Member Spotlight

Peter Treyvaud, CPA

Compliance expert returns to 20th Century Fox

Peter Treyvaud, CPA, has nearly three decades of experience in the compliance and fraud risk management realm, and his work has taken him around the world. Currently the senior vice president of corporate compliance for 20th Century Fox, he has been a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) for a number of years. “The ACFE provides me with convenient access to fraud risk thought leadership, tools and techniques that have helped me to plan and execute our fraud risk management program and to ‘sell’ the benefits of the program to key stakeholders,” he said. “I also value the ability to easily connect with like-minded professionals through my ACFE membership.” 

How did you become passionate about fighting fraud? 

I have always been a compliance-oriented person, starting as far back as elementary school. Both of my parents were teachers at the school, so admittedly I didn’t have much choice but to comply. I obtained my bachelor’s degree in business and landed my first job as an external auditor in a government organization in the early 1990s. Three years into my career, I encountered my first fraudster. I still clearly remember interacting with this person during the audit process. Looking back, the tell-tale signs of dishonesty were present — however, they were not obvious to me at the time. This experience taught me that fraud was real and the person sitting across the table trying to explain their process could very well be covering up a fraud. Needless to say, this situation increased my resolve to uncover frauds going forward. 

What is one of the biggest lessons you have learned since entering the fraud prevention field? 

Professional skepticism is critical to identifying fraud, however, only a relatively low percentage of personnel interviewed during the life of a fraud risk management program are ultimately found to have fraudulent intent. To build and maintain credibility and effective ongoing working relationships within the broader organization, investigators (and auditors) need to find the proper balance of skepticism and pragmatism when evaluating fraud risk prevention plans. It is also important to adjust this balance according to the industry you work in, the expectations of executive management, and the expectations of the audit and compliance committee(s). 

What steps led you to your current position at 20th Century Fox? 

Starting in the mid-1990s, I worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Australia and the U.S. for 13 years. I built my core expertise in audit services and business process consulting across multiple companies, industries and cultures. In 2008, I began working for the Fox Entertainment Group (Fox) as head of internal audit. I managed a team of up to 20 auditors responsible for assessing the adequacy and effectiveness of internal controls and assisting in the investigation of suspected fraud (among other responsibilities). I left Fox to move back to Australia in December 2011, where I provided consulting services to a media company for 12 months, and then moved into a head of internal audit position for a state government entity. After two years working in Australia, I received a call from Fox asking if I was interested in returning to Los Angeles to head up the financial compliance team for the 20th Century Fox Film business — which included the opportunity to establish a fraud risk management function. I had previously enjoyed working with my former Fox colleagues and found the experience of working in a global entertainment company to be interesting, challenging and professionally rewarding, so after extended consultation with my family, we packed up again and returned to Los Angeles.

The fraud risk landscape continues to evolve, and new and unique opportunities for perpetrators to commit fraud arise every day, which is where the ACFE has certainly contributed to my development as a professional. Peter Treyvaud, CPA
Occupation:

Senior Vice President of Corporate Compliance

Industry:

Entertainment

Location:

California, U.S.

What is a memorable case or project that you have worked on? 

I have found all of the cases I have worked on to be memorable for a variety of reasons. However, there are two cases in particular that stand out. One case in Latin America was memorable due to the coordination of logistics from a remote location while keeping the element of surprise (for our fieldwork visit), and the verbal and written translation required during the background investigation and interview process. The second case was memorable due to the extensive internal network and web-based research required to identify the electronic footprint of the subject. In both cases, the extensive preparation positioned us well for the subsequent interviews, and both interviews went according to plan. It ended with the confirmation of key facts required to conclude the cases. Over time, the experiences and knowledge gained through the investigative process across diverse businesses and cultures have better positioned my team to work with management on the development and implementation of policies and procedures that have proved to be effective in managing the risk of fraud in a global business environment.     

How has membership in the ACFE impacted your professional development? 

While I have more than 25 years of experience combined in audit, compliance and fraud risk management in multiple countries, there is still much to learn. The fraud risk landscape continues to evolve, and new and unique opportunities for perpetrators to commit fraud arise every day, which is where the ACFE has certainly contributed to my development as a professional. The ACFE membership base is at the forefront of preventing and detecting fraud, and the ACFE is very effective at collating and leveraging these member experiences into the design of training programs and conference agendas that are current and relevant to the fraud-fighting community. 

What activities or hobbies do you like to do outside of work? 

Spending time with family, traveling, fishing, golf, relaxing and catching up on the latest news in the nearest coffee shop. 

ACFE membership is open to individuals of all job functions, industries and levels of experience who are interested in the prevention, detection and deterrence of fraud. If you want to level up your anti-fraud career, we can help.

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