Flag bearers from 52 different countries and regions marched in rhythm to the Boston Police Gaelic Column pipe band and signaled the start of Monday’s Opening General Session featuring U.S. Senator George Mitchell (ret.) as keynote speaker. Mitchell’s pointers on interviewing and his real-life accounts with high-profile fraud investigations made him a crowd favorite from the start. Mitchell kicked off what soon became the most successful ACFE Fraud Conference and Exhibition to date.

At lunch, John P. "Sean" Coffey, Co-Managing Partner for Bernstein, Litowitz, Berger & Grossman, LLP, entertained the audience by sharing some of his courtroom "war" stories. He said while attendees could potentially put him out of business, he doubted anyone would ever lack for fraudsters to fight since greed and need were two conditions of human nature that would never go out of style.