JERICHO, N.Y., Aug. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Global consulting
firm J.S. Held, proudly celebrating 50 transformative years,
welcomes Akhlaq Ahmed, a Senior
Managing Director in the firm's Global Investigations Practice.
Akhlaq is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of
England & Wales (ICAEW) and a seasoned expert helping
clients with accounting dispute and investigation matters. With
over 25 years of global, cross-sector experience, he advises
corporations, government agencies, regulators, investors, and law
firms on dispute, investigations, compliance, and regulatory
matters.
Akhlaq's addition to the J.S. Held team is timely as the full
implications of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act
2023, now law, should be front and center in corporate board rooms.
These include:
- expanded pre-investigation powers of the Serious Fraud Office
(SFO) and the National Crime Agency (NCA) – in line with the
induction of a new corporate offense for companies failing to
prevent fraud
- widened range of culpability and penalties for fraud (beyond
the direct perpetrator), in particular, making senior management
culpable to fines and criminal penalties should they fail to
protect the public against fraud risk
- extraterritorial implications of Schedule 13 Offences,
including false accounting, fraud by false representation, fraud by
abuse of position, and fraud by failing to disclose
information
Earlier this year, Nasdaq released the 2024 Global Financial
Crime report indicating that the total cost of financial crime,
likely well understated, is estimated to be USD 3.1 trillion.
Akhlaq Ahmed specializes in
undertaking focused proactive risk reviews, helping businesses
identify potential fraud risks before they escalate. "It is
apparent that many organizations are unaware of existing fraud or
corruption risk," Akhlaq explains. "Our proactive reviews of
financial accounting controls, policies, procedures, and practices
help identify red flags and support adherence to regulations like
the UK's Criminal Finances Act."
In reactive scenarios, Akhlaq conducts thorough financial and
accounting reviews to help establish the facts in disputes and
investigations. His work spans multiple sectors, including
pharmaceuticals, defense, technology, media, telecoms, retail, and
the public sector.
Greg Esslinger, Executive Vice
President and Global Investigations Practice Lead, shares, "Akhlaq
brings extensive experience in specialist accounting
investigations, including identifying accounting gaps and financial
'black holes'. He complements our expertise in Digital
Investigations & Discovery by applying his knowledge of
forensic technology and data analytics to make sense of financial
and accounting flows."
"Akhlaq's ability to synthesize complex financial data and his
experience with contract compliance investigations significantly
enhances our services," said Simon Placks, Senior Managing Director
and EMEA Lead for the Digital Investigations & Discovery
service line within J.S. Held's Global Investigations practice.
"His expertise in supply chain contract investigations and business
intelligence adds depth to our cross-functional teams."
"Akhlaq's diverse experience, particularly in supply chain
financial and accounting investigations, fills a gap in the EMEA
region," added Philip Worman, Senior
Managing Director of Global Investigations at J.S. Held.
Global Investigations at J.S. Held is home to recognized
leaders, strategic innovators, integrated collaborators, and
thought leaders who have created the next-generation investigations
practice together—a multidisciplinary team with global reach and
strong cultural competence. The team provides companies, legal
counsel, financial institutions, government agencies, and
high-profile individuals with the information required to make
well-informed business decisions.
The depth and breadth of our work across numerous markets
provide a strong foundation in risk assessment to advise insurance
and non-insurance clients as the company has continued to expand
and diversify. Today, teams serve organizations across six
continents, including 81% of the Global 200 Law Firms and 65% of
the Fortune 100 companies.
Learn more about the dedicated and entrepreneurial experts who
help transform J.S. Held, explore our story, and celebrate this
momentous milestone, our 50 & Forward celebration, with us at
jsheld.com.
About J.S. Held
J.S. Held is a global consulting firm that combines
technical, scientific, financial, and strategic expertise to advise
clients seeking to realize value and mitigate risk. Our
professionals serve as trusted advisors to organizations facing
high stakes matters demanding urgent attention, staunch integrity,
proven experience, clear-cut analysis, and an understanding of both
tangible and intangible assets. The firm provides a comprehensive
suite of services, products, and data that enable clients to
navigate complex, contentious, and often catastrophic
situations.
More than 1,500 professionals serve organizations across six
continents, including 81% of the Global 200 Law Firms, 70% of the
Forbes Top 20 Insurance Companies (85% of the NAIC Top 50 Property
& Casualty Insurers), and 65% of the Fortune 100 Companies.
J.S. Held, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not certified
public accounting firm(s) and do not provide audit, attest, or any
other public accounting services. J.S. Held, its affiliates and
subsidiaries are not law firms and do not provide legal advice.
Securities offered through PM Securities, LLC, d/b/a Phoenix IB, a
part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/ SIPC or Ocean Tomo Investment
Group, LLC, a part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/ SIPC. All rights
reserved.
Contact
Kristi L.
Stathis | Global Public Relations | +1 786 833 4864 |
Kristi.Stathis@jsheld.com
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