ACFE European Conference Begins in Brussels

GUEST BLOGGER

Allan Bachman, ACFE Education Manager

Live from the 2011 ACFE European Fraud Conference

With the most attendees and more countries represented than ever before (29), the 2011 ACFE European Fraud Conference in Brussels is off to a great start. Brussels also turns out to be a great host city, with a lot to see and do. I arrived a day early to allow for some self-guided sightseeing. The weather has been perfect for walking and taking photos.

The Pre-Conference was as topical as today’s news, featuring the UK Bribery Act and its 1 July implementation. Fredric Miller from PricewaterhouseCoopers presented a great analysis of the Bribery Act, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and other anti-bribery and corruption legislation around the world. There is a lot of “wait and see” as many of us are waiting to see how the UK legislation will be enforced and prosecuted. The early cases will definitely be instructive.

Day two featured a keynote from James D. Ratley, CFE, ACFE President and CEO. His reception from the attendees was warm and his message universal. The luncheon speaker from Europol used a great slide presentation to illustrate issues Europol faces in addressing fraud around the European Union (EU) and the world.

The breakout sessions featured a variety of international speakers discussing everything from charity fraud to fraud investigation issues in specific EU countries and interviewing techniques.

The networking among attendees is a critical component of the conference and the networking reception tonight should be well attended. I’m looking forward to meeting even more attendees and hearing their stories and backgrounds. Now, on to the next session!

Are you in Brussels? Tell us how the conference is going for you in the Comments section below.