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The firm says demand for independent anti-money laundering and financial crime experts is soaring.
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KordaMentha recruits four forensic specialists
13 February 2023
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10 minute read
Four forensic specialists with financial crime and police experience are joining KordaMentha to boost its team as demand booms for its services.
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Adam Simms and Peter Chapman will be partners at the firm’s Sydney office, Andrew Howard starts as a partner in Brisbane and Chris Craner will be based out of Perth as an executive director.
KordaMentha forensic service line leader Brian Wood said the recruits were essential to meet the changing needs of clients.
“The uptick in demand is due to an increasing client focus on culture, integrity, governance and compliance which is driving increased regulatory oversight and spotlight by organisations on their ability to comply with regulatory and community expectations,” said Mr Wood.
“These areas of focus require clarity of facts so our clients can make high stakes commercial decisions with confidence that those decisions will withstand the highest levels of public and legal scrutiny.”
“Adam, Andrew, Chris and Peter all bring their own unique skill set from roles at organisations, such as the Australian Federal Police and other professional services firms, allowing KordaMentha to continue to service our ever growing client demand.”
The firm said Mr Simms joined with more than 25 years of investigation and financial crime risk management experience which included working with law enforcement, government agencies, private consulting, and financial institutions.
He brought substantial expertise in anti-money laundering, fraud control and investigations to help provide solutions for both private and public sector clients, KordaMentha said.
Mr Chapman joined the firm from KPMG where he was director of forensic technology. Before that he held a similar role at PwC and was also an acting sergeant in the NSW Police High Tech Crime Unit.
The firm said his expertise focused on IT incident response and management of forensic technology, while he had also been in charge of the provision of external consulting on IT governance issues and training regarding internal and external threats.
For the Brisbane office, Mr Howard brought more than 20 years of global experience that included giving evidence in mediations and court matters and working with law enforcement and government agencies.
Previously at BDO Australia where he was a partner in its forensic services practices, he had held commercial roles with responsibility for large-scale projects throughout Asia, Canada, South Africa and the Middle East.
Mr Craner said he was excited to use his investigative skills in the corporate world after a career that took in time as Wollongong Police District commander and as assistant commissioner at the AFP.
KordaMentha’s investigations leader and forensic partner Matthew Fleming said the appointments would help the firm meet the increasing demand.
“There is a growing need for objective and independent forensic services across the Australasian region,” said Mr Fleming.
“The environment for wrongdoing within our clients’ organisations is increasingly dynamic and we strive to stay ahead to prevent, detect and investigate on behalf of our clients.”
“The importance of independence, coupled with our breadth of knowledge and experience ensures the best outcomes for our clients in respect of factual investigations, fraud corruption, forensic technology and financial crime.”
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