Meeting/Event Information

This session introduces a transformative approach to fraud prevention that goes beyond rules, controls, and detection. Drawing from personal experience and professional insights, I present a framework that integrates ethics, self-awareness, and gratitude into fraud risk management. Rather than focusing solely on symptoms, this approach addresses the underlying psychological and systemic factors that drive unethical behavior. Attendees will leave with practical tools to build fraud-resistant cultures rooted in trust, transparency, and ethical resilience.

We will be administering 2 Hours Ethics Training CPE credits to attendees. Lunch will be provided, included in your registration fee. Lunch will be served at 11:30 with time for networking, and the presentation will begin at 12 noon.

Key Takeaways:

·       Fraud Prevention Must Address the Human Element: Traditional methods often miss the “why” behind fraud. By examining rationalization, pressure, and ethical drift, organizations can better understand and mitigate the real drivers of misconduct.

·       Gratitude Is a Strategic Tool for Ethical Resilience: Gratitude counters entitlement, promotes reflection, and supports ethical decision-making. Incorporating it into training strengthens personal integrity and organizational culture.

·       Ethics and Fraud Prevention Are Stronger Together: Treating ethics and fraud prevention as a unified strategy creates a proactive model that reduces risk and fosters a lasting culture of integrity.

Bill Carlson is an ethics speaker and former investment advisor with over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. His journey from respected professional to incarcerated fraudster gives him a rare, firsthand perspective on the systemic and psychological forces that drive unethical behavior.

Before entering federal prison, Bill’s daughter asked him a question that continues to shape his life’s work: “Dad, what the hell were you thinking?” That moment sparked a deep exploration into the causes of unethical decision-making and a mission to help others avoid similar missteps, not just by following rules, but by confronting the conditions that make ethical lapses possible.

While incarcerated, Bill uncovered what he believes is the missing corner of the Fraud Triangle: trust. He also discovered how gratitude can serve as an antidote to unethical behavior by helping individuals resist pressure and rationalization. Today, he speaks to organizations and professionals about the role of ethical culture in preventing fraud from within.

Bill has delivered ethics-focused presentations at institutions such as Yale School of Management, Chicago Booth, the Rutland Institute for Ethics at Clemson University, Fordham University, and Northern Illinois University. His signature presentation, “Trust: The Missing Corner of the Fraud Triangle,” offers a compelling blend of lived experience, behavioral insight, and actionable tools to foster ethical resilience and fraud resistance in any organization.