Opportunities abound for those with CFE after their names

   From the President and CEO

"Oh, the places you’ll go!” I don’t think I’ve ever quoted the name of a Dr. Suess book. But now it seems appropriate.

When we first instituted the Certified Fraud Examiner credential, prospects were limited. Not anymore. Many organizations now know that CFE skill sets produce prevention and deterrence of fraud and healthier bottom lines. (Plus fatter paychecks — according to our new Compensation Guide, CFEs earn 25 percent more than their non-credentialed counterparts.) 

Paul E. Zikmund, CFE, CECM, MAFF, the author of our cover article, serendipitously saw his career options expand in the last few years. During one of his internal assignments, he conducted bribery and corruption investigations in several European and Asian countries. His department worked closely with his company’s corporate compliance employees. 

“I was impressed with how corporate compliance worked closely with outside counsel and regulatory agencies to remediate the results of the investigations. The compliance team continuously consulted with the forensic audit department throughout this entire process,” Zikmund writes. He was so impressed that he decided that he’d become a director of compliance in another organization.

Compliance is now the name of the game. During the end of the last century and the beginning of this one, we’ve seen many new laws around the globe. And the U.S. federal government is reemphasizing the enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). It’s now comply or die.