Key insights from YouConnect’s compliance roundtable
On 3 February 2026, YouConnect hosted a compliance roundtable bringing together senior compliance and legal professionals active in Belgium. Moderated by Sylvie Gerlo and Morgane Smets, the discussion focused on three core themes shaping compliance teams today:
- AI in compliance
- The strategic role of compliance within organisations
- Compliance in a climate of accelerating regulatory change
The conclusion was clear: compliance in Belgium is becoming more strategic, more technological and more exposed to regulatory complexity than ever before.
AI in compliance: efficiency gains versus governance risks
A central statement framed the debate: AI is an opportunity rather than a risk.
Across organisations, AI tools - particularly integrated systems such as Microsoft Copilot - are already widely used. Open AI platforms are often restricted, while embedded tools are permitted under controlled governance frameworks. Participants expressed differing perspectives on the positive effects of AI agents in compliance, with no clear consensus emerging.
In any case, it became clear that there is a shift from a focus on risk towards a focus on opportunity.
Practical use cases of AI tools for compliance teams
Participants highlighted clear productivity gains:
- Drafting investigation reports and completing questionnaires
- Managing data access requests
- Triage of integrity line calls (for example, where a company receives more than 1,000 daily customer calls, not all of which are relevant to the integrity reporting channel)
- First-level marketing compliance checks
- Creating dashboards to measure workload and productivity
AI was widely acknowledged to significantly reduce administrative burden. Investigation reporting, in particular, was described as one of the most impactful applications. It was also noted that AI can support more creative processes, for instance by facilitating structured brainstorming and by providing inspiration when developing training materials.
An important insight emerged: while AI can enhance efficiency, it may also increase overall workload. Lower reporting thresholds can lead to higher volumes of e.g. integrity notifications. In addition, several compliance professionals pointed to the risk of not receiving certain relevant information when colleagues are trained or supported through AI-driven tools rather than through direct, in-person interaction. Compliance functions must therefore combine technological efficiency with strong human oversight.
However, governance questions remain. Who bears responsibility if a compliance chatbot provides incorrect advice to an employee? How can answers be monitored? How do teams avoid overreliance on automated output?
The consensus: AI in compliance is a powerful enabler, but it requires recurring training, clear accountability and continued face-to-face engagement to preserve trust and judgement.
From control function to strategic business partner
Another key theme was positioning. Compliance should be seen as a strategic value creator and trusted business partner - not merely as a control function or cost centre. A recurring piece of advice was clear: be present in meetings and invest time in building genuine relationships with colleagues across the organisation, at all levels.
Yet visibility requires time and seniority. Smaller teams struggle to balance operational demands with strategic participation.
Culture, storytelling and tone from the top
Embedding compliance depends heavily on leadership communication and repetition. Participants stressed:
- Tone from the top
- Layered internal communication
- Storytelling based on real cases
- Tailored training per audience level
- Accesibility
Organisations may also consider running an internal marketing campaign around compliance. Compliance is most effective when framed as a driver for integrity, customer respect and brand protection (employees should feel proud to work for the organisation) - rather than being positioned solely as a legal obligation.
However, international organisations face cultural differences in regulatory interpretation, particularly between Europe and the US. In this context, the role of the compliance professional extends beyond technical expertise: it involves translating regulatory expectations, clarifying divergent risk appetites and ensuring consistent standards across jurisdictions.
Compliance under regulatory pressure: CSRD, NIS2, AI Act and beyond
A recurring concern was that compliance teams struggle to keep pace with today’s legislative volatility.
Frequently cited pressure points included:
- CSRD and sustainability reporting
- Consumer protection regulation
- Export control and sanctions
- NIS2
- AI Act
- DORA in the financial sector
Legislation is often amended or postponed, making early implementation risky in terms of time and resources. At the same time, some organisations choose to apply standards that exceed minimum legal requirements and adhere to the highest levels of integrity, thereby strengthening trust with customers and other stakeholders. This shows that many organisations view compliance as “doing the right thing,” where compliance can be stronger than legal requirements. Compliance is all about the behavior.
Export control was highlighted as particularly complex and underestimated. Dual-use rules, sanctions screening and cross-border inconsistencies create substantial operational burden, especially for mid-sized companies.
The overarching challenge: compliance professionals must navigate legal uncertainty while maintaining strategic credibility and operational resilience.
Young compliance professionals: investment in future capability
The roundtable also addressed the profile of compliance talent.
While seniority remains crucial for investigations and executive interaction, younger professionals can add value in digital transformation, ESG and privacy/data protection topics and AI adoption. However, retention requires strong leadership trust and visible ethical commitment.
Compliance expertise is rarely acquired academically. It is developed through business exposure, curiosity and structured coaching.
Compliance in Belgium: evolving expectations
The roundtable confirmed a structural shift in compliance across Belgium:
- Greater technological integration
- Higher regulatory density
- Increased strategic exposure
- Rising expectations from boards and regulators
Compliance functions that combine technological literacy, cultural influence and business acumen will be best positioned for the coming years.
YouConnect: your partner for compliance hires
At YouConnect, we work closely with legal and compliance teams across Belgium. Through our roundtables and daily collaboration with in-house legal and compliance departments, we observe first-hand how the compliance function is evolving.
Attracting and retaining the right compliance talent requires clarity of mandate, leadership support and long-term vision. At YouConnect, we support organisations in strengthening their compliance capabilities in a rapidly changing regulatory landscape. Interested in our services? Let’s connect.
Authored by Stéphanie Verhaegen
