Two of the most memorable: At one Compliance and Ethics Institute, Adam invited Rick Harrison of the TV show “Pawn Stars,” who entertained with behind-the-scenes stories and surprised the audience with the rigorous compliance program and regular ethics issues involved in running the shop.  In another notable session, Adam brought his brother, the director of National Treasure and other films, the novelist Chris Bohjalian and TV writer/producer Jay Kogen to CEI, to explore how storytelling can help bring people to care about ethics issues. 

Adam also represented the compliance community at conferences held by the Institute of Internal Auditors, the International Association of Privacy Professionals, and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, among others. He also managed the SCCE & HCCA blogs and served as a steady voice supporting the profession’s ongoing evolution.

A Lasting Legacy

That dinner in 2008 was the beginning of a professional chapter that none of us could have fully anticipated. Over 17 years, Adam played an important role in strengthening SCCE & HCCA and in supporting the compliance community. He drew attention to issues that mattered, fostered thoughtful discussion, and helped widen the profession’s collective perspective.

When Adam’s chapter with SCCE & HCCA concluded last month, the profession was better connected and better supported than it was when he joined. His contributions – through conversations, writing, events, and steady leadership – have left a lasting mark.  Adam’s work in the compliance community will undoubtedly continue in new forms in the years to come, and I know that we all look forward to seeing what comes next.  But in the meantime, please join me in extending a big thanks for all that Adam has contributed to our profession thus far.