Le Cercle de la Compliance

What Le Cercle de la Compliance does

Le Cercle de la Compliance is a French non-profit professional association (Association loi 1901, SIREN 817 506 785) founded in 2011 and headquartered at 49-51 rue de Ponthieu, Paris. Its stated mission is to federate a French compliance community across compliance officers, lawyers, legal directors, internal auditors, ESG specialists, procurement and HR professionals, consultants and academics, and to represent French compliance internationally via membership in ENFCO (European Network For Compliance Officers). The organization delivers an annual program of approximately fifteen webinars, the flagship Retraite at Pullman Tour Eiffel, a Compliance Year in Review conference, After-Work networking events, and working groups (e.g., Compliance et Contrôle Interne with IFACI), and produces the Compétences Compliance book series (Volumes 1 and 2).

The Cercle's product surface consists of (1) annual individual and corporate membership subscriptions, (2) ticketed in-person events (Retraite, Year in Review, After-Works), (3) certified online training programs developed with EDHEC Augmented Law Institute covering Sapin 2 anti-corruption accounting controls and internal investigations, and (4) publications and white papers sold through Les Editions du Net. There is no proprietary technology platform; service delivery relies on a WordPress-hosted website (with O2 Switch hosting in France) and a member portal for webinar replays and resources. Certified training enrollments are routed through an external partner platform (ALLL.legal).

Revenue is generated from membership dues (€120 to €750 per year across four corporate tiers), event ticketing (Retraite €400-700), training fees (€350-450 HT per course), and publication royalties. In 2026 the Cercle restructured from a packaged all-inclusive pricing model to an à la carte model, with membership priced per collaborator (€400 first, €200 additional) decoupled from Retraite participation. The Association is not subject to VAT (non-assujettie). Governance is provided by a volunteer Board of Directors chaired by Présidente Natacha Lesellier (since January 2024), with members drawn from senior compliance roles at BNP Paribas/Arval, Valeo, Deloitte, ADEO, Euro Disney, Séché Environnement, Adisseo, and major French law firms.

Name

Le Cercle de la Compliance

Legal name

Le Cercle de la Compliance

Website

https://lecercledelacompliance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Le Cercle de la Compliance is a French non-profit professional association founded in 2011 that federates compliance officers, lawyers, auditors, ESG professionals and academics through membership, annual webinars, in-person events (Retraite, Year in Review), certified training with EDHEC, and publications, while representing French compliance internationally via ENFCO.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Compliance Association

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal & Compliance (CLE, Paralegal CE) (EDAAALAB)

Keywords

• Compliance association
• Professional compliance training
• Corporate governance services
• Regulatory compliance networking
• Ethics compliance membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from individual and corporate members. Fees vary by organization size and category (large enterprises, SMEs, associations, students, etc.). Includes access to webinars, after-works, workshops, member portal, and training discounts.
2. Annual Retreat: Annual flagship in-person event held at Pullman Tour Eiffel. Separate ticketing for members at discounted rates and non-members at standard rates. Includes networking, expert presentations, and working group sessions.
3. Certified Training Programs: Fee-based certified training programs developed in partnership with EDHEC Augmented Law Institute. Includes Anti-Corruption Accounting Controls (Sapin 2 Law) and Internal Investigations training. Offered at preferential rates for members.
4. Publications and White Papers: Published books ('Competences Compliance' volumes 1 and 2) sold through Les Editions du Net and online retailers. Digital versions available to members. Some documents available for purchase to non-members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Le Cercle de la Compliance is a French non-profit professional association that federates the French compliance community through paid memberships, an annual program of webinars and in-person events (Retraite du Cercle, Compliance Year in Review, After-Work networking), certified training programs developed with EDHEC Augmented Law Institute, working group deliverables, and published reference books (the Compétences Compliance series). Members include compliance officers, lawyers, auditors, ESG professionals, consultants and academics.

