Author: Ellie Burden

On Thursday, 10th November, ACi held its Symposium event in London, after having missed two years due to Covid19. It was great to bring our investigations community back together for a day of learning, networking and sharing experiences. This year, we were kindly hosted by Allen & Overy at its London offices offering fantastic views of the city.

Our expert speakers included:

(Event moderator) Simon Scales, ACi ExCo
(Co-Host) Eve Giles, Allen & Overy
(Co-Host) Steve Young, ACi
Stephen M. Kohn, Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto LLP
Howard Wilkinson, Whistleblower
Mary Eastwood Jones, World Trade Organisation
Tim Roberts, The Risk Advisory Group
Christoph Haid, Schoenherr
Jeffrey Giddings, ACi ExCo
Kieran McPate, Relativity
Benjamin Borsodi, Schellenberg Wittmer
Michael Zimmern, Control Risks
Basha Galvin, ACi
Stephen S., Compass Group
Sarah Henchoz, Allen & Overy
Joanne Taylor, K2 Integrity
Patrick Wellens, ACi ExCo
David Wolfe CPA/CFF, The Global Fund
Sam Tate, RPC
Ray Massie, Epiq
Ashu Sharma (CFE, CFCS), ACi ExCo
Manu Hanspal, Compass Group
Trevor D., Haleon
Amanda Raad, Ropes & Gray LLP
Jonathan Brown, Ankura
Bryn Parry-Jones MBE, Lloyds Bank
Alexander Moss, ACi ExCo
Jules Colborne-Baber, Deloitte
Deirdre Carwood, Deloitte
Polly Sprenger, Addleshaw Goddard
Rebecca Chalkley, Red Lion Chambers

Delegates discussed a range of topical investigations subjects – from the rise in prevalence of ESG investigations to questioning whether the human element of investigations will have disappeared completely in ten years’ time. Delegates also reflected on the challenges posed by C-Suite investigations and shared best practices for conducting interviews.

Once again, our MC Simon Scales had the delegates chuckling away with his engaging and witty moderating style.

Feedback from attendees has been fantastic. Here are just a few comments we received:

“Excellent sessions, great panels, really good quality discussions and well held together by a brilliant Chairman.”

“The most tailored and relevant event for corporate investigators I have been to.”

“…it was warm and authentic. People on panels were not overly corporate and despite the large audience seemed comfortable to discuss ‘warts and all’. Also, no question was deemed off limits.”

You can read our full event programme here. Thank you to everyone involved especially our hosts, Eve Giles and Sarah Henchoz, and the rest of the Allen & Overy team. Thanks also to our sponsors Deloitte, Schoenherr, Addleshaw Goddard, Relativity, Ankura, Control Risks, Epiq, K2Integrity and Risk Advisory.

Finally, a special thanks to our MC Simon Scales, to our panellists, and – not least of all – to the delegates who made it such a worthwhile event.

We look forward to seeing everyone next year.

On Friday, 14th October 2022 we held the first part of our Investigating Sexual Misconduct workshop, hosted by Ropes & Gray at their London offices.

Our expert speakers included:

Amanda Raad, Ropes & Gray

Ruby Moshenska, safeguarding consultant

Sharon Tan, Mishcon de Reya

Basha Galvin, ACi

Delegates discussed how corporate investigators can manage complainants, witnesses and employees accused of wrongdoing in a culturally sensitive way, including duty of care to all parties concerned. There was a focus on how to respond to complex sexual misconduct allegations using trauma-informed approaches as part of a robust response, the role bias can play in an investigation, employment law implications and how sexual misconduct investigations link to wider organisation culture discussions.

Feedback from attendees has been fantastic. Here are just a few comments we received:

“A very helpful and thoughtful review of trauma informed approaches.”

“A rarely discussed topic.”

“Practical tips on interviews with complainants/Subject of Concern.”

Thank you to our expert panel speakers and our host, Amanda Raad, and the rest of the Ropes & Gray team. We look forward to our part two of this workshop coming to you in 2023.

On Thursday, 29th September, we held our immersive investigations training workshop, hosted by RPC at their London offices overlooking Tower Bridge.

Our expert speakers included:

Manu Hanspal, Head of EMEA, ACi

Stephen Storey, Compass Group

Sam Tate, RPC

Kelly Thomson, RPC

Jon Bartley, RPC

Ching Liu, Control Risks

Lorna Van Oss, Control Risks

Adam Garside, Control Risks

Delegates were guided through a case study and discussed managing & planning an investigation, identifying and interpreting evidence, managing Whistleblowers and recent legislation, E-discovery, forensic IT and legality of material obtained, establishing investigative conclusions and investigation findings.

Feedback from attendees has been fantastic. Here are just a few comments we received:

“Fantastic inputs from all presenters, very informative tips and shared best practices. I would definitely join next sessions and will recommend ACI events to my investigator colleagues.”

“Excellent, really learnt a lot and loved hearing from different perspectives.”

“Great event. Very good Q & A throughout with good engagement.”

Thank you to our expert panel speakers and our host, RPC. We look forward to launching more immersive investigations training workshops in the future.

ACi is delighted to announce a new partnership with Ankura Consulting Group LLC, an independent advisory firm offering expertise in the areas of change, risk disputes, finance, performance, distress and transformation.

Speaking of the partnership, Steve Young, CEO, ACi said, “As the ACi grows it is important that we find organisations to work with who understand our mission and want to make a contribution to the advancement of the corporate investigations professsion. I am delighted that in Ankura we have found not only expertise but the passion to make a difference.”

“Ankura are delighted to partner with the Association of Corporate Investigators. It’s a fantastic organisation, facilitating knowledge sharing amongst the investigation community. In an era where investigators need to grapple with issues as diverse as fraud, corruption, conflicts of interest, human rights abuses in the supply chain, harassment, bullying and unethical behaviour of every kind imaginable, this has never been more important. We look forward to sharing best practices with members and learning from their wealth of experience.”

The Ankura team consists of more than 1,700 professionals in more than 35 offices globally who are leaders in their respective fields and areas of expertise. Its global Risk, Forensics & Compliance practice includes accountants, investigators and former regulators, alongside expertise in gathering intelligence, asset tracing, data analytics, cyber response and the collection, analysis and review of electronic data sources wherever they exist worldwide.

We have an upcoming webinar, sponsored by Ankura, on Bring Your Own Device (BOYD) Investigations. Click here to find out more.