Why This Year’s ACFE Annual Fraud Conference Will Be Better Than Last Year’s

GUEST BLOGGER

Kevin Taparauskas, CFE
ACFE Director of Marketing and Events

At the conclusion of each ACFE Annual Fraud Conference, we ask attendees for feedback on the event. We get comments on nearly every component of the 2000+ attendee conference – from speaker and topic selection to room temperature to networking opportunities. We take this feedback very seriously and scour each and every response in detail. What we are really trying to learn is how we can make it better.

I like to think we do make it better each and every year. ACFE staff works tirelessly to upgrade our flagship conference to make it more valuable for our members and attendees. This year’s 23^rd Annual ACFE Fraud Conference & Exhibition in Orlando, June 17-22, is no exception.

Here are a few reasons I am convinced this year’s event will be better than last year’s:

Keynote Speakers – I am not exaggerating when I say that this year’s keynotes will be our highest-rated group on record. I have seen several of them speak and heard great things about the others. They are a dynamic group of individuals with truly fantastic stories to share.

Conference Program – Based on numerous requests, we have added a 12^th track focused entirely on Professional Development. In addition, we have updated our speaker and topic lineup to better reflect our growing global presence. For the first time, many of our top speakers from our international conferences will be coming to Orlando to share their expertise.

Shuttle Services – While we aim to hold the Conference in very close proximity to a majority of the hotel rooms, some Conference locations are better for walking, dining, shopping and entertainment. Orlando is not necessarily one of those cities. We listened to attendees and are providing evening shuttle service to some great local hotspots. Whatever you can’t find on-site at the Gaylord Resort, you will be able to get to conveniently by taking a short shuttle ride.

Career Fair – While the Career Connection offers something for all attendees, whether they are looking for a job or not, this year’s new Career Fair is primarily for those looking to make their next moves. The event will be Monday, June 18 from 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. and will feature top employers from nearly every sector.

Conference App – This one is still in development so I can’t reveal too much at this point. But I will say that, beyond the basics of the Conference, our new app will be a great way to connect with other attendees and engage in social media.

Just a few months to go…see ya in Orlando!

The View from ACFE Japan on the Olympus Fraud Case

GUEST BLOGGER

Daisuke Wakiyama, CFE
President and CEO, D-Quest Inc., Vice President, ACFE Japan

The Olympus fraud case was and remains a very serious problem. Not only does it raise doubts about the transparency and soundness of the Japanese market, but it also raises questions about the reliability of the Japanese themselves. What’s devastating is not just the amount of money involved, but also the duration of the fraud -- and the fact that the whistleblower was not Japanese, but British.

Some may think, “A Japanese person would take part in fraud, but a British person would not” or, “A British CEO revealed fraud; a Japanese person could not do so.” This impression may stir a sense of distrust of the very character of all Japanese.

As you may be aware, Olympus, the global manufacturer of medical equipment with a market share exceeding 70 percent, avoided being delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange despite its concealment of a 100 billion yen loss. Based on the extended period of this concealment, the soundness of the company’s structure is naturally cast into question. People in and outside of Japan may look upon Olympus’ survival optimistically, but has market confidence been truly secured?

This is not something we can overlook as an isolated incident. Yet, we must keep in mind that this is a serious issue involving one company, rather than a sign of the deficient moral fabric of the nation itself and the corporate ethics/governance that shapes everything around it. We must remain vigilant to identify trends that may compromise accountability.

The interest in Olympus’ former CEO Michael Woodford may fade, but we can’t deceive ourselves into thinking that the story is over in the eyes of the world economy. Japan overall is a first-rate, advanced nation, but without a strong economy, Japan may indeed slip into the status of second-rate nationhood.

In the midst of an economic downturn, the eradication of the fraud undermining our nation and companies is critical to the structuring of a robust securities and capital market for efficient corporate activity. Amid such challenges ACFE Japan has many roles to fill and we are up to the challenge.

ACFE Annual Fraud Conference: Stories from behind the scenes

AUTHOR'S POST

Mandy Moody
ACFE Social Media Specialist

Vindication. The one word to aptly sum up the tumultuous rollercoaster ride for whistleblower and ex-CEO Michael Woodford after hearing news break yesterday that Japanese prosecutors had arrested three of Olympus’ top executives and four of its consultants for a $1.7 billion fraud.

At each twist and turn of the Olympus scandal, I have followed Woodford’s plight and watched anxiously as he has moved from accuser to whistleblower to now, crusader, in a saga that is not even close to being finished. This story, along with many others, will be just a few of the highlights at the 23^rd Annual Fraud Conference & Exhibition in Orlando this June.

Woodford is one of five keynote speakers to address the more than 2,300 anti-fraud professionals at this year’s Conference. Joining him is U.S. Senator Chris Dodd, co-author of the Dodd-Frank Act; Pamela Meyer, CFE, best-selling author of Liespotting; Diana Henriques, The New York Times senior financial writer and author of The Wizard of Lies; and Mark Whitacre, convicted fraudster and subject of “The Informant.”

To add to the keynote roster, the more than 60 breakout sessions spread out over 12 tracks round out a conference offering something for everyone. Here are a few session titles to spark your curiosity:

• Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) Online and Fraud
• Ethics Panel: It May Be Legal, But is it Ethical?
• Online Fraud in the Age of “Wikileaks”
• Putting the Freud in Fraud
• The UK Bribery Act, the FCPA and the Rising Tide of Anti- Corruption
• Developing the Corporate Investigator, the First Year
• Financial Statement Fraud - Chinese Style
• Managing Client Expectations

Ok, I’ve probably already given away too much. We look forward to another exciting Conference and hope to see you in Orlando in June. Stay tuned for more updates in the coming weeks.