Lead Trainer
Thomas Egan
Accounting and Finance Trainer
Thomas Egan brings over 30 years of global expertise in accounting and finance training. A member of ISCA, CPA Australia, ACCA, and a licensed US CPA, Thomas has held key technical roles in a Big 4 firm, an international bank, and the aviation sector. He served on committees shaping accounting standards, financial reporting, and XBRL. With a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Postgraduate Diploma in Strategic Finance from Oxford, he also holds the CFA certification for ESG Investing. Thomas’s extensive experience ensures a transformative learning experience for all participants.
Course Summary
When financial misstatements go undetected, the consequences can be far-reaching up to affecting portfolios, reputations and long-term business sustainability. In recent years, some of the most respected companies have faced steep consequences due to accounting irregularities that could have been uncovered earlier. This isn’t just a compliance matter. In today’s complex environment marked by evolving regulations, AI-assisted reporting and increasingly opaque valuations, finance teams are expected not only to report the numbers, but to interpret what they may be hiding. In this two-day workshop, forensic accounting expert Thomas Egan will equip you with the investigative tools used to identify red flags before they become risks. Through real-world case studies and hands-on simulations, you will:
- Examine how high-profile accounting frauds were eventually uncovered.
- Strengthen your professional scepticism and pattern recognition.
- Engage in live and investigative scenarios to build confidence in spotting inconsistencies.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will:
- Understand the techniques commonly used to commit creative accounting and financial reporting fraud.
- Be knowledgeable of the techniques, models and approaches used by professionals to detect accounting irregularities.
- Develop the skills to detect red flags common to accounting manipulation and fraud.
- Be introduced to the role of technologies such as digital reporting, AI, blockchain and cryptocurrencies in preventing or enabling creative accounting.
Course Content
- Creative Accounting & Fraud – Motivation and Impacts
- Detecting Creative Accounting – Methods & Examples
- Case Study Investigation
Across Day 1 and Day 2, you’ll examine around 15 real-world accounting scandals and financial collapses from global giants to notable Malaysian cases.