Profiles

ACFE associate general counsel's motto for traveling light also applies to life

The ACFE, with members around the globe, has contracts, compliance requirements, intellectual property issues and other matters that ACFE Associate General Counsel Jacob Parks, J.D., CFE, happily handles. “Fraud and corruption are the nemeses of a fair society, which was especially clear after the financial crisis of the late 2000s,” he says. “The ACFE’s mission of fighting fraud worldwide was appealing to me after I saw how much harm was due in large part to deceptive practices on a wide scale.”

Kendrick Thomas, CFE

As a criminal investigator and training & operations manager at the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command in Fort Hood, Texas, Kendrick Thomas, CFE, credits his expanding knowledge of white-collar crime to the connections he’s made as a Certified Fraud Examiner.

Nigel Palmer, CFE

Nigel Palmer, CFE, might be a native of Wales (and a dedicated rugby player), but he’s quite comfortable in the Middle East and Africa. As a former Royal Marines Commando, he learned strategies that he still applies to challenging fraud battles as security director at Mars, Inc.

What really motivates people to be honest in business?

What really motivates people to be honest in business? That’s just one question economist Alexander F. Wagner is asking in his research. This University of Zurich professor will speak on some of his developing answers at the 2019 ACFE Fraud Conference Europe March 27-29 in Zurich.

Erik Anderson, CFE

Fighting fraud for Erik Anderson, CFE, is so much more than conducting an examination. “I fight fraud by making sure what we’re doing is right,” says Anderson. “Whether I’m on the front lines of an investigation or using the principles of a fraud examination to better understand the risk to the organization, being a good fraud examiner is about challenging yourself to stand up for what’s right and seeking that out with passion.”

Dixon's quiet hero

The ACFE’s 2018 Sentinel Award recipient had no intention of changing her orderly life as the city clerk of Dixon, Illinois. And then she found a secret account in city ledgers that led to discovery of Comptroller Rita Crundwell’s astounding $53.7 million fraud. Kathe Swanson’s life will be forever marked by her simple heroic decision.

ACFE research director finds inspiration from passionate CFEs

When Andi McNeal, CFE, CPA, was in graduate school finishing up her master’s and researching doctorate programs, she read an article written by Dr. Joseph T. Wells, CFE, CPA, founder and Chairman of the ACFE, in the Journal of Accountancy that mentioned the fraud examination course he was teaching at the University of Texas at the time. “I was trying to find a path to focus my doctoral studies on fraud — the intersection of accounting and human behavior has always fascinated me — and I ended up emailing Dr. Wells to find out if he had any suggestions or guidance about where I could find a Ph.D. program in white-collar crime,” she says.

Dave Cotton, CFE

The ACFE presented Dave Cotton, CFE, the Certified Fraud Examiner of the Year award at the 29th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference in June. Cotton, who’s the chairman at Cotton & Company, LLP, has played a significant role in developing best practices in anti-fraud controls.

Johanna Duenser-Mardook, CFE

Johanna Duenser-Mardook, CFE, who’s always loved solving puzzles, says the fight against fraud is a never-ending puzzle to identify missing pieces in cases or internal controls. As the vice president, business initiative fraud policy manager at Citi, Duenser-Mardook says she thrives on closing loopholes that help prevent serious damage to a person or business, financially or otherwise.

Pablo Santamaría Cisneros

Pablo Santamaría Cisneros, CFE, believes that a deep digital transformation is happening in the anti-fraud profession. “New cybersecurity and fraud threats are coming,” he says. As global anti-fraud senior manager at BBVA in Madrid, Spain, Santamaría is tackling these new threats by using data-driven business models and advanced analytics while adapting BBVA’s strategies to work with professionals, tools, methodologies and knowledge in the global community.

Lone brave journalist exposes 1MDB corruption

Independent journalist Clare Rewcastle Brown, at the risk of her safety and without the protection of a news organization, has exposed the flow of billions of public Malaysian dollars from the government’s 1MDB development fund to the country’s top leaders and many others. She says democracies need strong, cynical, courageous media to help protect the public against the powerful.

Europol is uniting EU against fraud

Why do we have so much trouble preventing and deterring fraud across borders? You know the answer: lack of cooperation. However, most European law enforcement organizations don’t want to compete with each other. They want to help each other deter and prevent crime. But they need some overarching force to help them work together. That’s where Rob Wainwright and Europol come in.