Women in the Anti-Fraud Profession

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Courtney Babin
ACFE Communications Coordinator

A new session debuted at the 26th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference in Baltimore that discussed an important niche within the anti-fraud community: women. This session, a women’s panel, broached topics that many women face in the anti-fraud industry, from leadership positions to juggling family life. In the latest Fraud Talk podcast, Liseli Pennings, CFE, Deputy Training Director for the ACFE, and Andi McNeal, CFE, Research Director for the ACFE, share their experiences and the struggles women might face as they begin the steps to building a career.

Intuitive intelligence, ability to multi-task under stress and attention to detail are just some of the many qualities women possess that will help them excel in the anti-fraud profession. However, Pennings and McNeal addressed some of the hurdles women must tackle in order to use these skills to the best of their abilities.

“I did, at times, feel some disadvantages because I always worked in a male-dominated field,” says Pennings. “I sometimes felt that I was treated differently.” Pennings, who has worked as a U.S. Special Agent and as a Law Enforcement Attaché, realized that it wasn’t her problem if someone had an issue that she was a woman in a male-dominated field — instead, it was theirs. “I kind of used it to my advantage to build upon myself and perfect the things that I wanted to do and focus on myself as a professional,” says Pennings.

Pennings and McNeal also discussed entering the profession as a young woman and how that can lead to feeling intimidated. “I remember, early on, starting out feeling extremely intimidated. Not necessarily by the specific individuals that I worked with but just because I was working with people that knew so much more than I did,” says McNeal. “For me personally, that’s going to be the situation that makes me feel the least confident.” McNeal found confidence in her early career by making it clear that she wanted to learn more. Expressing the desire to learn and displaying the confidence to admit, ‘I don’t know, but I’ll find out,’ shows peers that you take your job seriously.

The importance of ‘faking it till you make it’ was a heavy topic of discussion in the women’s panel and in the Fraud Talk podcast. “I think projecting an image of confidence, even if you aren’t confident, is important,” says Pennings. When working in a male-dominated field, a little confidence can go a long way. Whether you are an established woman in the higher echelons of your workplace or a young woman just beginning her career, confidence can get you to where you need to be.

As closing advice for professional women, Pennings and McNeal have powerful words of wisdom. Give yourself credit; don’t short-change yourself. Fake it until you make it with confidence, but in the end, believe you can get there. “Don’t worry too much about what other people think,” says Pennings. “I think we tend, especially when we are young females, to focus a lot on what other people think as opposed to what we want to accomplish.”

To hear the full podcast, visit ACFE.com/podcast.

The No. 1 Key to Professional Development: Always Be Learning

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Kathy Lavinder, CFE
Owner and Executive Director of Security & Investigative Placement Consultants

Is there one key to professional advancement and long-term success? Yes and that key is lifelong learning. Continuous learning is the hallmark of ambitious and curious individuals. That’s why I probe job seekers on their professional development efforts and activities. When getting to know a potential candidate and evaluating someone for a role I regularly ask these questions:

•  What courses have you taken recently? 
• Have you attended any seminars or training this year? 
• What are you reading to stay abreast of developments in your field? 
• What are your educational aspirations? 
• Are you working on any professional certifications?
• Is there someone in your organization, or elsewhere, who you view as a mentor?

The employers who rely on my firm to find them the best applicants for their fraud prevention, investigation and detection roles want to see candidates who are never satisfied with their professional status quo. So many résumés I receive emphasize years of experience when they should emphasize experience that reflects responsibilities that have changed, roles that have evolved and a progression in one’s career. Someone may say they have 20 years of experience, but I will want to determine if that 20 years of experience is really just one year of experience times 20. 

Here’s the bottom line: There is simply no more dynamic landscape than the one in which anti-fraud specialists work. That reality means continuous learning is essential, not optional. There are so many ways to learn, with peer learning being one of the most obvious and accessible. Do not view your peers as competition; view them as unique individuals who through different educational and professional paths can offer you the benefits of their experiences. Do not view your supervisor as simply the boss, but look to learn from this person. Even if you dislike someone’s management style, you can learn from a negative. You will see role models, and possibly mentors, all around you if you look.

Formalized professional development is at the heart of the ACFE experience. Mine the organization and its broad array of members who live to battle fraud, as well as the personal and professional relationships that grow out of membership in the ACFE for all that they can offer. Do not view your participation as a “tick-the-box” endeavor. You’ll be missing out on so much if you do. 

Also, don’t overlook your potential for contributions to the anti-fraud field. Give back, share, teach and mentor. You will also learn in that process. The questions posed to you, the scenarios others will lay out and the case studies that will be referenced can all add to your understanding and personal development. You’ll also gain confidence in public speaking while sharing your ideas and experiences in a supportive and collegial setting.

“Always be learning” should be your new mantra. With the ACFE as part of your broader peer group you will have the best platform possible for doing that.