Tag: Interviewing

ACi Whistleblowing Investigations Forum 2026 

ACi Whistleblowing Investigations Forum 2026: 

Where Good Intentions meet hard questions 

 

Whistleblowing cases are among the most sensitive and high-risk matters organisations face, and the way they are handled is under increasing scrutiny. When concerns are raised, the response can have significant consequences for employees, leadership teams, organisational culture, reputation, regulatory relationships and public trust. 

Against an increasingly complex legal and regulatory landscape, organisations are expected to balance strict legal and regulatory requirements with the need to respond fairly, proportionately and effectively. Good intentions and having empathy alone are no longer sufficient to withstand scrutiny. Organisations are expected to continually challenge whether their processes are delivering the right outcomes and have the confidence to ask the difficult questions: What is working well? Where are the risks? And where does change need to happen? 

Kindly hosted by Eversheds Sutherland, the ACi Whistleblowing Forum 2026 has been designed to move beyond theory and provide practical, pragmatic guidance for those responsible for managing whistleblowing concerns and investigations as well as facilitate asking the hard questions. 

Through a seminar-style programme of expert presentations, interactive discussions, real-world case studies, panel sessions and roundtable exercises, delegates will explore every stage of the whistleblowing investigation process, from the initial disclosure through to investigation, decision-making and conclusion. 

Rather than focusing solely on legal principles, the Forum will examine the practical challenges organisations encounter in real cases, encouraging open discussion, shared learning and the opportunity to ask the hard questions about current practice. Delegates will gain valuable insight into what works well, where investigations commonly fall short, and the practical steps that can be taken to strengthen processes and improve outcomes. 

The programme will explore what happens when whistleblowing processes succeed and, importantly, when they fail. 

Key topics include: 

  • Whistleblowing investigation planning and handling 
  • Consequence management and organisational decision-making 
  • Employment Tribunal scrutiny and lessons from litigation 
  • Effective interview techniques and evidence gathering 
  • Recognising and addressing unconscious bias 
  • Crisis communications and reputational risk 
  • Meeting the growing expectations of regulators, stakeholders and society 

To view the full agenda, click here.

Whether you are involved in legal, compliance, investigations, HR, governance, ethics or risk, the ACi Whistleblowing Forum 2026 offers a unique opportunity to learn from leading practitioners, share experiences with peers and develop practical approaches that will strengthen your organisation’s response to whistleblowing. 

Why Attend?  

This forum has been designed to provide practical insights that can be immediately applied within your organisation. By attending, you will:  

  • Learn from leading experts in corporate investigations, employment law, crisis management, and whistleblowing.  
  • Gain a deeper understanding of where whistleblowing investigations commonly fail and how to avoid costly mistakes.  
  • Explore the latest challenges facing employers, investigators, and case owners when handling complex disclosures.  
  • Examine real-life scenarios involving vulnerable whistleblowers, employment tribunal scrutiny, media interest, and reputational crises. 
  • Network with senior professionals Participate in interactive discussions, live polling, and peer-led debates on investigative bias, decision-making, and organisational accountability.  

Who Should Attend?  

The forum is designed for professionals with responsibility for receiving, investigating, overseeing, advising on, or governing whistleblowing concerns, including:  

  • Corporate Investigators  
  • Ethics & Compliance Professionals  
  • Whistleblowing Officers and Speak-Up Programme Managers  
  • Employment Lawyers and Legal Counsel  
  • HR Directors and Employee Relations Specialists  
  • Internal Audit Professionals  
  • Risk and Governance Leaders responsible for whistleblowing and/or are prescribed persons 
  • General Counsel and Company Secretaries  
  • Regulatory and Conduct Specialists who participate or investigate whistleblowing 
  • Fraud, Compliance and Financial Crime Investigators Non-Executive Directors and Board Members with oversight responsibilities of whistleblowing and can have SMF responsibility within the FS sector 
  • ESG, Culture and Integrity Professionals  
  • Crisis Management and Corporate Communications Professionals  

Move beyond theory. Ask the hard questions. Leave with pragmatic strategies you can apply immediately within your organisation. 

Date: 15 October 2026
Venue: Eversheds Sutherland, 1 Wood Street, London
Networking Drinks: 5:10pm – 7:00pm 

 

 

Tickets

 

Hosted by 

Sponsored by

ACi Commodities Trading Investigations Forum

A trading firm is suddenly confronted with a fast‑moving compliance crisis. Regulators are asking questions, key decisions must be made under pressure, and critical facts are buried across emails, chats, company documents, the internet and third‑party records. The clock is running: preserve data, protect privilege, stabilize stakeholders, and rapidly understand what happened – being AI-assisted – before public misinformation and possible regulatory actions fill the gaps.

