Kroll teams with Thrive Integrity to launch whistleblower advisory service
Global professional services firm Kroll has launched a ‘whistleblower advisory’ practice in Australia, citing the cost and damage caused by poorly-handled corporate scandals.
Driven by the risk advisory’s local head of investigations, managing director Gary Gill, the new service has been established in partnership with boutique whistleblowing advisory Thrive Integrity, run by Lauren Witherdin.
The pair pointed at a series of recent scandals involving the likes of ANZ, Wisetech, and the Super Retail Group as demonstrating the need for leadership to take a proactive approach to implementing clear whistleblowing programs.
“Ignoring whistleblowers or dealing with whistleblower disclosures inappropriately can lead to serious legal and financial consequences,” Gill said. “Recent scandals highlight the urgent need for effective whistleblowing programs, and with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) investigating multiple companies the stakes have never been higher.”
Gill’s experience in forensic investigations and financial crime risk management spans three decades, including roughly half of that time as a partner at KPMG, where he led the Big Four firm’s national forensics practice from 2009 to 2017. In addition to heading a number of high-profile investigations, Gill also previously supported the ASX in preparing its whistleblower policies.
In terms of implementing an effective program, Gills states; “An ethical and transparent corporate culture with active support from leadership is crucial for encouraging employees to speak up. Addressing disclosures appropriately is equally important, as whistleblowers will be discouraged from doing so if they are not taken seriously and their confidentiality isn’t protected.”
Witherdin meanwhile established Thrive Integrity in 2023 after previously working alongside Gill at KPMG, where she altogether spent more than two decades between the US and Australia and latterly served as national lead for the local firm’s whistleblowing services offering. Together with advisory, Thrive Integrity also delivers training in areas such anti-corruption and fraud awareness.
Speaking with The Australian, Witherdin noted that while many of the recent local scandals involved inappropriate personal behaviour by leaders, stringent whistleblowing systems could uncover more serious matters around bribery and corruption. She also cautioned against relying on internal risk or HR functions to address disclosures, in that they require a different form of handling.
