Professional PortfolioAdesola Makoko
Global Ethics & Compliance Leader. Investigative Integrity Strategist. Redesigning the architecture of truth within the enterprise.
Why This
Matters
Fourteen years leading ethics, compliance, and investigations across Sub-Saharan Africa, North America, and global markets. Former senior investigations and business integrity leader at Unilever, where I managed 260+ investigations annually, built cross-border investigation systems across 26 countries, and worked at the intersection of law, governance, and organisational trust.
My work focuses on one question: not whether an investigation was conducted, but whether it was credible enough to be trusted.
"The way an organisation chooses to investigate is the clearest expression of its character."
Career Highlights
Business Integrity Officer, North America
Unilever United States Inc. — Englewood Cliffs, NJ
2022 – 2025- Led all workplace investigations and ethics & compliance programmes across the North American business unit
- Managed 260+ investigations annually across multiple jurisdictions and legal frameworks
- Selected outcomes include 50% reduction in reported cases at highest-risk sites through creative ethics & compliance campaigns
- Directed implementation of investigation cycle tracker that reduced turnaround time by 40%
Business Integrity Officer
Unilever West Africa — Lagos, Nigeria
2015 – 2022- Built the ethics and compliance programme across multiple West African business sites from the ground up
- Investigated reported cases of fraud and corruption, resulting in recovery of over $1 million in misappropriated funds
- Selected outcomes include 35% decrease in reported compliance violations within the first year of implementation
- Designed and delivered tailored training sessions to 3,500+ employees on business ethics and compliance
Lead Counsel
Unilever Nigeria Plc — Lagos, Nigeria
2011 – 2015- Drafted and reviewed over 200 contracts and legal documents ensuring compliance with relevant laws
- Provided legal advice to 20+ business and functional stakeholders on risk mitigation
- Created monthly Legal Newsletter reaching 500+ employees with 85% readership rate
Lawyer, Legal Services Department
1 Brigade Nigeria Army — Sokoto, Nigeria
2007 – 2008- Provided legal advisory services within the military justice system under high-pressure conditions
- Developed foundational expertise in procedural fairness, evidentiary standards, and disciplinary investigations
The Aletheia Investigative
Integrity Framework™
A proprietary methodology for evaluating and strengthening the credibility of corporate investigation systems. Developed from 14 years of practice across multiple jurisdictions and industries. Grounded in organisational justice theory, procedural fairness research, and behavioural science.
The Central Question
"Not whether an investigation was conducted — but whether it was credible enough to be trusted."
Most boards focus on a binary metric: "Did we investigate?" This is an activity trap. The AIIF challenges organisations to ask a more demanding question: "Was our investigation credible?" An investigation can be "procedurally legal" while remaining emotionally unsafe, trauma-inducing, and procedurally unfair.
Five Pillars of Investigative Integrity
Structural Integrity
Independence and reporting lines free from conflicts of interest.
Procedural Integrity
Transparent, consistent processes with evidence standards.
Human Integrity
Psychological safety, witness aftercare, and trauma-informed interviewing.
Governance Integrity
Board-level oversight and auditability of investigation quality.
Outcome Integrity
Credibility of findings and cultural impact.
Supporting Diagnostic Tools
Aletheia Integrity Score™
Quantitative benchmark scoring investigation systems across six dimensions on a 1.0–5.0 scale.
Investigation Integrity Failure Cascade™
Six-step model identifying how investigation systems degrade from risk suppression to institutional credibility collapse.
Investigative Integrity Maturity Model™
Five-level progression from Compliance-Reactive (Level 1) to Integrity-Certified (Level 5).
Framework Visuals
© 2026 Adesola Makoko. All rights reserved. These diagrams are proprietary works of Aletheia Investigative Integrity.
Why This Problem
Persists
Mature ethics infrastructures are no guarantee of investigative integrity. The evidence suggests that systems often fail in repeatable ways when the threat originates at the top.
