WORKSHOP SERIES FOR EXECUTIVES: CREATING A FRAUD-RESISTANT ORGANIZATION

** REGISTER FOR ALL 4 WORKSHOPS OR SINGLE SESSIONS **

Behavioral Forensics Group, LLC (B4G), the Financial Executives International (FEI), and the University of Dayton Center for Cyber Security & Data Intelligence (UDCC) are excited to host a series of workshops to share the latest behavioral insights, strategies, trends, and tools to help business leaders prevent, deter, and mitigate fraud risk with the aim of creating more fraud-resistant organizations.

Featuring panels of esteemed industry specialists and anti-fraud professionals, each two-hour, 2 CPE credit workshop is designed to educate and encourage discussion amongst financial executives and senior leadership on fraud topics critical to keeping their organization safe.

What makes these workshops unique? A focus on the often missing but critical component of fraud detection and prevention – the psychology or behavioral forensics behind why fraud happens. There is a person behind every act of fraud and understanding their motivations, fears, and behaviors is the secret to an organization’s ability to create a more fraud-resistant organization.

Workshop One: Power, Authority and Fraud for Leaders

(Nov. 30, 2023, 2 – 4 pm EST)

When it comes to fraud, a big blind spot for Executive Teams is the notion that “Fraud won’t happen here, and not by our Executives.” However, as the saying by Lord Acton goes “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts, absolutely.” In this workshop, executives will gain insight on:

  • The differences between power and authority (Executive management) and fiduciary responsibility (the Board of Directors) and how it relates to fraud.
  • The optimal CEO-CFO relationship, managed by appropriate Board oversight, for a healthy, more fraud-resistant organization.
  • How power (and politics) is used to intimidate and control within organizations
  • Tips/advice to make your organization more Executive-level fraud resistant, including tips for the Board in fraud risk management and mitigation.

Speakers:

Workshop Two: Psychological Autopsies of Corporate Governance Failures: Corruption and the Charismatic Leader

(Jan. 25, 2024, 2 – 4 pm EST)

Charismatic leaders have the ability to inspire their people and lead them to enviable growth. But charismatic leadership also has a dark side. To better protect an organization from fraud it is essential to understand:

  • What behaviors do charismatic leaders display? When they act with corrupt intent, how do they tap into stakeholders’ deepest fears and insecurities.
  • The correlation between charismatic leadership and the stakeholder group’s failure to catch signals or red flags for fraudulent behavior.
  • Analysis of case stories on recent governance failures at FTX and Theranos (as well as Wells Fargo, Wirecard, Volkswagen, Health South)
  • Leadership vs. Systemic problems arguments and the example of Charles Prince, ex-Citigroup CEO
  • Best practices to identify corruption and safeguard your organization against charismatic leaders (inoculation against corruption, conflicts-of-interest)

Speakers:

Workshop Three: Psychological Autopsies of Corporate Governance Failures: Psychological Materiality (March 21st, 2024, 2 – 4 pm EST)

When it comes to creating a fraud-resistant organization, if you only look at numbers, you miss the cultural breakdown that enables fraud to flourish. This is where psychological materiality, which doesn’t depend on financial statement numbers and is not necessarily a quantitative measure, comes in. It can be profoundly insightful as an explanatory variable. We’ll discuss:

  • What is psychological materiality and how can we use the concept to mitigate fraud?
  • Insight on what happened at Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, and First Republic Bank – with a focus on the human side of these bank collapses.
  • What checks and balances were missing or abused? “It ain’t what you don’t know that kills you; what kills you is what you think you know, but ain’t so.” – Mark Twain
  • How do you protect your organization against fraud (culture, inoculation, taking ethical temperature)
  • How do good people go bad? What human behaviors caused the fraud and the panic that ensued (missed red flags)? Would active sensitivity to psychological materiality have helped? How?

Speakers:

Workshop Four: Psychological Autopsies of Corporate Governance Failures: Opportunistic Fraud Within Family Businesses (Apr. 18th, 2024, 2 – 4 pm EST)

Family businesses make up a large percentage of companies in the United States and they contribute a large percentage of the country’s GDP. Sadly, several studies have found that they’re more vulnerable to occupational fraud than other companies. We’ll share insights into:

  • Why family businesses could be more susceptible to fraud
  • Who typically commits fraud in a family business – hint, it’s usually the last person you would suspect
  • What types of fraud to look out for
  • Tips and best practices for implementing better controls over assets and data

Speakers:

Register Today

Any questions on this workshop series? Give us a call at (847) -778-6377.