NAB Whistleblower Says Australian Banking Industry Has “A Long Way to Go” in Promoting Ethical Behavior

The 2018 ACFE Report to the Nations on Occupational Fraud and Abuse showed that the leading detection method for fraud was through tips. This makes sense to Dennis Gentilin, NAB whistleblower, author of The Origins of Ethical Failures: Lessons for Leaders and Founding Director of Human Systems Advisory. “All organizations need to have in place good, formal whistleblowing systems,” he told the ACFE. “[They need to ask themselves] are we doing our best to create an environment within the organization where we encourage people to speak up?”

Gentilin spoke about Australian banking industry in particular. “I think they’ve got a long way to go,” he said. “With these systems that incubate and promote ethical failure, there’s not one thing that you can point to … I think banking lost its way. People say they put the shareholders first, but I think it went beyond that … the incentive schemes within the institutions created such enormous conflicts of interest.”

He will be joined by Kate McClymont, an investigative journalist, among others to address hundreds of anti-fraud professionals in Sydney this autumn at the 2018 ACFE Fraud Conference Asia-Pacific. The conference will be held 23-25 September at the Sheraton on the Park.

McClymont is an investigative journalist with the Sydney Morning Herald. She is a five-time winner of journalism’s most prestigious award, the Walkley, including the Gold Walkley for her coverage of the Bulldogs salary cap rorts. She believes journalists are pivotal in helping expose fraud. “The decline in suburban and regional newspapers has meant that there is less scrutiny of local councils. This is where the real corruption happens, with developers being the big winners,” she told the ACFE. “Journalists play a vital role in uncovering fraud and corruption often because informants find the media more approachable.”

Concurrent sessions will include discussions about digital crime, regulatory technology and more. This conference is an invaluable opportunity to hear from today’s anti-fraud leaders and for journalists in the region to meet and cultivate expert sources for future stories.

There are a limited number of press credentials and interview opportunities available. Please contact Sarah Hofmann, ACFE Public Information Officer at SHofmann@ACFE.com, or visit FraudConference.com/AsiaPac for more information.