Carina Wessels has built her career on a rare balance of discipline and innovation. As the Chief Governance, Risk and Compliance Officer and Executive: Impact Advisory at Alexforbes, she brings two very different worlds together. On one side, she carries the traditional responsibilities of governance, legal, compliance, risk, and audit. On the other, she leads a growing advisory business focused on sustainability, ESG, and impact measurement.
Carina Wessels | Chief GRC Officer and Executive | Alexforbes
For her, the ability to manage these two roles comes down to a single principle: governance and impact are not separate forces, but complementary parts of the same vision for business legitimacy and long-term success. At EliteX, we are proud to have Carina Wessels as part of the edition: Impactful Compliance Leaders to Watch, 2025.
Alexforbes, a leading financial services company, has given her the platform to expand this vision. Her leadership spans corporate governance, legal strategy, compliance oversight, risk management, and internal audit. At the same time, she established and runs the Impact Advisory business, which provides ESG consulting, sustainability solutions, and training for clients. The business recently grew stronger through the acquisition of Paragon Impact, a software-as-a-service platform that offers tools for impact measurement and monitoring. Carina has effectively built a bridge between traditional compliance and forward-looking sustainability.
Her journey into this field was not entirely planned. Trained as a lawyer, she began her career working in the mining industry, where she gained exposure to different areas of compliance and risk management. Rather than seeing them as isolated functions, she quickly understood how essential they are for business efficiency, trust, and legitimacy. Over time, her expertise expanded naturally from law into compliance and later into risk and audit. She is a strong believer that integrating these disciplines makes businesses more efficient. For example, aligning legal and compliance functions at Alexforbes reduced headcount while increasing delivery and improving outcomes.
“I never saw compliance as a checklist exercise. To me, it is about enabling the business to grow responsibly.”
Carina’s leadership style is defined by her belief that compliance must serve as a business enabler, not just a barrier. She often speaks about the importance of shifting mindsets. To her, compliance professionals need to understand the business strategy, the industry, and the real needs of stakeholders. Only then can they provide solutions that add value instead of creating bottlenecks. Her team works closely with the business, engaging through initiatives like “coffee with compliance” and “compliance indabas.” These informal platforms help build relationships, foster understanding, and make compliance feel less like an obligation and more like a shared responsibility.
Her strategy also includes measuring the quality of relationships, setting continuous improvement targets, and constantly asking: are we better today than yesterday? This approach reflects her broader principle of humility in leadership. She believes no one has an automatic right to a seat at the table – it must be earned through value, commercial insight, and trust.
“In leadership, I always ask myself: would I be comfortable if this decision was on the front page of the newspaper?”
Carina’s values of integrity, trust, and client-focus shape her decisions. She holds firmly to the belief that a decision may be legal and compliant, but still unethical. This insight has been one of her most important leadership lessons. For her, compliance is about more than rules – it is about responsibility and accountability.
Looking to the future, she is preparing her team for challenges and opportunities shaped by global trends. Artificial intelligence, while powerful, brings both efficiency and risk. The rise of cybersecurity threats, the growing expectations around sustainability, and the battle for skilled talent all weigh heavily on her radar. To face these challenges, she stresses collaboration across departments. Compliance, legal, audit, and cybersecurity must work together, supported by clear forums, shared accountability, and a culture of cooperation.
Her advice to the next generation of compliance leaders is grounded in practical wisdom. She encourages young professionals not to become specialists too soon. Instead, she advises them to spend time in the business, gain commercial insight, and find mentors who can guide them beyond technical knowledge. In her words, “we are, because the business is” – a reminder that compliance professionals exist to enable, not obstruct.
“I tell young professionals: do not rush to become an expert. First, learn the business – only then can you add real value.”
Carina’s vision for leadership, whether in compliance or any other field, is grounded in optimism and accountability. She does not believe the future is predetermined. Instead, she sees it as something leaders must shape with intention, courage, and humility. Her dual role at Alexforbes is proof that governance and impact can move together, creating businesses that are both compliant and socially responsible. In her personal life, she has been married to Sas for 23 years, and together they are raising their daughter, Nicci, who is 12 years old. Family remains her anchor, even as she takes on some of the most demanding roles in the corporate space.
Carina Wessels stands out as a leader who is both principled and progressive. She has shown that compliance does not have to be rigid or limiting. Instead, when guided by trust, integrity, and innovation, it can become a powerful enabler of business success and social impact.
