Heard in the Halls: Women in the Anti-Fraud Profession

In honor of the ACFE's first-ever Women's Networking Reception at the 28th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference, today's Heard in the Halls will feature our female fraud fighters.

"I'm at the head of the fraud investigations department in my organization and I think it would be helpful to have more female professionals in this field. I think they'd feel like they had more support if they had more women to look up to. I also think it's possible that if women want to report fraud or security matters, they could feel uncomfortable if the company is male-dominated." — Anna Kwok, CFE, Deputy, Corporate Security & Investigations, First Republic Bank

"Having the first women's networking event is a huge step forward into our century for the ACFE. More and more we need to identify and support the women that are in the anti-fraud profession, specifically an industry that once was comprised of all men. In some countries women are still climbing their way into this industry, and as women of the ACFE, we need to support them." — Leah D. Lane, CFE, Chair of the ACFE's Board of Regents

"I attended this conference to network with others, specifically with other women. I’m in public accounting and while a large number of current graduates are female, I don’t actually have many women to look up to as a resource. So I’m really looking forward to the women’s networking event later this evening to make those connections. I think it’s really important for women to support one another." — Kristi R. Blausey, CFE, CPA, Blue & Co., LLC

"I think women in the profession are very strategic and inquisitive on the questions they ask, so it's very important for us to be in the anti-fraud field." — Barbara Oakey, CFE, CAMS, Independent Consultant

"We work at the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, D.C., and at the bank we have a women's professional network group that we gather twice a week to plan events in order to give advice to women for their careers — not only in accounting or fraud, but in technology and other backgrounds. We speak about work-life balance, how women can raise their voices when they escalate to the top of their organizations." — Maria Eugenia Bruchmann, Inter-American Development Bank (left in photo)

"There is still a low percentage of women that work in higher positions. I work in the human resources area and this is a goal now — we are trying to encourage women to move up. Networking is very good because you can use your professional skills to help other women that don't have the same access and opportunities that you do." — Emma L. Pazos Loarte, Inter-American Development Bank (right in photo)