Uncover the hidden financial footprints of organised crime.
For years, the illegal wildlife trade has thrived as a multi‑jurisdictional, lucrative business run by shadowy syndicates. But the rules of engagement have changed.
Join us for an exclusive webinar exploring the ground- breaking public‑private partnership between conservation leaders like WildAid, global database networks, and premier financial institutions that successfully dismantled Hong Kong’s infamous ivory trade.
You will discover how grassroots intelligence was channelled into global AML screening tools and examine the high‑stakes legal and financial mechanisms now being deployed to hit international traffickers where it hurts most: their pockets.
From asset freezing to production orders and enhanced financial scrutiny, this session reveals how modern AML frameworks are transforming the fight against wildlife crime.
Alex Hofford is a wildlife crime investigator and environmental compliance expert who brings a rare combination of frontline wildlife crime investigations and specialist expertise in anti-money laundering. As an investigator with direct insight into how organized, transnational wildlife crime syndicates operate on the ground and across supply chains, he now applies this knowledge through a financial crime lens, focusing on how criminal networks rely on complex financial flows, trade-based money laundering, and cross-border systems to operate and expand. Holding an International Compliance Association (ICA) Certificate in Anti-Money Laundering (with Distinction), Alex is well positioned to bridge the gap between conservation and financial enforcement, helping to identify, disrupt, and prevent the financial mechanisms that enable organized wildlife crime, ultimately supporting environmental goals. Alex is currently taking the International Compliance Association (ICA) Diploma in Anti-Money Laundering and is expected to graduate in Q1 2027.
In this free webinar, an expert panel will discuss:
how companies with wide-ranging supply chains can effectively assess and mitigate ESG risks with a particular focus on human rights issues,
how corporates can ensure meaningful compliance with new legislation like the corporate sustainability due diligence directive, and
practical strategies and best practices for cross-jurisdictional human rights investigations.
These challenges are topical for companies across Europe and the US as they face increasingly complex regulatory requirements and a shifting geopolitical landscape impacting their supply chains.
Ariana has approaching 20 years of experience managing complex due diligence and ESG-focussed investigations across the globe. She has particular expertise leveraging human intelligence and accessing hard-to-find information throughout Europe and the Middle East as well as helping clients mitigate ESG issues within their supply chains. She joined Risk Advisory in 2018 after time at another London-based intelligence consultancy and before that in executive search.
James Ford, Senior Associate, Mayer Brown
James Ford, helps clients to navigate the complex and overlapping worlds of sanctions and export controls, anti-corruption, business and human rights, and anti-money laundering. James advises corporates across a range of sectors, including energy, mining, extractives, oil and gas, retail, defence, and transport, as well as a host of financial institutions, insurers, brokers and professional services firms. James sits on the Board of Transparency International UK, a leading anti-corruption NGO, and established the Transparency International Professional Supporters (TIPS) Network.
Chris Cash, Fraud and Ethics Lead, Costain Group PLC Chris is a multiskilled investigation professional working in the construction and infrastructure sector. He has over two decades of strategic and operational experience leading changes, combating fraud, unlawful corporate activity, and disrupting serious and organised crime for Construction / Infrastructure, Insurance and Law Enforcement. He is accomplished in applying specialist investigatory methods, using advanced interviewing and data evidence gathering techniques to tackle fraud, bribery, corruption and misconduct. He has detailed knowledge of supply chain and procurement practices, which assists with his ambition to help protect the taxpayers, clients and the industry. He uses his detailed knowledge of transformation and stakeholder management to help businesses mitigate and reduce these risks from re-occurrence.
Moderator
Cheryl O’Shea, Head of ACi APAC
Cheryl O’Shea has over 20 years of experience in investigation and risk management and specializes in fraud and investigations within the IT industry. Her extensive investigation experience extends to conducting investigations involving fraud, corruption, money laundering, financial misconduct, non-compliance, and violation of company policies. She leads a corporate investigation team in a multinational IT company covering Asia Pacific to conduct investigations in challenging situations and work with legal counsel in multi-jurisdictions. Cheryl holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the UK and a Master’s degree in Finance from Ireland. She is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).
In this webinar, kindly sponsored by Control Risks, our panellists will share their expertise on various procurement related matters, and how best to deal with ethical failures when these arise.
Without adequate controls in place, supply chain departments run a risk of harbouring fraudulent activity either as a result of the failure of systems, processes and procedures, or as a result of a failure in the governance and oversight of the division, and sometimes of the organisation as a whole. In recent times, the “state-capture” inquiry in South Africa has highlighted shortfalls due to the lack of oversight in various supply chain or procurement departments within various organisations.
