Tuesday, June 25 | 8:30-9:45 AM
Level: Overview
Recommended Prerequisite: None
Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge
Tuesday morning's general session will feature two speakers.
First, Theranos whistleblower Tyler Shultz will accept the Cliff Robertson Sentinel Award. First awarded to Oscar-Winning actor Cliff Robertson in 2003, the ACFE's Sentinel Award carries the inscription, "For Choosing Truth Over Self." This award is bestowed annually on a person who, without regard to personal or professional consequences, has publicly disclosed wrongdoing in business or government.
Next, Bastian Obermayer, the investigative journalist who received the Panama and Paradise Papers from an anonymous source, will give a first-hand account of the data leak and the offshore tax havens uncovered by the papers. Obermayer will also be accepting the Guardian Award. This award is presented annually to a journalist whose determination, perseverance and commitment to the truth has contributed significantly to the fight against fraud. Nominees are chosen based upon their contributions in exposing specific acts of fraud and white-collar crime, and/or through helping to shine a spotlight on issues central to fraud and the worldwide effort to prevent and detect it.
Bastian Obermayer
Investigative Journalist, Panama Papers Recipient, 2017 Pulitzer Prize Winner Süddeutsche Zeitung
Bastian Obermayer works as deputy head of the investigative unit of the Munich-based Süddeutsche Zeitung.
He is the reporter who received the Panama Papers from an anonymous source. Obermayer is also author of several books, among them the best-selling account of the Panama Papers investigation, The Panama Papers: Breaking the Story of How the Rich and Powerful Hide Their Money.
He has received numerous honors for his work, including the 2017 Pulitzer Prize; the George Polk Award; the Barlett & Steele Award; and several German awards, including the Henri-Nannen-Preis, Theodor-Wolff-Preis, Helmut-Schmidt-Preis, Waechterpreis, Deutscher Reporterpreis and Otto-Brenner-Preis.
Tyler Shultz
Theranos Whistleblower
Tyler Shultz courageously blew the whistle at Theranos. Shultz complained to the public health regulators in New York and was a source for a series of Wall Street Journal articles exposing Theranos’ dubious blood-testing practices. Owing to his role in exposing the fraud, Shultz was featured in Bad Blood, the book about the scandal penned by John Carreyrou, the original author of the Wall Street Journal articles, as well as in Alex Gibney’s HBO documentary The Inventor. Currently, Shultz is the CEO and co-founder of Flux Biosciences, Inc., a Bay-Area startup. Flux Biosciences aims to bring medical-grade diagnostics into the homes of consumers by using cutting-edge technology to measure biomarkers related to stress, exercise and fertility. His efforts were recognized by Forbes when he was named to their “30 under 30” Health Care 2017 list.