A signed conflict-of-interest declaration is important. But what happens if circumstances change the next day?

Company Secretaries and Governance Professionals oversee sensitive relationships involving directors, officers and employees. Outside business interests, second employment, supplier relationships and related parties can create actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest. These situations need more than a register that is updated once a year.

The challenge: Declarations capture only part of the picture

An employee may have an interest in a supplier. A proposed director may be linked to another business. A relationship that appeared harmless at the last declaration may now require review. If information is held in separate systems, identifying these connections is difficult.

Why reactive declarations leave blind spots

• Changes between declarations may go unnoticed.
• Disconnected employee and supplier data limits the visibility of possible relationships.
• Unstructured investigations make follow-up and evidence difficult to trace.

A single source of truth for potential conflicts

UnifyToday's Governance and Company Secretarial solution is designed to support a more proactive approach to identifying, reviewing and managing conflicts.

• Collect structured declarations: Distribute questionnaires to directors and employees.
• Maintain connected registers: Record declared interests and their review status.
• Flag relationships for assessment: Compare information across HR, suppliers and entity records using configured rules.
• Support pre-appointment checks: Use available screening and verification sources where integrated.
• Track follow-up: Record reviews and actions so potential issues are not simply filed away.

From collecting declarations to managing risk

A conflict alert is not proof of wrongdoing. It is a reason to investigate and make an informed decision. When declarations, screening and review actions are connected, governance teams can respond earlier and demonstrate how concerns were handled.

Would you know if a new supplier relationship created a potential conflict today?