Press Release
Alexis C. Bell, CEO of Fraud Doctor, has been elected as the global Chair for the Board of Regents of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE).
"It is truly an honor to have been elected as the Chair by fellow board members after being elected to the Board of Regents by my colleagues. First, I want to acknowledge my predecessor Chairs for their achievements and commit myself to continuing their good work. The previous Chairs, the dedicated ACFE staff, and antifraud professionals around the globe have worked tirelessly towards a common goal of reducing the incidence of fraud and white-collar crime. I consider it an honor to be working within a community of professionals who make integrity a daily part of the process. I love what I do. This role is the culmination of a career in fighting fraud and I consider it one of my greatest achievements," Bell said on Thursday at the ACFE Board of Regents meeting in Austin, Texas USA.
The ACFE [1] is the world's largest anti-fraud organization and premier provider of anti-fraud training and education. Together with more than 80,000 members, the ACFE is reducing business fraud world-wide and inspiring public confidence in the integrity and objectivity within the profession.
The Board of Regents [2] is elected by the certified members of ACFE. They are responsible for setting membership standards that promote professionalism and ensure the future of the organization as a whole. The Regents have sole authority over the admission of members, including but not limited to examination standards. They also establish continuing professional education requirements, and are responsible for establishing, modifying and enforcing the CFE Code of Professional Ethics as well as all other matters necessary to maintain the high standards of the ACFE.
Bell has been a member of the ACFE since 2004 when she transitioned from traditional accounting to forensic accounting [3]. She served as the Board Secretary of the Charlotte Area Chapter #28 of the ACFE from 2007 to 2008. In 2008, Bell was elected as Board President of the Charlotte Area Chapter #28 of the ACFE where she served in that capacity through 2010. The local chapters of the ACFE are tasked with providing training to the associate and Certified Fraud Examiners (CFE) members to aide them in fraud prevention , detection, and response through continuing professional education (CPE).
The Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) credential [4] denotes proven expertise in fraud prevention, detection and deterrence. CFEs are trained to identify the warning signs and red flags that indicate evidence of fraud and fraud risk. CFEs around the world help protect the global economy by uncovering fraud and implementing processes to prevent fraud from occurring in the first place.
CFEs have a unique set of skills that are not found in any other career field or discipline; they combine knowledge of complex financial transactions with an understanding of methods, law, and how to resolve allegations of fraud.
In addition to providing CPE credit hours, outreach programs are determined by the local chapter boards including areas such as law enforcement education, consumer fraud awareness for seniors, antifraud job placement, student scholarships, and more. "Back then, the fraud-related courses were just starting to appear at the universities. We found that many professors from the local universities and colleges attended our training sessions to better understand what they should be teaching students in the degree programs. Exposing them to concepts and methodologies we used everyday as antifraud professionals in our workplace helped to shape some of the programs you see today," Bell reflected.
In January of 2017, she was elected by fellow Certified Fraud Examiners (CFEs) to the ACFE Board of Regents [5]. At the February board meeting, she was elected as the global Board Treasurer [2].
Leah D. Lane, CFE (Chair); Jeanette LeVie, CFE (Advisory Member); Alexis C. Bell, CFE, PI (Treasurer); Bruce Dorris, J.D., CFE, CPA (Advisory Member); Vidya Rajarao, CFE, CA; Nancy E. Rich, CFE; Sidney P. Blum, CFE, CPA/CFF (Vice Chair); John Warren, J.D., CFE (Advisory Member).
Last Thursday, Bell was elected Chair of the board. She commented on her new role as the global Chair of the Board of Regents. "We have an experienced board with members having antifraud positions in diverse sectors and regions. As the ACFE continues to expand globally, I hope to provide perspectives from having experience in roles as an external forensic accounting consultant, in-house global antifraud program head, and now as an antifraud entrepreneur in both industrialized and developing economies. It is an honor to be able to give back to the organization that credentialed the antifraud profession. Together, we will ensure the membership standards and the CFE Code of Professional Ethics are held to the highest standards, reflecting what is required of us by the ACFE and its membership."
Jeanette LeVie, CFE (Advisory Member); Ryan C. Hubbs, CFE, CIA, CCEP; Tony Prior, MBA, CFE; Elizabeth Simon, CFE, CPA; Bruce Dorris, J.D., CFE, CPA (Advisory Member); Alexis C. Bell, CFE, PI (Chair); John Warren, J.D., CFE (Advisory Member), Vidya Rajarao, CFE, CA (Vice Chair) (Not Shown).
Fellow fraud fighters can meet Bell in person at these upcoming ACFE conferences:
Abu Dhabi, UAE | 25-27 February 2018
Las Vegas, NV USA | June 17-22, 2018
References
[1] ACFE. (n.d.). Who We Are. Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Retrieved from, https://www.acfe.com/who-we-are.aspx
[2] ACFE. (2017). Board of Regents. Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Retrieved from, https://www.acfe.com/board.aspx
[3] ACFE. (n.d.). The CFE Credential. Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Retrieved from, https://www.acfe.com/cfe-credential.aspx
[4] ACFE. (2017, December 26). Hooked on Fraud Fighting: How I Found My Passion and How I Give Back Now. ACFE Insights. Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Retrieved from, http://acfeinsights.squarespace.com/acfe-insights/alexis-bell-acfe-board-of-regents
[5] ACFE. (2017, January). CFEs Elect Two New Regents. Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Retrieved from, https://www.acfe.com/2017-new-regents.aspx