Our panellists will offer their views on policies and procedures that are effective in managing the procurement processes and will talk you through the conduct of supply chain related investigations. The ACI looks forward to presenting this event sponsored by Control Risks, and to offering participants support with challenges they may be facing within their supply chains
Joyce is a Director in charge of the Investigation and forensic accounting practice in Johannesburg with a remit for the Sub Saharan African region. She has over a decade of combined experience in forensic investigations, auditing, strategy management.
Prior to joining Control Risks, Joyce worked for two of the Big 4 audit firms in East and South Africa and headed the Forensics division of one of South Africa’s oldest law firms. Joyce specialises in forensic investigations and strategy advisory. She has experience servicing clients across Africa, Europe and Asia. Joyce was recognised as one of the Top 50 Women in Management in 2019.
Joyce specialises in assisting clients with proactive and reactive solutions in the form of forensic investigations and fraud risk management advisory. Joyce works with clients in various industries including, inter alia, Financial institutions, Government regulators and state-owned entities, Non-Government Organisations (NGOs), mining and technology companies.
Maryanne Karanja FCIPS, Chair, Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supplies (CIPS) Kenya branch
Maryanne Karanja is a Supply Chain and Project turnaround expert with over 20 years’ experience in corporate senior leadership roles in Africa. Maryanne has a solid Supply Chain and Procurement background and sound knowledge in the development of Supply Chain Strategy, application of Category Management, Contract Management, Sustainable Procurement and Local Content Development. She seeks to harness technology, and in particular AI, Data Analytics and Robotics in the delivery of business transformation and company growth. She actively leverages stakeholder associations in order to deliver desired organisational results.
Dotun Olaifa , Head of Business Integrity, Guiness Nigeria
Dotun, until his appointment in January 2020 as the Head of Business Integrity for Guinness Nigeria, was the Head of Customer Relations and Credit Risk, where he was pivotal in supporting the business in the overall delivery of top-line performance objectives from 2016 to December 2019 as well as the continuous improvement in the Order to Cash (OTC) Processes. He streamlined the market OTC process and successfully transited more roles to the shared service centre inDBSI allowing the market focus on credit risk, driving further value for the business and trade partners support. Before his appointment as the Head of Credit Risk in December 2016, he was the Controls and Governance Manager in the Controls Compliance & Ethics department where he achieved great strides along the paths of controls assurance and risk management. He made the CARM process for Guinness Nigeria seamless and the business leveraged on this to achieve Satisfactory audit ratings in GAR successively for four years.Dotun is a graduate of Accountancy and a Fellow of the Institute of from the University of Lagos and an Msc in International Relations.
Moderator
Rainer Buehrer – founder member of the International Anti-Corruption Academy
After studying law at the University of Cape Town, Rainer joined the South African Police Service as a detective in the Commercial Branch. In 1995 Rainer was seconded to the Interpol General Secretariat in Lyon, France, as the Head of the Economic Crime Branch. In 2002 Rainer left the Police and joined Interpol as the Head of the Anti-Corruption Directorate. In 2008 Rainer joined the German engineering company Siemens AG in Munich as the Global Head of Compliance Investigations, managing Offices in Germany, the United States, China, Mexico, Russia and the United Arab Emirates. In 2014 Rainer returned to South Africa as the Regional Compliance Officer for Africa. Rainer has vast experience in conducting and managing financial crime investigations and has dedicated a large part of his career to combatting Corruption in the public and private sectors. Rainer is also a proud founder member of the International Anti-Corruption Academy situated in Vienna, Austria.
Alex Hofford is a wildlife crime investigator and environmental compliance expert who brings a rare combination of frontline wildlife crime investigations and specialist expertise in anti-money laundering. As an investigator with direct insight into how organized, transnational wildlife crime syndicates operate on the ground and across supply chains, he now applies this knowledge through a financial crime lens, focusing on how criminal networks rely on complex financial flows, trade-based money laundering, and cross-border systems to operate and expand. Holding an International Compliance Association (ICA) Certificate in Anti-Money Laundering (with Distinction), Alex is well positioned to bridge the gap between conservation and financial enforcement, helping to identify, disrupt, and prevent the financial mechanisms that enable organized wildlife crime, ultimately supporting environmental goals. Alex is currently taking the International Compliance Association (ICA) Diploma in Anti-Money Laundering and is expected to graduate in Q1 2027.