An FAA-recognised safety programme, yet internal safety concerns were suppressed by a structure that prioritised production over truth. Employees who spoke up were pressured or sidelined. The investigation system existed — it simply was not designed to withstand pressure from the top.
Research indicates that a majority of compliance officers report dissatisfaction with reporting into the Legal department — a structural conflict that creates what the AIIF terms the "Inaction Trap." When the referee's paycheck is tied to whether the home team wins, the game is fundamentally compromised.
Source: Aletheia research findings, 2024–2025Global organisations pour an estimated $21.6 billion annually into governance, compliance, and investigative infrastructure. Yet systems often fail in repeatable ways when the pathogen originates at the top. The problem is not resources — it is architecture.
Source: Global compliance market dataWhite Papers & Original Analysis
Beyond the Checklist: The Surprising Truth About Why Corporate Investigations Fail
White PaperExamines the "Compliance Illusion" — why organisations with gold-standard compliance programmes still dominate headlines for systemic scandals. Introduces the Activity vs. Credibility distinction and maps the AIIF's five pillars to the DOJ's 2024 Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs.
The Autoimmune Crisis: Why Modern Compliance Is Structurally Engineered for Self-Destruction
Original AnalysisUses the metaphor of autoimmune disease to explain how corporate investigation systems can destroy their own integrity to protect institutional power. Synthesises the Aletheia Investigative Integrity Dossier, the CETEx/LSE report on central bank governance, and the UK SFO's 2025 "Failure to Prevent Fraud" guidance.
The Corporate Word That Buries the Truth
EssayExplores how the word "alignment" functions as a suppression mechanism in corporate governance. Traces the linguistic machinery through board oversight, legal and compliance functions, and investigations, showing how legitimate coordination language is repurposed to manage truth out of the room. Offers a practical framework for distinguishing strategic alignment from protective alignment.
Aletheia Investigative Integrity Framework™ — Official Methodology
Methodology PaperThe complete AIIF methodology document: Five Pillars, Integrity Score diagnostic, Investigation Integrity Failure Cascade, Investigative Integrity Maturity Model, implementation architecture, and governance standards. Pending copyright registration.
Thought Leadership & Media
LinkedIn Series
15-part series on investigative integrity, governance failure, and culture design. 25,100+ impressions and 1,320 followers in Q1 2026. Audience includes compliance leaders, lawyers, founders, and directors.
The Integrity Architect
Building investigation systems that earn trust. Structural independence, procedural fairness, and governance design.
Compliance Unfiltered
Candid analysis of real compliance failures and what they reveal about systemic weaknesses.
The Ethical Compass
The intersection of law, ethics, and organisational culture through the lens of investigative practice.
Podcast & Media
Guest appearances and published commentary on governance, ethics enforcement, and regulatory compliance.
Ethical Edge by Evie's Substack — Multi-Part Series
Featured guest on "Let's Talk About Ethics" — a recurring series on investigative integrity with host Evie Wentink, M.S.L., CCEP-I.
The Guardian (Nigeria)
Published commentary on risk management and governance in the banking sector.
Speaking Topics
Topics drawn from original research and fourteen years of in-house practice across multiple jurisdictions.
Get in Touch
Interested in the framework, a professional conversation, or a speaking engagement? I welcome hearing from you.
Education, Certifications & Affiliations
Education
LL.B (Hons) — Bachelor of Laws
University of Ilorin, Nigeria
BL — Barrister at Law
Nigerian Law School
Professional Certifications
Licensed Professional Ethics & Compliance (LPEC)
Ethics & Compliance Initiative (ECI)
EDGE Leadership Development Program
Certificate of Achievement, 2022–2023
Investigations Academy Training
Baker McKenzie LLP
International Certificate in Risk Management
United Nations Institute for Training & Research
Professional Affiliations
Association of Corporate Investigators (ACi)
Member — Global professional community for corporate investigators