’The personal and social impact of fraud can be huge. That is why I like to contribute to its prevention’, Emekor Evans says. ’I have a dual role at Deloitte - I am a specialist, but also Program Lead Fraud Support Program, a program in which forensic experts work closely together with audit teams. Usually these are two different disciplines, but our intensive collaboration allows us to offer in-depth quality. We ensure that proper attention is being paid to fraud and compliance, we look at trends in financial crime and the industry, and identify incidents that have occurred. Our goal is to make both auditors and companies aware of risks in order to reduce potential impact and damage.'

Emekor is a criminal lawyer. She worked for the Court of Amsterdam where she focused on financial crime. ’When you work in law, you tend to look from a distance at what has already taken place. I wanted to be closer to the action and that is why I met up with Deloitte. As it turned out, we are on the same page: Deloitte has a strong focus on the public interest. My job is to offer a different perspective to our audit colleagues.’ Frank Cederhout explains: ’Accountants have been involving IT specialists for years when they are dealing with a complex IT environment, and a valuation specialist is involved for the valuation of real estate. In the context of fraud or compliance, it makes sense to have someone with that kind of experience and expertise in your team. After all, you can’t specialise in everything yourself. Our team has a diverse profile, but we all share the same sense of justice and the mission to fight fraud.'

Frank: ‘As Forensic Accountants we participate in the entire audit process. We don't just look at the red flags, but also evaluate the impact on the audit. My work is both proactive and reactive. If something goes wrong, I will investigate what happened; what are the facts, how did it happen and what to do to limit the damage. But I also share lessons learned with audit teams for example, so that they become more aware of possible risks. We aim to provide the audit practice with as much knowledge as possible.’ Emekor: ’Not every client is equally eager to talk about fraud risks and their responsibilities in that context. For some, it can be a difficult subject. Sometimes it takes intensive discussions, but it is always wonderful to help clients broaden their perspective and to conclude on risks to be taken into consideration.'

Emekor and Frank work for many international clients. ’In the first week of this year I had online meetings with Nigeria, Mexico, Cambodia and Brazil. That kind of diversity is one of the things I enjoy in my job’, Emekor says with a smile. ’But there is also plenty of room for personal development. I had just been working at Deloitte for three months when I was invited for a three-day training course. The training was aimed at further developing my natural and acquired skills and optimum use of these skills in my new role. That’s a perfect example of Deloitte's approach. Your skills and expertise are the starting point and Deloitte is willing to invest in that.’ Frank nods: ’The work as a Forensic Accountant is basically the same, wherever you work. It’s the people who make the difference, as well as the attention that is paid to you at Deloitte. Attention to the work we do, to the people we work with and to society.'