2026 Cressey Award: Her Excellency Dato’ Seri Wan Suraya Wan Mohd Radzi
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The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) is honored to recognize Her Excellency Dato’ Seri Wan Suraya Wan Mohd Radzi as the recipient of the 2026 Cressey Award, a prestigious honor recognizing lifetime achievement in the detection and deterrence of fraud.
Established in 1989, the Cressey Award is the ACFE's highest honor. It is bestowed annually for a lifetime of achievement in the detection and deterrence of fraud. The Cressey Award is named in honor of one of the foremost experts on fraud and a founding father of the ACFE, Dr. Donald R. Cressey (1919-1987).
Wan Suraya was appointed as the 20th Auditor General of Malaysia in 2023, bringing more than 30 years of strategic leadership in public sector governance. In her role, she exemplifies visionary leadership in advancing the National Audit Department's mission to uphold the highest standards of accountability, transparency and good governance within the public sector. Under her stewardship, the department has evolved from a conventional compliance department into a strategic partner in risk governance and anti-fraud assurance reinforcing its vital role in safeguarding public funds and trust.
Among her notable achievements is the landmark amendment of the Audit Act 1957 (Act 62), which broadened the audit mandate in Malaysia and introduced the “Follow the Public Money” approach, which empowers the Auditor General to trace and account for the use of public money in Malaysia wherever it flows. She also championed the introduction of the Auditor General’s Dashboard (AGD), an innovative, real-time digital monitoring tool accessible to the public, which supports the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) 2024–2028. This enhances transparency, promotes timely follow-up on audit recommendations and strengthens the enforcement of corrective actions.
Her career has spanned top-tier policy roles across various fields, including Secretary-General of the Ministry of National Unity and Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (MEDAC) respectively. She has also held senior roles in the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) with more than 20 years of experience in trade negotiation and industrial development, the Chief Executive Officer position of the Malaysian Institute of Integrity, and diplomatic assignments in Brussels and Singapore.
Wan Suraya currently chairs or co-chairs working groups at various organizations, including the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) and the ASEAN Supreme Audit Institutions (ASEANSAI). She is currently the Chair of the ASEANSAI Knowledge Sharing Committee, INTOSAI Working Group on Follow-up Audit (WGFA) and the ASOSAI Working Group on State-Owned Enterprises Audit (WGSOEA) as well as being a Member of the ASOSAI Governing Board for the 2024–2027 term.
Her Excellency Dato’ Seri Wan Suraya has a legal background from the University of Sheffield and Lincoln's Inn. She also has professional certifications from Harvard Business School, the General Electric Management Campus, Crotonville in the United States and the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva.
The ACFE proudly recognizes Wan Suraya’s exceptional contributions to strengthening governance, promoting transparency and advancing anti-fraud efforts. The 2026 Cressey Award will be presented in recognition of her achievements at the 37th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference, July 12–17, 2026, held in Boston, Massachusetts, and virtually.