In this forum, we will walk through a realistic, end‑to‑end investigation journey – from “first hour” triage and governance, to AI‑assisted OSINT and rapid document review, to a live internal Subject witness interview and the boardroom decisions that follow. Expect interactive, scenario‑driven sessions showcasing practical resources, decision frameworks, and options you can apply immediately in commodities trading investigations.

For the full day’s agenda, please click here.
Tickets
Kindly hosted by

The Anatomy of Investigative Failures – and How to Prevent Them

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.

 

Register

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

 

Register

Safety For Investigators

Investigators face unique security challenges when operating in unfamiliar environments, from criminal threats like armed robbery and kidnapping to terrorism, targeted criminality from competitors or government actors, and environmental risks including medical emergencies and civil unrest. Our free webinar sponsored by  Control Risks provides essential knowledge and practical strategies to keep you and your team safe while conducting investigations in challenging locations worldwide.

The webinar covers three key areas:

  1. Personal Security Fundamentals (including ISO 31030 travel risk management standards, threat assessment, preparation protocols, situational awareness techniques like Cooper’s Color Code and OODA Loop, profile management, and digital footprint security)
  2.  Working with Armed Security Teams (featuring a real-world case study from a Somalia deployment with detailed convoy procedures, emergency protocols, and coordination with local security professionals),
  3. Interactive Q&A Session where participants can get specific questions answered by security experts.

Join investigators and security professionals from around the world in this essential training session led by Control Risks’ industry-leading security professionals with extensive high-risk environment experience. Learn critical skills including secure communication protocols, emergency response procedures, pattern of life analysis, cultural sensitivity, and equipment preparation.

Don’t compromise on security – equip yourself with the knowledge needed to operate safely in challenging environments.

 

Register

 

Webinar Sponsored by

 

Matt Newman is an Associate Director with a background in the provision of close protection and crisis security consulting. Matt leads in the development and delivery of Control Risks’ security training courses from our UK Training Centre and other international delivery locations. Prior to this, Matt spent several years as an embedded crisis security consultant to a Multi-National Corporation operating out of Libya and Iraq.

 

 

Oleg Kozlov is an Associate Director in Control Risks’ forensic investigations practice in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He is a forensic accountant with over nine years of experience in fraud and anti-bribery and corruption investigations and compliance advisory engagements across a broad range of geographies and sectors.

 

 

 

ACi Training: Investigations Fundamentals

Our popular short course: Conducting Workplace Investigations is for those new to investigations. We are  running the course again in June/July 2025.

 

Register

 

Workshop 1: Investigation Fundamentals

🕤 Tuesday 24th June; 14:00 – 17:00 UK time, online Teams

This workshop introduces participants to:

✍🏻 Responding to whistleblower reports
✍🏻 Triaging, Assessment, Planning & Scoping
✍🏻 Investigation Principles
✍🏻 Relevant best practice and ISO frameworks
✍🏻 Introduction to gathering and assessing evidence
✍🏻 Cognitive Interviewing Models
✍🏻 Case Study

Workshop 2: Interviewing & Documentation

🕤 Tuesday 1st July 2025, 14:00 – 17:00 UK time

Covering key topics including:

✍🏻 Case Study review and planning
✍🏻 Communicating with (and managing) stakeholder expectations
✍🏻 Fundamentals of investigative interviewing
✍🏻 Memory, Recall and Non-Verbal Communication
✍🏻 Report writing essentials
✍🏻 Understanding thematic learning, process improvements and case closure

Workshop Learning Goals: These sessions aim to help participants:

✅ Understand the core components of workplace investigations
✅ Recognise typical challenges in the investigation process
✅ Learn about a structured six-step investigation approach
✅ Explore methods for gathering and assessing information
✅Develop foundational investigation planning skills
✅Gain an introduction to investigative interviewing principles

 

This workshop will take place on Teams and delegates will receive a diary invite after registration.

Click this link to view a short video with real delegate feedback

Your trainer

Simon Scales, Chief Education & Training Officer, ACi

Online Immersive Workshop: Introduction to Conducting Workplace Investigations

Our popular short course for those new to investigations is running again in March 2025

Workshop 1: Assess and Conduct an Investigation

18th March 2025
9.30 am – 12.30 pm

Working through a case study we will look at:

Managing and responding to a Whistleblower
Preparing an Investigation Plan
Collecting and evaluating evidence

Workshop 2: Investigative Interviewing & Report Writing

25th March 2025
9.30 am – 12.30 pm

Engaging and reporting to stakeholders
Investigative Interviewing
Report writing
Controls & Process gaps, remediation, and case closure.