Product overview

Le Cercle de la Compliance is a professional association offering a portfolio of member services rather than a unified product platform. The core offering consists of professional development and knowledge-sharing services including: (1) Certifying training programs developed in partnership with EDHEC Augmented Law Institute covering anti-corruption accounting controls and internal investigations; (2) Event programs including approximately fifteen annual webinars, After-Work networking events, annual Compliance Year in Review conferences, and the annual Retraite retreat at Pullman Tour Eiffel; (3) Publications including the 'Compétences Compliance' book series (Volumes 1 and 2) providing competency frameworks for compliance professionals; (4) Working group deliverables produced collaboratively with partner organizations such as IFACI; and (5) A member portal on the website providing access to resources, replays, and white papers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Contr\u00f4les Comptables Anti-corruption \u2013 Loi Sapin 2 Training Program A 100% online, 5-hour certified training program equipping compliance, legal, financial, accounting, internal control, audit, and external audit professionals with anti-corruption accounting controls under France's Sapin 2 law.
• Enqu\u00eates internes : cadre juridique et bonnes pratiques Training Program A 4h30 online certified training on conducting internal investigations, combining the applicable legal framework with operational advice and guiding participants through each step of the investigation process. Co-developed with EDHEC Augmented Law Institute.
• Retraite du Cercle Annual Retreat Annual in-person retreat at the Pullman Tour Eiffel bringing together experts and leaders from major business stakeholders including executives, senior officials, academics, and civil society representatives for a single-day program of table rounds and workshops.
• Compliance Year in Review Conference

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10 years of influence on French compliance landscape with world-class expert events
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IFACI (Institut Français de l'Audit et du Contrôle Interne)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Joint working group 'Compliance et Contrôle Interne' formed in 2025 between Le Cercle de la Compliance and IFACI. Members from both associations met twice in 2025 to address 'How to articulate compliance and internal control?' with conclusions presented at the IFACI annual assembly in November 2025. Work supplemented by dedicated workshop at the Cercle's 2025 Retreat.
• Business & Legal Forum (BLF)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Le Cercle de la Compliance is a partner of the Business & Legal Forums. The Cercle co-organizes the closing cocktail of BLF 2024. Members receive preferential rates for BLF conferences and complementary access to closing cocktail events.
• ENFCO (European Network For Compliance Officers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLe Cercle de la Compliance is a member of ENFCO, a network of non-profit associations of compliance professionals across Europe. ENFCO facilitates cooperation, exchange, and experience sharing between member associations and their members while developing a European compliance professional community. This membership enables the Cercle to represent French compliance internationally.
• EDHEC Augmented Law InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with EDHEC Business School's Augmented Law Institute for developing and delivering certified compliance training programs. Programs include 'Contrôles Comptables Anti-corruption – Loi Sapin 2' and 'Enquêtes internes: cadre juridique et bonnes pratiques'. Christophe Roquilly, Vice-Président of the Cercle, serves as Director of EDHEC Augmented Law Institute.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• ENFCO (European Network For Compliance Officers): European federation of national compliance officer associations of which Le Cercle is a member. Network/organizer rather than a direct competitor, but the closest peer entity to Le Cercle at a European scale.

Direct peers

• SCCE (Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics): International professional association for compliance and ethics officers, headquartered in the US. The closest international analogue to Le Cercle in mission: serving compliance officers through certification, training, conferences, and peer networking.
• IFACI (Institut Français de l'Audit et du Contrôle Interne): The leading French professional association for internal audit and internal control professionals. Directly comparable as a French association serving adjacent audit/compliance functions; IFACI is also an active partner of Le Cercle on the joint 'Compliance et Contrôle Interne' working group.
• AFJE (Association Française des Juristes d'Entreprise): The principal French professional association for in-house legal counsel. Directly comparable as a French membership organization serving corporate legal/compliance professionals with events, training, and publications; legal directors overlap with Cercle membership.
• Ethics & Compliance Initiative (ECI): US-based membership organization advancing ethics and compliance practice through research (Global Business Ethics Survey), training, and a professional community. Directly comparable as a national-scale compliance/ethics professional association.
• Institute of Business Ethics (IBE): UK-based nonprofit promoting business ethics and corporate compliance best practice. Comparable in offering membership, publications, training, and thought leadership to a national compliance/ethics community.

Broad incumbents

• Deloitte France Ethics & Compliance practice: Big 4 firm offering compliance advisory, training, and managed services in France. Comparable in serving French enterprise compliance functions, but operates as a commercial consultancy rather than a membership community. Sylvie Mallet, Deloitte's Director of Risk & Compliance, sits on the Cercle's board.
• AFA (Agence Française Anticorruption): French national agency responsible for preventing corruption, providing anti-corruption guidance, training, and oversight. Adjacent rather than directly competing — operates as a public regulator whereas Le Cercle is a private community, but covers overlapping subject matter (Sapin 2).

Regional players

• BM&A: French firm providing academic direction for Le Cercle's Sapin 2 anti-corruption accounting controls training program. Comparable as a France-based compliance training provider, though operating as a consultancy rather than a community association.
• Transparency International France: French chapter of the global anti-corruption NGO. Comparable in being a French civic/nonprofit organization focused on anti-corruption, with publications, events, and member/coalition activities, though with an advocacy rather than professional-development mission.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LCDCompliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Le Cercle de la Compliance