Sheechean Ho, CFE, has enjoyed a successful career in the anti-fraud field for more than a decade. Currently the director of investigations for regional financial crime at Prudential plc, he attributes his success to his desire for justice and mentors who have guided him. When he’s not fighting fraud, you can find him taking scenic drives around Hong Kong and sampling different local food.

How did you become passionate about fighting fraud?

I see fraud fighting as “bringing justice to life.” When I was little, I liked reading comics and novels that told stories about heroes who fought the bad guys and private detectives who investigated crimes. My all-time favorite comic back then was “The Kindaichi Case Files.” I built my interests around finding justice and my own values in life, namely fairness, honesty and integrity. I always believe that a small change in a person’s life can make our society better. In the case of fraud fighting, if there is no one like us to fight against fraud, fraudsters would not be caught and justice would not be served rightfully. That leaves a negative impact on not only to the society as a whole, but also our children and future generations.

What steps led you to your current position at Prudential plc?

Quality is the key and I am grateful that my mentors have given me good guidance in building my career. All my mentors emphasize the importance of delivering high-quality work and I follow that to impress my colleagues, line manager, clients, key stakeholders and even my competitors. One way to develop quality work which I find effective, and have been practicing for years, is to have feedback analysis. I recommend everyone, regardless of your age or career stage, who is interested in practicing this to read the article “Managing Oneself,” written by Peter Drucker for the Harvard Business Review. It gives some food for thought and a practical approach in conducting feedback analysis.

What are some of the biggest challenges you face as a director of investigations?

While covering our business units in Asia, I find the cultural differences and language barriers are amongst the biggest challenges I face in my day to day work. For example, when we’ve dealt with customers’ complaints about unethical insurance agents, we’ve encountered situations where customers call off the complaint when an investigation is started. From what we’ve experienced, the agent who was the subject of the complaint often offers a deal with the customer to settle the complaint. It demonstrates a general lack of awareness in stopping the fraud committed by the agent and doesn’t help potential future victims. Even if an investigation is carried out despite the withdrawal of the complaint, the customer usually refuses to cooperate in providing the relevant information and evidence. I think it is due to the very “forgiving” etiquette of Asians.

Secondly, we always see challenges in conducting investigations in some countries in Asia where the language barrier is a major concern. This is especially true when conducting eDiscovery and interviews because bi-lingual investigators who are proficient in both local and English languages are hard to find. To overcome this challenge, we usually engage a local professional investigation firm to support the investigation.

What is a memorable case or project that you have worked on?

I gained much satisfaction from a matter I worked on in a rural area in China when I was a consultant for a Big 4 consulting firm in China. The target was a Chinese subsidiary of a U.S.-based company. My firm was appointed by a U.S. law firm who was engaged by the audit committee of the company to perform the investigation into a potential FCPA violation. My team and I were sort of playing hide-and-seek with the target while trying to uncover any information hidden from us. The Chinese company employed many sales distributors who paid bribes to government officials for business contracts. When the bribery was discovered by our team, our client (the U.S.-based company) decided to cease the payment of sales commission to the distributors. I was tasked to conduct interviews with each distributor to obtain formal statements from them and answer any questions they might have. The client employed a full-time bodyguard for me when conducting the interviews which were expected to get nasty and aggressive. It is an unforgettable experience!

How has becoming a CFE impacted your professional development?

I obtained my CFE credential in 2007 when I was working for a Big 4 consulting firm in China. Initially, my mentor encouraged me to get the CFE credential to help promote my professionalism and knowledge — which is very important in consulting work. After I obtained the certification, I realized how important it is for a professional fraud examiner; not only for the technical benefits, but also to demonstrate my dedication to professional ethics in carrying out the duties of a fraud examiner. It definitely adds value to my CV when introducing myself, the company I work for, my client base and even for job seeking. In many job postings for fraud examiners, having a CFE credential is always an advantage.

What do you like about being a member of the ACFE’s Corporate Alliance Program?

I participated the ACFE Corporate Alliance Program when it was first introduced to me when I was working for my previous employer. I enjoy not only the privileges being a member has, but it has also broadened my industry network and I’ve gotten to know new friends who share the same values. By signing up for the program, I’ve also been able to enroll my colleagues in the region, which allows them to access resources from the ACFE website. This is especially useful for my coworkers who plan to obtain the CFE credential, since the Corporate Alliance partnership offers a discount. One of my colleagues is very active in the ACFE’s online community because she gets to share experiences and knowledge with other CFEs. Sometimes, someone raises a good question that relates to something that we are working, which can be very useful in deciding the right approach to use.

What activities or hobbies do you like to do outside of work?

I am a car lover and like to drive. I own a BMW M2 Coupe which is a pretty fast car. I enjoy scenic drives in Hong Kong — from beaches to mountains, coastal roads to lanes between skyscrapers, all are wonderful experiences. Sometimes I gather some friends who also love to drive and test-drive cars. I have friends who own Porsches, Mercedes Benzes, Mini Coopers, Teslas and Toyota Alphards. I am also a foodie and I like to drive around different places in Hong Kong and try different food. Sometimes I discover wonderful local delights that surprise me and my friends. Hong Kong may be small in size, but the variety of delicious food is massive — more than anyone can imagine!

ACFE membership is open to individuals of all job functions, industries and levels of experience who are interested in the prevention, detection and deterrence of fraud. Our mission is to support you by providing access to the knowledge, resources and training you need to do your job now and at every stage of your career. If you want to level up your anti-fraud career, we can help.

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