Association of Corporate Investigators

The Anatomy of Investigative Failures - and How to Prevent Them
2026-05-11 10:00 - 11:30 (Europe/London) | Online
A Practical Two-Module Online Training Programme
2 × 90 Minutes
For In-House Investigators · Auditors · Lawyers ·
· HR Professionals ·

Even the most accomplished investigators sometimes get it wrong …
…. And this is what you can do about it to help protect you, and your organisation !
It’s a well-known fact – every year many organisations

reach inconclusive findings as a result of poor investigative process (not a lack of evidence)
lose employment tribunals when they are poorly prepared
suffer unnecessary regulatory enforcement actions and civil litigation because the investigation that followed was flawed.

Whether poorly scoped, using compromised or incorrect evidence, applying bias during interviews and/or producing Investigation Reports which don’t hold up to scrutiny, the failures are not a result of being able to uncover the truth, it was in “the process”.
The Association of Corporate Investigators has spent years reviewing investigations in every possible sector that went wrong: cases where reporters and whistleblowers weren’t taken seriously, where regulatory interventions exposed procedural gaps, and where the investigative process itself became the liability.
This unique and unrivalled programme distils that hard-won experience into two intensive, practical sessions designed to make your investigations defensible, proportionate, and fit for purpose.

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Who This Programme Is For

This training is built for the professionals who are called upon to investigate, or support / advise / audit / challenge related cases into workplace and corporate misconduct:

In-house investigators and compliance professionals who need clearly defined, structured, repeatable frameworks they can deploy under pressure
HR professionals who often manage grievances alongside investigations together with disciplinary processes and sensitive workplace matters where procedural fairness is non-negotiable
Lawyers and legal advisers supporting investigations or anticipating litigation, regulatory scrutiny, or tribunal challenge
Auditors and risk professionals assessing the quality, assurance and integrity of investigative processes within their organisations
Senior Leaders and Decision-Makers who are required to understand and navigate through investigation reports, recommendations and actions (and challenging where required to do so)

What the Programme Covers
Across two 90-minute online modules, you’ll work through the full lifecycle of a corporate investigation, from the moment a complaint lands on your desk to the final report, with a consistent focus on where things go wrong and how to stop them.
Module 1: The Foundations: Triage, Scoping and Evidence
Monday, 11th May 2026
10:00 – 11:30 UK time
The earliest decisions in an investigation are often the most consequential. This module examines the critical phase between receiving an allegation and triaging / assessing concerns before committing to a course of action. It also examines why mistakes made here tend to increase significant risks throughout the entire investigation process.
You’ll explore how to conduct effective triage, scope an investigation proportionately, and establish an audit trail that will withstand challenge. We examine the most common evidence-handling failures, including poor preservation, chain of custody gaps, and digital evidence pitfalls. We look at planning tools and risk assessment frameworks that keep investigations on track from day one.
Module 2: Interviews, Reports and Regulatory Scrutiny
Monday, 18th May
10:00 – 11:30 UK time
An investigation is only as strong as its conclusions, and conclusions are only as strong as the evidence and reasoning that support them. This module focuses on the stages where investigations most frequently unravel: the interviews conducted at every stage of an investigation through to the final investigation report, recommendations and actions.
Participants work through structured interviewing techniques, explore common failures in questioning and note-taking, and examine what fair, legally sound interview practice actually looks like. The module closes with a forensic look at investigative reports, including what regulators, tribunals, and legal teams look for, and how to produce findings that are clear, supported, and defensible.

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How the Programme is Delivered
This is a working programme, not a series of lectures. Insightful and inspirational thought leadership across both modules means that you’ll engage with:

Case studies drawn from real investigative failures across sectors
Scenario based learning which replicate the pressure of live investigations
Practical and helpful tools including investigation planning templates, scoping frameworks, interview checklists, and report structures aligned with regulatory and tribunal expectations
Workshop exercises many of which are built around the ACi GIR Corporate Investigators Handbook, key principles and applicable ISO frameworks.

The format is deliberately interactive. You’ll leave with tools and techniques you can put to work immediately.

