Christoph Kowalewski
Transparency International Germany
Moderation: Dr. Harald Weilnböck
cultures interactive e.V.
Abstract: Corruption is an ubiquitous phenomenon. To strive for personal gains even while abusing entrusted power, is unfortunately a human trait. However, corruption erodes trust, weakens democracy, hampers economic development and exacerbates inequality, poverty, social division and the environmental crisis.
Therefore, it is important to develop instruments to prevent corruption and to raise awareness for its negative consequences. That is the aim of Transparency International Germany. Through advocacy, campaigning and research, the organisation promotes transparency, accountability and integrity at all levels and across all sectors of society.
In accordance with the guiding principle of a “Coalition against Corruption”, the organisation cooperates closely with actors from state, business, law enforcement, science and civil society. Thus, besides more than 1.300 individual members, 8 municipalities and more than 30 companies are amongst the corporate members of Transparency Germany. The aim is to work together to benefit from everyone’s expertise and the different perspectives on how to develop robust, efficient and proportionate integrity systems.
Transparency International Germany is the national chapter of Transparency International.
Christoph Kowalewski
Christoph Kowalewski is an independent compliance, integrity & leadership consultant in Berlin (Germany). He has taken the year 2022 off, dedicating most of his time to pro bono anti-corruption and anti-money laundering-related advocacy work in the context of the German G7 presidency. He has extensive experience in consulting public and private organizations and developing integrity-based collective action initiatives driven by the private sector. He co-created the “Global Compact Network Guatemala” and the “Business Integrity and Compliance Network RICE”. Chris is the initiator of the first Compliance Master’s Program in Central America, which he helped develop and implement as a lecturer, and he has been a speaker and moderator at international events. Prior to his return to Germany, he was a Project Manager at Clearwater Compliance in Guatemala (2021), a Development Worker at GIZ Guatemala (2015-2021), a Virtual Professor at the UNDP Virtual School (2013) and a Senior Consultant in the “Governance, Risk & Compliance”-department of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Germany (2010-2013).
Chris is a founding Board member of PTF Europe and serves as Executive Advisor to the “International Economic Justice League” based in California (USA). Another volunteering commitment of his is a partnership between Ghanaian and German boxers which he initiated and coordinates.
Chris holds Master’s degrees in Cultural Studies and in Business Administration, both from the Passau University in Germany. He was a visiting student at the Cracow Academy of Economics (Poland) and the International Anti-Corruption Academy (Austria).