Report to Members Provides Reflections on 2013

GUEST BLOGGER

Scott Patterson, CFE
ACFE Senior Public Relations Specialist

From the record-setting attendance at our 24^th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference to the impressive growth of our Corporate Alliance program, 2013 was a busy year for the ACFE. Yet none of these accomplishments would be possible without the hard work and commitment of all of our members spread across more than 150 countries. It is because of you that fraud examination is so well-regarded by business and government leaders around the globe. And, thanks to you, the ACFE is celebrating 25 years of service in the fight against fraud.

With this in mind, the new year is a great time to reflect on recent accomplishments and milestones and share them in our annual Report to Members.

First, a few numbers we highlighted in the Report:

• The ACFE grew to nearly 70,000 members
• Our Corporate Alliance added 17 new partners last year
• 38 percent of our new members reside outside the U.S.

The global growth is no accident: the ACFE has been increasingly focused on increasing our presence overseas and in 2013, we offered more training opportunities internationally, including events in Prague, Singapore, Montreal, Shanghai, Jakarta, Melbourne, Vancouver and Bahrain.

Most important, however, is our commitment to providing valuable benefits for ACFE members no matter where they call home. The Report reflects on the growth of the Career Center on ACFE.com, as well as new online resources and helpful tools (like the ACFE App) that make it easier for members to access the information they need, quickly and conveniently.

Did you know that the median total compensation for CFEs is 25 percent higher than for non-CFEs? Statistics such as that are in the 2013/2014 Compensation Guide for Anti-Fraud Professionals, and something new in the latest edition is the ACFE’s Salary Calculator. This helpful, online feature provides members the ability to create individual reports and compare their compensation to that of their peers.

I’m always drawn to our members’ own stories. The member profiles in the Report include a video interview with Grace Ghezzi, CFE, CFP, CPA, a veteran in the anti-fraud profession, who talks about how fighting fraud has changed over the years. There is also a written profile of Dr. Michael Wittenburg, CFE, the Head of Risk Quality & Fraud Risk Management for Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI), one of the newest members of the Corporate Alliance.

Last but not least, I hope you enjoy a video greeting from the San Antonio Chapter tipping their cap to the ACFE in recognition of a very special milestone.

Thank you to all of our members for making 2013 a year of accomplishments and successes. Together, we can reach new goals and continue to grow fraud examination worldwide in 2014 – and over the next 25 years and beyond.

The Report to Members: 2013 in Review is available in two formats: PDF and Multi-Touch Book for the iPad®. 

ACFE Report to Members: A Look Back at 2011

GUEST BLOGGER

Scott Patterson
ACFE Media Relations Specialist

At the end of every year, we sit down and put together our Report to Members. It’s a time to reflect on the ACFE’s success over the past 12 months and measure organizational growth and benefits for our members. From a development standpoint, it’s a creative time to design what we hope is a compelling and engaging publication that will inspire readers and get them as enthusiastic about the year ahead as we are.

This year, we tried something new. We compiled the ACFE’s biggest accomplishments of 2011 and mapped them out chronologically, from quarter to quarter. The 2011 Report to Members truly became a “Year in Review.” From the debut of our Advisory Council in January to the release of “Inside the Fraudster’s Mind” in December, the Report takes you on a journey through a year of successes and milestones in our mission to provide the best training and resources in the fight against fraud worldwide. The new ACFE.com, International Fraud Awareness Week, and new seminars and resources are just a few of the highlights covered in the Report.

One major aspect of creating the Report is selecting a theme. In this case, the choice, “Growing Your Global Network,” became obvious because of the networking opportunities provided through our international conferences, social communities, Advisory Council and Corporate Alliance.

Readers of our previous Report to Members will recall a new feature: a clickable video interview with an ACFE member. I really like this multimedia highlight, and we made sure to include one again this year -- an interview with Ronnie Booth, CFE. Booth, assistant auditor general for the U.S. Naval Audit Service, sat down with the ACFE during our 22^nd Annual Fraud Conference and Exhibition to talk about his experience as an anti-fraud professional and a CFE.

We also included two great member profiles: Andy Egloff, CFE, fraud investigations manager for EMEA, Dow Europe GmbH, Horgen in Switzerland; and Grace Corbett, CFE, BSA, director of risk management for Sun East Federal Credit Union in Pennsylvania. We think you will find things in common with these two professionals in their efforts as career fraud fighters.

I hope you’ll enjoy this reflection on 2011 as much as we enjoyed creating it. Here’s to all we accomplished together in 2011, and to even more success in 2012.