GETTING into the mind of a fraudster is the subject of a conference later this month. The organisers have secured convicted fraudster Nick Leeson as the keynote speaker at a pre-conference dinner hosted by law firm AO Hall on Thursday 15 June at the St Pierre Park Hotel.

Mr Leeson is famous for his role in one of the most famous fraud cases in recent history. He forced the collapse of Barings as a consequence of the $1.3bn he lost the investment bank.

‘Nick’s story brings to life the real need for the increased levels of due diligence and safeguards that financial institutions must now adhere to,’ said AO Hall partner Advocate Alison Ozanne.

In his after-dinner speech, Mr Leeson will talk about what happened at Barings, the lack of accounting safeguards, his capture and nine-month imprisonment in Frankfurt and the six years he spent in a Singapore jail for forgery and cheating.

‘As a jurisdiction Guernsey understands the reality of fraud and the damage it can cause and is extremely proactive in its measures to prevent and combat it,’ added Advocate Ozanne.

The conference, which takes place on Friday 16 June, is being staged in conjunction with the Training Agency.

Experts from Guernsey and the UK will share their expertise of how to identify, manage and understand the psychology behind corporate fraud.

Speakers from Baker and MacKenzie, PwC and Guernsey Police’s fraud department will be taking part in the conference, which is pitched at senior managers, compliance officers, business owners, auditors and anyone responsible for risk assessment and management.

The organisers are delighted that the Guernsey Financial Services Commission’s director-general Peter Neville will open it.

‘Fraud is a real risk to us all,’ he said. ‘Its cost to individuals, businesses and society is enormous. We are not immune to its effects and therefore complacency is not an option.’

Training Agency chief executive Professor Richard Conder said the conference was one of the most important events it has been involved with and was pleased to work with AO Hall.

‘The calibre of the presenters speaks for itself and we are delighted to have the full backing of the GFSC for this event, which is so important and relevant to the island’s finance industry.’

* To book places for the conference and dinner, contact the agency on 721555.