2025 Baker Award: Leah Lane, CFE

Every year, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) recognizes exceptional individuals for their contributions to the fight against fraud. These remarkable professionals not only serve as an inspiration to others but stand as pillars of integrity in their communities, and we are proud to honor them for their service. 

The James R. Baker Speaker of the Year Award is presented annually to honor an individual who has demonstrated the true spirit of leadership in communication, presentation and quality instruction. In 2008, the year of its inception, James Baker, CFE, was posthumously presented with his namesake award, recognizing his contribution to the education of fellow anti-fraud professionals as an ACFE faculty member. 

Leah Lane, CFE, Director of the Investigations Practice at SunHawk Consulting, LLC, is the 2025 Baker Award recipient. She has more than 35 years of combined experience in managing, conducting and assisting on global public and private sector investigations involving allegations of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations, internal and external fraud, and employee misconduct. She has presented investigative findings to corporate and government entities both nationally and internationally that directly led to major employment, civil and criminal actions.    

Lane’s career has focused on investigations and fraud prevention. Prior to her current role, Lane was the director of Global Investigations at Texas Instruments Inc., overseeing cases of fraud, IP theft and misconduct. Before joining Texas Instruments, Lane was the audit fraud manager at JCPenney, where she managed investigations and developed fraud awareness programs. Lane holds a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice from the University of Southwestern Louisiana.  

Additionally, Lane is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and an active member of the ACFE. She was elected to the ACFE Board of Regents in 2016, elected chairman of the Board of Regents in 2017, and has served on the ACFE Advisory Council and the ACFE Board of Review.   

She began public speaking in 2011 regarding fraud risk assessments and continues to be an active lecturer and instructor globally on various fraud related subjects, including investigations, building investigation teams and maturing investigative programs. Lane has been a frequent speaker at the ACFE’s Global Fraud Conference, including the upcoming 36th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference where she will be leading the “Investigative Interviewing Internationally” session and a two-day “Conducting Internal Investigations” post-conference session. In addition to her conference contributions, she also conducted a self-study course through the ACFE titled, “Building and Maturing Your Internal Investigations Programs”. 

Lane’s commitment to fighting fraud, along with her sharing experience in fraud investigation and prevention, is a prime example as to why she is this year’s ACFE Baker Award winner. Congratulations to Leah Lane on receiving the 2025 Baker Award!