The Netherlands: A Warm Investment Climate

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The Netherlands: A Warm Investment Climate

Amid the approval of the post-Covid-19 recovery plan, frugal Netherlands was the loudest voice in the European Council against the EUR 750 billion recovery plan to aid the worst affected countries. The Tax Justice Network reported that, in 2019, the European Union lost USD 10 billion in corporate tax to the Netherlands. But besides its stable political and economic environment, what makes the land of tulips and windmills so attractive to corporate giants such as Starbucks, Google and Amazon?

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Documenting corporate deceit

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Documenting corporate deceit

Alex Gibney has documented many fraud cases in his three decades as a filmmaker. From his first big hit in 2005, “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room,” to the more recent documentary about Elizabeth Holmes, “The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley,” Gibney has long been exploring the psychology of deceit and why bright and talented people turn to the dark side.

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What We’ve Learned About Fraud Risk Assessment After a Year of the Pandemic

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What We’ve Learned About Fraud Risk Assessment After a Year of the Pandemic

It’s been a year since the pandemic began and changed the way we work and live. As we all know, one of the key changes to organizations was the migration to remote work. Remote work was not new, but when global health concerns overtook other matters, the virtual world became the go-to solution, thus putting enormous pressure on the existing system of work.

In reviewing organizations, one of the interesting revelations I have come across is how insightful Fraud Risk Assessment (FRA) can be in managing fraud risks. If prevention is better than cure, why wait for issues to occur before acting? Anti-fraud professionals should understand fraud risks and march forward through the following.

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5 Considerations for Your Third-Party Risk Management Program

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5 Considerations for Your Third-Party Risk Management Program

Fraud risk management should both inform and shape any third-party risk management program in conjunction with all the other risk disciplines. Now more than ever, with increased regulation and risk, organizations must conduct vigorous, structured and regular due diligence on third-party intermediaries. The risks posed by these parties are many and varied, ranging from cybersecurity to business disaster. With third parties accessing regulated company information, the likelihood and impact of IT security incidents are on the rise.

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A Tale of Two Cultures

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A Tale of Two Cultures

In Richard E. Nisbett’s book “The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently... and Why,” Nisbett describes a scenario where Western and Japanese students are asked to describe a painting of a koi pond. Western students focus on the largest fish while Japanese students describe the entirety of the painting, focusing less on one subject.

Of course, it’s a generalization, but what does it mean in the context of anti-fraud? In my experience working with Japanese organizations over the past decade, it means two very different approaches to the same problem.

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