At the end of the workshops attendees will be able to:

  • Describe the key elements of an effective, fair, and respectful corporate workplace investigations process
  • Identify the common issues that arise during investigations
  • Apply a six-step investigations process
  • Collect and evaluate information and evidence
  • Implement a planned investigation approach
  • Understand the theory of investigative interviews of witnesses and subjects

 

 Register

 

This workshop will take place on Teams and delegates will receive a diary invite after registration.

Click this link to view a short video with real delegate feedback.

Your trainer

Simon Scales, Chief Education & Training Officer, ACi

Insurance Investigations: Trends and Challenges

Join our free webinar looking at the trends and challenges in Insurance Investigations. Sponsored by RPC we are looking at the evolving landscape of insurance fraud detection and investigation. We will discuss how technological advancements, changing regulatory environments, and emerging fraud schemes are shaping the field of insurance investigations across different regions.

Key topics will include the adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning in fraud detection, the impact of social media and digital footprints on investigations, and the challenges posed by cross-border insurance fraud. The webinar will also address the ethical considerations and data privacy concerns that arise with advanced investigative techniques, as well as strategies for balancing thorough investigations with customer experience. Attendees will gain insights into best practices for adapting to these global trends and overcoming common challenges faced by internal investigators in the insurance industry.

 Register

 

Sponsored by

Boom dos Canais de Denúncias

Boom dos Canais de Denúncias

Como responder ao aumento massivo dos relatos recebidos em canais éticos

  • Estatísticas e tendências
  • Entendimento das causas internas e externas
  • Benchmarking com o mercado
  • Recursos internos e externos
  • Novas legislações
  • Painel de discussão entre os profissionais

 

Register

 

 Painel

Dercio Carvalheda
Sócio Fundador da Carvalhêda Advocacia

Livia Correa
Association of Corporate Investigators

Queila Oliveira
RhI Magensita

Whistleblowing Investigations Forum

On Thursday, 19th September join us for an insightful event exploring whistleblowing investigations.

To view the agenda, click here.

To view our speaker profiles, click here.

Keynote Speech:

We will kick off the event with a keynote speech from Jo Gideon, Director and Vice Chair, Whistleblowers UK.

Case Study Examination:

We will take a look at the high-profile whistleblowing case of Jonathan Taylor, who blew the whistle at an energy company, to understand the challenges faced, the investigative process, and the ultimate outcomes.

UK Whistleblowers Bill Briefing:

This comprehensive briefing will cover the UK Whistleblowers Bill, discussing its implications for corporations  and ensuring that attendees are well-informed about their legal obligations.

For or Against

Should whistle-blowers be paid?  Join us in a lively debate as we hear from our colleagues in the UK and Europe.

Networking Opportunity

Meet and network with your colleagues who are working in this space. Share your experiences and learn from others in the industry to handle whistleblower cases more effectively within your organisation.

Tickets £149.50

ACi Members £134.55

TICKETS

 

nwdcampaign.org

#WhistleblowersChangeCulture

Annual Symposium

The Association of Corporate Investigators is delighted to announce its 2022 one-day symposium on Thursday, 10th November 2022 in London. Our last Symposium event was held in 2019 so we are looking forward to bringing our investigations community back together for a day of learning, networking and sharing experiences.

This year, we are kindly hosted by Allen & Overy at their London offices. This year’s theme is ‘Every Detail Matters’. As investigators ourselves, we know how paying attention to the detail is vital in an investigation. So whether that be an understanding of the rules around legal privilege, or giving a whistleblower due care and attention, it’s the investigator’s job to conduct their enquiries legally, ethically and professionally.

We have designed our event with the same attention to detail to bring you an agenda that will inspire and inform – featuring topics such as Greenwashing and Conduct Investigations, E-Discovery, Crypto Investigations, Investigations Trends and Interviewing Techniques.
The day has been built with plenty of time for networking so that you can meet your investigations peers and discuss best practices.

As always places are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Member In Person Ticket –  £99 GBP
Non-Member In Person Ticket –  £199 GBP

Registration closes 4pm, Monday 7th November.

This event is paperless. View the programme here.

#professionalismisamust