Jocile Ehrlich - Cultivating Culture & Using Ethics to Lead Your Group

How often do you think about Ethics? Is it something you consider on a daily basis? In this episode Aaron discusses with Jocile Ehrlich, CEO of the Cincinnati Better Business Bureau, about the importance of making ethical decisions and how to properly evaluate them.

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Jocile Ehrlich began her career at BBB Cincinnati as Director of Mediation/Arbitration Services.  She became President and CEO in 1998, where her focus is on assisting business leaders with establishing best practices and fostering ethics within their organizations.  Under her leadership, BBB Cincinnati has grown to become the largest business association in the tri-state, with more than 6500 accredited businesses and charities on its roster.

Under her direction, in 2001 BBB instituted the BBB Torch Awards for Marketplace Ethics, a program to encourage and recognize ethics and integrity in the business and nonprofit community. In 2003, in conjunction with the Torch Awards, BBB established the Students of Integrity Scholarship Program that annually recognizes area high school students who have demonstrated a commitment to ethical decision making. In 2005 the BBB Foundation, now The BBB Center for Ethics was established. In 2019 the BBB Spark Awards program launched, recognizing young entrepreneurs and start up businesses that have a demonstrated integration of ethics into their character, culture and community.

Ehrlich is active in BBB international affairs, having chaired and served on numerous committees.  She currently serves on the boards of  the International Association of Better Business Bureaus, American Advertising Federation-Cincinnati, and the Advisory Board of Xavier University’s Williams College of Business’ Center for Business Ethics and Social Responsibility. She has also served on the boards of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust, Cincinnati Rotary, and Cincinnati Rotary Foundation. She is a proud member of Leadership Cincinnati, Class 32.

Ehrlich, a Lima, Ohio native, received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wittenberg University followed by graduate studies at the Athenian Institute of Anthropos in Athens, Greece.  Upon returning to the U.S., she received a Masters in Business Administration from Xavier University. 

She is married to Vas Kanellopoulos and has a son, Yianni.

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Key Takeaways:

• You cannot look at ethics as only a business thing - you must look at ethics in every aspect of your life
• There is a difference between making a business decision and an ethical decision
• High performing cultures come from leaders who focus on ethics

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How to Connect with the Cincinnati BBB:

• Website is www.BBB.org
• Socials are BBB CIncinnati