Tag: investigations

ACi is delighted to announce that we have significantly boosted our international presence with the appointment of Country leaders across a variety of regions.

We believe that the best talent isn’t found in one city, one country or one continent.  Our new country heads have different  backgrounds and different perspectives – but one mission: building what’s next for the ACi.

New Appointments

Joyce Iwisi, Head of South Africa: Joyce is a Johannesburg-based Partner at HKA with nearly two decades of forensic accounting, compliance, and investigations experience across Africa and EMEA, previously at PwC, EY, and Control Risks, holding an MBA from Coventry University and a Forensics Practitioner certification, and serving as an Independent Non-Executive Director at NMB Bank and Vodacom Tanzania.

Kezia Hardingham, Head of Thailand: Kezia is Head of Investigations at DKSH (Bangkok-based, overseeing investigations across the Swiss-listed firm’s 36-country operations), bringing prior experience from Forensic Risk Alliance and KPMG, including the Airbus investigation, as well as expertise in Chinese-speaking markets and published work on Asia-Pacific cross-border investigations for Global Investigations Review.

Mike Sulek, Head of Canada: a Senior Ethics & Compliance Leader with 18+ years of experience advising executives on regulatory risk, anti-corruption, and corporate governance across multinational organizations, holding the CCEP-I designation, a CSR/ESG certification, co-authoring the ACi Corporate Investigator’s Handbook, and serving as a Board Member of the Montreal Integrity Network.

Yamini Pate, Head of UK: corporate investigations leader with over 22 years’ experience across consultancy, forensic accounting, ethics, compliance and global banking. She spent over a decade within audit and forensic investigations at a leading international professional services firm, supporting multinational and cross-industry clients. She later joined a major international financial institution where she most recently served as Director of Investigations for the UK and Europe, leading high-risk, cross-border matters including employee misconduct, fraud and regulatory breaches.

Andrew de Roy: Head of Poland:. Andrew de Roy is the founder of Bearstone, a leading risk consulting firm based in Warsaw, Poland. Since establishing the company in 2007, he has grown it into one of Europe’s pre-eminent firms in the field, with offices in Warsaw, Berlin, and London, and a presence in Belgrade and France. Andrew first moved to Poland as a financial journalist, where he set up the Warsaw office of Mergermarket (Financial Times Group). This role enabled him to build the core networks that now underpin Bearstone’s ability to assist a wide range of clients around the world.

He is also the founder of several influential platforms, including Warsaw Disputes Days – a prominent dispute resolution forum – Asset Recovery CEE, one of the region’s leading conferences on asset recovery and investigations, and 2nd Thursdays, a networking initiative for the corporate intelligence community. Andrew is regularly invited to speak as an expert at international conferences focused on intelligence collection, asset recovery, technological trends in investigations and the CEE region.

These appointments reflect ACi’s commitment to building a globally connected, locally informed investigations community. Our Heads of Country will act as focal points for practitioners, support ACi events and training, and help shape the future of the ACi.

Comments from the ExCo Team

Steve Young, CEO, said: “These appointments represent a significant milestone in ACi’s global growth strategy. Joyce, Kezia, Mike, Yamini, and Andrew are exceptional professionals who embody the values and standards that ACi stands for, and I have every confidence they will make an immediate and lasting impact in their regions. Our Heads of Country are the backbone of our global community, and today we are stronger for having them.”

Jeff Giddings, Head of EMEA, said, “From an EMEA perspective, it is particularly exciting to see our regional footprint expanding with such talented individuals at the helm. These leaders understand the unique regulatory, cultural, and professional landscapes of their jurisdictions, and that local intelligence is invaluable to our members. I look forward to working closely with each of them to drive member engagement, elevate training standards, and strengthen ACi’s presence on the ground across our regions.”

Lindsay Kowalski, Head of US, said, “It is exciting to see ACi continue to expand its global reach with such an impressive and diverse group of leaders. Each of these appointments reflects the strength of our international community and the importance of local insight in driving meaningful impact. From a North America & Canada perspective, Mike’s appointment as Head of Canada is particularly energizing. His deep experience in ethics, compliance, and governance makes him exceptionally well suited to elevate ACi’s presence and influence across the region. Having a strong, connected leader at the helm creates valuable opportunities for greater collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and continued growth in a dynamic market. Congratulations to Mike and all the newly appointed Heads of Country—this is a fantastic step forward for the entire ACi community!”

Cheryl O’Shea, Head of APAC, said, “It is exciting news for ACi as we expand into Southeast Asia, with Kezia bringing strong leadership and a deep understanding of the region’s diverse cultures, the complexities of its regulatory environments, and evolving professional expectations. Combined with ACi’s growing footprint and the established leadership in India and China, this expansion represents a significant opportunity to deliver even greater value to our members. I have every confidence that they will further strengthen ACi’s presence and impact across APAC.