What You’ll Take Away

By the end of both modules, participants will have a better understanding of how to:

Triage and scope investigations proportionately, reducing the risk of scope creep and missed issues
Gather, preserve, and document evidence to a standard that withstands legal and regulatory challenge
Conduct structured, fair, and legally defensible interviews
Produce clear investigative reports that support robust decision-making and survive internal and external scrutiny
Identify the warning signs of an investigation that is going off the rails and intervene before the damage is done

Why the ACi
The Association of Corporate Investigators occupies a distinctive position: reviewing not just how investigations should be conducted, but studying in detail the cases where they weren’t. That insight into regulatory failure, whistleblower mismanagement, and procedural collapse is what makes this programme different from standard investigative training. It is built on what actually goes wrong.

Places are limited. This programme is suited to in-house delivery for teams as well as open enrolment for individual practitioners.

Tickets: £349
ACi Members: 314.10

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ACi Ireland Investigators Forum
2026-05-14 09:00 - 14:30 | Arthur Cox, Ten Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin, D02 T380, Ireland
Join us for the 2026 ACi Ireland Investigations Forum, a leading event for investigations professionals navigating the intersection between regulation, investigative practice and the use of technology.
As investigative and technological developments continue to reshape regulatory expectations and methodologies, this Forum will bring together practitioners, regulators and industry specialists to explore best practice, emerging trends and examine the practical implications for organisations.
The programme will feature a fireside chat with Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O’Callaghan TD, together with a series of expert-led panel discussions including:

Ian Drennan, Chief Executive Officer, Corporate Enforcement Authority
Peter Gallagher, Head of Enforcement, Central Bank of Ireland
Niamh Hodnett, Online Safety Commissioner, Coimisiún na Meán

The agenda will address topics including regulatory horizon scanning, consumer and competition investigations, cross border enforcement considerations, and the use of contemporary investigative tools and technologies. Click here to view the agenda.
Whether you’re an investigator, legal practitioner, compliance professional, or in-house counsel, this Forum offers essential insights into:

Regulatory priorities and enforcement trends for 2026–2027
Cross-border investigation considerations in Ireland and the EU
Role of competition law enforcement in investigations
Practical case studies of AI use in investigations
Governance and deployment of investigative technologies
What’s next for AI adoption in the investigations sector

Delegates will also benefit from networking opportunities to exchange perspectives and build connections across the investigation’s community.
Event Details
Date: Thursday, 14th May 2026
Time: 8:30am Registration | 9:00am Start | 1:00pm Lunch & Networking
Venue: Ten Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, D02 T380, Ireland
Host: Arthur Cox LLP
CPD: To be confirmed
This event will be held under the Chatham House Rule.
Registration is 99 Euros for internal investigators, 199 Euros for external (ie consultants, legal firms, service providers.)

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ACi Banking Investigators Forum
2026-06-16 | Barclays, 2 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5RB
Join us for the ACi 2026 Banking Forum, a premier gathering of investigation professionals, legal experts, and senior leaders from across the financial services sector.
Taking place at Barclays Bank in Canary Wharf, this full-day forum brings together practitioners from some of the world’s leading financial institutions to examine the most pressing challenges facing banking investigations today. Through keynote conversations, expert presentations, and candid panel debates, delegates will explore how investigation functions are adapting to an environment of growing complexity, technological disruption, and evolving regulatory expectations.
This year’s agenda tackles the issues that matter most to the profession: designing investigation structures that can scale, integrating AI tools without sacrificing human judgment, navigating legal privilege, managing high-profile and sensitive cases in the public eye, and maintaining rigorous standards as the global enforcement landscape shifts. With speakers drawn from institutions including Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest, Citi, Morgan Stanley, and Wells Fargo, alongside leading KCs and independent experts, the forum offers a rare opportunity to benchmark practice, share hard-won experience, and engage in the kind of frank, peer-to-peer dialogue that drives real professional development.
Whether you lead an investigations team, advise on financial crime, or shape policy and governance, the ACi 2026 Banking Forum is the essential event for anyone serious about the future of banking investigations.
Date: 16 June 2026 Venue: Barclays Bank, Canary Wharf, London
Location: Barclays, Canary Wharf
Format: Full-day in-person conference with networking opportunities

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