Stifel's sustainability initiatives are overseen by the Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee of our Board of Directors. This committee receives quarterly updates on the firm's extensive sustainability work from Stifel's Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer. These meetings provide dedicated time to develop, focus, and report on topics ranging from philanthropy and community investment to the environment and corporate governance.
Every Stifel associate is required to complete annual training on topics that are relevant to their role and responsibilities, including cybersecurity, ethics and compliance, conflicts of interest, and anti-money laundering. Our comprehensive training programs provide our associates with the tools they need to act according to industry best practices on issues relevant to our clients.
Effective and diligent risk management is critical to Stifel's success, which is why we have instituted a risk management structure to mitigate risk at every level of the organization. Our Risk Management Committee, Enterprise Risk Management group, Audit Committee, and our Internal Audit team make up a layered structure to ensure diligence in the face of risks to our business and stakeholders.
Stifel offers enhanced disclosure to provide transparent communication about our products and services, in addition to the regulatory violation record and fines and settlements associated with professional integrity for our Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)/SEC-registered associates.
Over the past year, we have continued to enhance our data governance, privacy, and information security measures, not only to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our clients' data, but also to ensure the resilience of various systems that support client-facing services. In 2024, we made significant strides in strengthening our cybersecurity framework, and our Information Security Office has implemented advanced security protocols, conducting regular assessments to identify and mitigate potential risks. In addition, we have enhanced our incident response and business continuity procedures to ensure a swift and coordinated approach in the event of a security breach, thereby minimizing any potential impact on our clients and maximizing sustainability of front- and back-end operations.
Stifel incorporates sustainability considerations into our its commercial banking loan assessment and equity research due diligence to add context to their reviews and appropriately assess risks. Stifel's Public Finance group creates meaningful impact in the everyday lives of communities through its issuance of bonds to fund affordable housing, schools, and green bond projects. Additionally, we make available a broad array of investment products and programs to serve our clients who wish to take sustainable and corporate governance factors into consideration when working with their Financial Advisors to make investment decisions.
Our 1919 Investment Counsel subsidiary's investing platform was developed as a powerful way to help clients incorporate their faith's values into their investing. In doing so, 1919 uses a proprietary research and selection process to either select or exclude companies from their portfolios based on their compatibility with the client's values. 1919 has the ability to tailor client portfolios in accordance with Catholic, Sharia, Episcopal, and Presbyterian guidelines as well as uniquely defined variations of such guidelines and restrictions. 1919 bolsters its faith-based investing with engagement through its longtime membership in the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility.
