Compliance Risk Assessment and Management Process

Each Altria Group company is responsible for developing an annual Compliance and Integrity Plan that outlines its efforts to meet the Altria Group Standards. These annual plans should include a systematic risk assessment of potential legal, policy and reputation risks facing the company.

The Altria Group Chief Compliance Officer reviews each of these plans and risk assessments and provides guidance and recommendations for how to meet the Altria Group Standards. We do this to help our companies achieve their compliance and integrity objectives, while taking into account their unique characteristics and business risks. 

The Altria Group Standards require each company to monitor, audit and evaluate the priorities established in the plans and risk assessment processes. These plans should lead to specific action steps and promote continuous improvement.

Plans Lead to Actions

The annual plan and risk assessment process has helped Altria Group and its companies identify potential risks before they become potential compliance issues. When a company identifies a potential risk, it then works to address the issue through management strategies to mitigate the risk, such as communications, training and audits. Altria Group's companies have often collaborated to develop Web-based training courses for employees to heighten awareness and to help them identify the proper channels to use within the company to get the guidance and support they need.

Related Information

Other Web Resources:

• United States Sentencing Commission’s Federal Sentencing Guidelines