Conflict of Interest Policy
The Aspen Strategy Group (“ASG”) and Aspen Security Forum (“ASF”) strive to maintain the highest standards of integrity.
The purpose of the Conflict of Interest Policy is to provide guidelines to protect the Aspen Strategy Group (ASG), Aspen Security Forum (ASF), the Aspen Institute, its Staff and its mission, and to prevent the personal and other professional interests of Staff from interfering with their commitment to the ASG, or result in personal financial, professional or political gain on the part of any member of the staff. Staff includes the Executive Director, Director, Deputy Director and all other employees of ASG/ASF (“Staff” or “Staff member”).
A conflict of interest refers to a situation whereby Staff has or appears to have, a professional, personal, financial or other interest that may be adverse to ASG, ASF or the Aspen Institute’s interests or may otherwise interfere with his/her duties for ASG/ASF.
Staff must disclose any actual, potential or apparent conflict of interest to the ASG/ASF senior management team (currently the Executive Director, Director, and Deputy Director). This could include, for example, but is not limited to:
-
A Staff member’s consulting practice has a client who may also be approached by ASG/ASF as a potential sponsor
-
A client of a Staff member’s consulting practice expresses interest in speaking at, participating in, or becoming a member of ASG/ASF
-
A student of, employee of, or client/client’s family member of a Staff member applies to ASF’s Rising Leaders’ program
-
A Staff member’s family member is part of the press, and interested in participating in ASG/ASF
Following full disclosure of a possible conflict of interest, the affected Staff member agrees to recuse him/herself from all conversations with and about, and decisions regarding the party in question, to avoid an appearance or existence of a conflict. The Staff member shall refrain from engaging in any efforts to influence the remaining ASG/ASF staff regarding the matter.
This policy is intended to supplement but not replace any applicable state and federal laws governing conflict of interest that apply to non-profit organizations.