El Mercurio Profiles BH Compliance CEO Susana Sierra
El Mercurio, one of Chile’s leading newspapers, recently featured Susana Sierra, CEO of BH Compliance, highlighting her professional journey and the vision that has positioned the firm as a leading compliance and corporate governance company across the Americas.
Read the full story below.
The Business Executive Who Entered Compliance—and Earned the Key to Miami
When Susana Sierra first began working in compliance, many companies in Chile viewed regulatory risks as distant and unlikely. Today, she believes that strong corporate governance is simply “common sense.”
The first time she was asked to support a company with a compliance project, her reaction was, “This sounds incredibly boring.” Today, the business executive and MBA graduate from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile leads BH Compliance from the United States, overseeing operations across multiple countries in the Americas.
What began as curiosity quickly became a passion for corporate governance, ethics, and regulatory compliance.
“That’s when I fell in love with compliance. I would visit companies and tell them they needed compliance programs to prevent crimes such as bribery. Most of them simply didn’t believe those risks applied to them. They would say, ‘That doesn’t happen in Chile. We’re good people. That’s not for us.’ That mindset motivated me to keep pushing.”
The Key to Miami
Sierra starts her day cycling at 6:30 a.m. and is working by 8:00 a.m. In addition to serving as CEO of BH Compliance, she sits on the board of the association representing Latin American chambers of commerce in the United States, serves on the board of the Financial and International Business Association (FIBA), mentors entrepreneurs through Endeavor, teaches entrepreneurship in U.S. schools through a nonprofit organization, and lectures in the MBA program at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
In late 2021, she relocated with her family to Miami to establish BH Compliance’s U.S. operations. The transition was not easy.
“Moving our children during adolescence was difficult. The first six months were especially challenging.”
Only months after arriving, she received the Key to Miami-Dade County, an honor recognizing individuals who make significant contributions to the community.
“Receiving that recognition so soon after arriving in the U.S. was incredibly meaningful. It gave us confidence that we were on the right path. It was Miami saying, ‘You are welcome here. We believe in what you’re building.’”
Building Compliance Before It Was Popular
When Chile introduced corporate criminal liability legislation in 2010, compliance was far from a business priority.
“The truth is that our first few years were very difficult because hardly anyone wanted compliance.”
At the time, corruption was widely perceived as a public-sector issue rather than a corporate one. That perception began to change after the high-profile La Polar corporate scandal, which became a turning point for corporate governance in Chile.
“For the first time, companies realized, ‘This could happen to us. We need to protect ourselves.’”
For Sierra, effective compliance should not be viewed as a regulatory burden but as a fundamental element of responsible business.
“Strong compliance is simply a basic control. It’s common sense.”
Expanding Beyond Chile
BH Compliance successfully expanded throughout Latin America, working with organizations in countries including Panama and Peru. Spain, however, proved to be a difficult market.
“Throughout Latin America, being a Chilean company opened doors. Spain was completely different. People would ask, ‘Why would we hire a company from Chile?’”
Following that experience, a mentor encouraged the company to consider the United States instead.
“At first, I thought, ‘No—America is a whole different league.’ But after analyzing our clients and the market, we realized there was significant opportunity.”
That decision ultimately led to the establishment of BH Compliance in Miami, marking the beginning of the company’s North American expansion.
Turning Ambition into Reality
Former Chilean Superintendent of Pensions Tamara Agnic describes Sierra as someone defined by determination and execution. She recalls a conversation over lunch where Sierra shared two aspirations: to host a radio program and write a book.
Within nine months, the two had co-authored Corrupción a la Carta, published in 2017.
For Sierra, openly sharing ambitions is an essential part of making them happen.
“If you don’t tell people what you want, it’s much harder for things to happen.”
She believes that same mindset led her to serve on the board of Chile’s national postal service.
“I told everyone I wanted to serve on a board—until my résumé reached the right place.”
