Interview: “Independent investigation, decisive action, and integrity as a guiding principle strengthen a company’s internal resilience”

Ms Kim-Reinartz, how do geopolitical uncertainties and technological advances influence corporate ethical standards and encourage illicit actors to commit embezzlement, bribery or corruption? 

Anita Kim-Reinartz: Companies are currently facing major challenges due to geopolitical and economic uncertainties and rapid advances in technology. One example is the recent executive order in the United States which temporarily suspends measures against bribery and corruption on the part of foreign officials. Such economic policy actions significantly increase uncertainty for economic actors, leading to a decline in corporate resilience and weakening our shared understanding of integrity. Technological advances intensify competition and create new types of unethical attacks, further endangering company stability in unpredictable ways.

How can companies protect themselves from these risks and how should they handle critical situations? 

Kim-Reinartz: Companies can protect themselves by promoting strong integrity and transparency, including implementing a robust compliance program that is regularly reviewed and updated to meet current legal requirements.

Companies must ensure that their employees are well trained and that clear communication channels exist to identify and address violations early on. Open and transparent communication strengthens employees’ and stakeholders’ trust, which in turn increases the company’s resilience. 

How can forensics help reduce complex threats?

Kim-Reinartz: Today’s Risks are closely interconnected and therefore require a comprehensive approach. For this reason, we advocate not viewing them in isolation, but as a whole and in their full complexity. Our approach is based on three central steps: See Risk, Take Risk, and Manage Risk.

Particularly for the last step, “Manage Risk” the use of technical means is highly relevant for both investigation and prevention.

Modern forensic tools level the playing field, allowing experts to use high-tech tools just as much as potential threat actors. These include AI solutions that recognise suspicious patterns in big data and make it possible to examine suspicious transactions more closely, for example.

The primary concern is not whether issues are actual violations or process gaps; consistent and decisive action builds a solid foundation for a prevention strategy.

So a holistic perspective is needed?

Kim-Reinartz: Exactly. That’s why we have a three-pronged approach: “see risk”, “take risk”, “manage risk”. This includes a new perspective that enables a comprehensive view of risks at all levels of the company to manage or mitigate risks. In forensics, we follow the “prepare, detect, respond, emerge stronger” approach. Companies prepare by optimising their processes and training their teams. They identify potential violations at an early stage and can also effectively respond to threats through the use of advanced technologies. Finally, they emerge stronger from incidents by continuously learning and evolving their security strategies. By combining process optimization, targeted training, and an in-depth understanding of (digital) risks, companies can build robust capabilities and mechanisms to effectively protect against economic crime.

What changes do you expect in your field in the next few years?

Kim-Reinartz: The work of forensic experts will become more interdisciplinary, involving closer cooperation with data science and cybersecurity specialists. The constant monitoring and tracking of geopolitical and technological developments will also become increasingly important.

In addition, the focus on preventive measures and proactive risk identification will continue to increase. This is where “see risk” comes into play again: assessing and evaluating risks differently in light of new challenges.