Code of Conduct

This policy is designed to establish principles of conduct for Directors and Members at large in order that these individuals will avoid any unethical conduct.

This policy applies to all Directors and Members at large for Global and all national/local Chapters.

All Directors and Members at large are expected to uphold at all times the integrity of the profession and the individual. They shall conduct themselves within the guidelines of this policy.

The highest possible standards of ethical conduct are required of association Directors and Members at large in conducting affairs on behalf of the Global CIO Forum(“GCF”).

These individuals shall:

1. avoid any conflict of interest, by declaring any potential conflict in advance of discussion or involvement.
2. not engage in any practice, which is in violation of local, Provincial or Federal laws and regulations or is considered to be illegal or unethical.
3. not abuse the name or insignia of GCF or their position in GCF for their own personal profit or profit of the company they represent, gain or benefit, nor shall they allow their name, or the name or insignia of GCF to be used by others in a manner deemed to be inappropriate by the Board of Directors of the Association. Any roundtable, committee or individual wishing to utilize the GCF name or insignia must obtain the written permission of the National Board in advance. This includes, but is not limited to, signs, media advertising or articles, correspondence, etc.
4. when recommending people to participate on GCF Boards or in GCF activities, they shall not skew participation toward or away from a particular organization, for the personal gain of their company.
5. adhere to a strict vendor neutral policy. It follows that the proposed relationship with any entity must be on a non-exclusive basis. GCF will encourage qualified industry competitors to participate on a non-exclusive basis in its events and activities in order to elevate the discourse between our members and the industry representative to the collaborative professional level that GCF aspires to achieve.

Any claim of unethical or illegal practice will be reviewed and investigated following the procedure below:

1. As specified in the GCF Policy Manual, the Association has a non-Marketing Policy: “Association events provide professional development as well as networking opportunities. Marketing activities, vendor solicitations and/or recruiting efforts in conjunction with Association activities are forbidden.”
2. Every member of the Board of Directors of the Association who has directly or indirectly any interest in any contract or transaction to which the Association is or is to be a party shall declare his or her material interest in such contract or transaction at a meeting of the Board of Directors at which the contract or transaction is first considered. The Member then will leave the room during the discussion and voting on such contract or transaction.
3. If a Director has made a declaration in compliance with the above provisions and has not voted in respect of the contract or transaction, and if the Director has acted honestly and in good faith, he or she is not accountable to the Association for any profit or gain realized and the contract or transaction is not voidable.
4. The above provisions apply to the members of the various Committees of the Association. Each Board and/or Committee member, in order to make sufficient disclosure, is required to do so not only to his or her Committee members but also to the Board of Directors in writing.
5. All members invited to stand for election as Directors or serve on committees shall declare any potential conflicts of interest, and shall not proceed until the President of the National or chapter board has ruled on the potential conflict
6. The Association generally collects personally identifying information with the specific knowledge and consent of its member base and associated parties, including phone numbers, titles, e-mail addresses and others. Disclosure of this information to any third party is strictly forbidden.
7. All members will abide by the policies as set forth in the GCF Policy Manual regarding Conflict of Interest.
8. The National Board shall be the final authority on any disputed conflict of interest, and resulting remedies.

In the event that the Board deems that a member has acted in a conflict of interest, then the Board may take whatever remedies it deems fit including but not limited to suspension or termination of membership privileges or legal action, if appropriate.