A recent assignment reminded me that owners and operators of hotel companies drop their ethical standards at their peril. At the end of the assignment, it was my job to tell the client's Board that I had uncovered several examples of sensitive information leaking from their business. This was bad enough but there was also evidence of the receipt and knowing use of the information by executives and staff of an as-yet-potential-and-future business partner. In my mind, it remains the collective responsibility of the board to address the matter. The chairman and his colleagues need to formulate remedial processes that provide long-term protection to all stakeholders and ensure that any short-term gain by the recipients of the information is nullified. The recipient company also needs to challenge itself, starting at the top of the organisation.