KordaMentha bolsters leadership team of Forensic practice
Australian advisory firm KordaMentha has bolstered its Forensic practice with the hire of three partners and an executive director across its offices in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.
The latest group of new hires see Adam Simms and Peter Chapman join KordaMentha’s partnership in Sydney, while Andrew Howard becomes a partner in Brisbane, and Chris Craner joining the ranks as an executive director in Perth.
The new hires arrive in response to growing demand for forensic services, said Forensic service line leader, Brian Wood. “The uptick in demand is due to an increasing client focus on culture, integrity, governance and compliance which is driving increased regulatory oversight and a spotlight by organisations on their ability to comply with regulatory and community expectations.”
“Adam, Andrew, Chris and Peter all bring their own unique skillset from roles at organisations in industry and professional services, allowing KordaMentha to continue to service our ever-growing client demand,” he added.
Adam Simms has more than 25 years of investigation and financial crime experience (anti-money laundering, fraud investigations), which includes practising law and working within law enforcement, government agencies (State and Commonwealth), private consulting and financial institutions (banking and insurance).
Simms joins KordaMentha from BDO, where he was a partner in the firm’s Forensic practice. Earlier, he spent five years with PwC, KPMG and Control Risks, following a two-decade tenure at the Police in Australia and the United Kingdom.
Andrew Howard also crosses from BDO, where he spent nearly two decades across two spells. Most recently a partner in the Forensic practice, he has more than 20 years of experience working in Australia, the United Kingdom and throughout Europe and Asia.
Howard has provided expert evidence in mediations and court matters and has worked in conjunction with various law enforcement and government agencies. His track record includes leading and resolving high risk and complex investigations in Australia and beyond. He also acted as an independent accounting expert on cases involving personal injury, loss of profits, breach of contracts, negligence, counterfeit claims, fraud and financial investigations.
Chris Craner brings more than 30 years of policing experience, including executive leadership roles for the NSW Police Force and the Australian Federal Police.
As Chief Security Officer for the Australian Federal Police he was responsible for the Security Command working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to promote a strong security culture and implement protective security measures to safeguard people, operations, information, systems and assets.
Peter Chapman joins KordaMentha from KPMG, where he was Director of Forensic Technology. His responsibilities included management of a forensic technology, IT incident response and electronic discovery consulting team, provision of external consulting on IT governance issues and training regarding internal and external threats.
Prior to KPMG, Chapman held a similar role at PwC, and was an Acting Sergeant in the NSW Police High Tech Crime Unit.
In 2022, KordaMentha was named one of Australia’s leading consulting firms for forensic services.
