Mariette Cutler (mcutler@macleanfogg.com) is a Compliance Specialist for MacLean-Fogg in Mundelein, Illinois, USA.

Once upon a time, there was a young and enthusiastic buyer at a large, publicly traded manufacturing company. Since this is a work of fiction, we shall name her Ruth. Ruth loved her job. She was a real people person, and a large part of her daily tasks involved communicating with vendors and maintaining the relationships to keep the supply chain running smoothly. Some days were tough. There was zero tolerance for any delays, because the company relied heavily on government contracts to make their profits. However, Ruth saw these days as a chance to shine, so she didn’t mind too much.

Within the first year, Ruth’s talents were noted by her manager, and she was brought on board as a key member of the annual bidding process for the company’s raw material. Ruth was looking forward to proving herself, so she went above and beyond to get the best deal for the company. The negotiations were brutal. The tariffs put extra pressure on all the suppliers as well as the company.

One day, a long-term sales rep found himself chatting with Ruth after work hours. We’ll call him Tom. Tom found Ruth very attractive. So, once the annual contract was signed, he asked her out for coffee. As it turned out, the attraction was mutual. Coffee led to a dinner date which led to a blossoming relationship. After five months, he asked her to move in with him. They decided that they were in it for the long haul and notified their respective compliance departments of this situation. This was great news. The compliance officer was very happy for Ruth and congratulated her. Everyone loved Ruth and the positive attitude she always brought to the office. She deserved to be happy.