Michael Varnum is a Managing Director at Kroll Advisory Solutions, where he focuses on development of our anti-corruption and AML Due Diligence, as well as fraud and financial crimes investigations.

Previously, Michael was a Senior Vice President, Anti-Fraud, Corruption & Corporate Transparency for Corporate Risk International (CRI), which was acquired by Altegrity in 2010.  Prior to joining CRI in 2007, Michael was the President of MEVarnum Consulting and served as a Senior Managing Director for Decision Strategies, and later Vance/Garda where he managed and conducted a wide range of risk consulting, investigative and security projects for global clients.
 

Michael joined the private sector in 2003 after a distinguished career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, by which time he had become internationally recognized as a leader in law enforcement and the intelligence community.  Michael culminated his FBI career as member of the organization’s Senior Executive Service (SES).  As the Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI Norfolk Virginia office, home to the largest naval base in the world, he led area law enforcement intelligence and investigative operations during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States.  Michael also served as the Inspector – Deputy Assistant Director of the Human Resource Branch and Personnel Officer where he directed the FBI’s hiring process and was in charge of over 2000 human resource specialists and background investigators.  Additionally, Michael has also held numerous senior level and leadership roles in operational assignments which concentrated on white collar crime, counterterrorism, organized crime and human resource issues.  In his role as Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Chief of Public Corruption/Economic Crimes, FBI Headquarters, he managed, directed and provided oversight for many of the FBI's most sensitive corruption, fraud and white collar crime investigations.

Professional Experience

• FCPA Due Diligence. Managed and executed hundreds of large scale investigative due diligence, with particular emphasis on FCPA assignments and third party compliance screening, for international financial institutions and multinational companies. Michael’s project experiences cover a wide range of industry sectors such as real estate, energy, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing and distribution, and he has conducted expert source-driven reputation inquiries in emerging market.
• Investigation.  On behalf of a consortium of high profile businessmen from Central America, Michael managed an extensive anti-fraud/corruption/FCPA investigation.  The allegations focused on widespread corruption by officials of a state-owned telecommunications company which was believed to be providing favorable agreements and rates to select telecommunications companies.   Michael directed extensive research, asset searches, record collection, review and analysis as well as numerous interviews in both Central America and the United States which corroborated the scheme.  The interviews in the U.S. of company owners focused not only on the immediate potential fraud scheme in Central America but also on the more serious violations of the FCPA.  The investigation was the prelude to an eventual and significant FCPA sanction against a U.S. based telecommunication’s company.  
• Risk Assessment.  Managed a sensitive risk assessment and investigation for a client in the health care industry regarding the sexual assault of a patient at their facility.  The risk assessment entailed a thorough internal review to identify potential risks at the facility and weaknesses in policies and operational protocols.  Michael also directed a parallel investigation requiring research analysis and numerous interviews of potential subjects and staff members relating to the alleged sexual assault and other parallel allegations.  The overall risk assessment and investigation provided valuable recommendations and protocol and procedures, as well as, critical litigation support. 
• Litigation Support.  To assist and provide litigation support to major law firm, Michael managed a lengthy and complex inquiry regarding a large insurance claim filed by a major U.S. corporation for expenses generated as a result of the detention of several executives on charges of environmentally contaminating surrounding waterways because of the company’s processes and operations. Michael directed extensive research and analysis regarding the extensive facts relating to the insurance claim and interviews to establish validity to potential corruption allegations that surfaced during the inquiry.  This inquiry ultimately helped the client to significantly reduce the insurance claim.
• Internal Investigation.  Managed an internal investigation for a major shipping company regarding a managing director for their European operations who was alleged to have personal ownership interests in various vendors doing business with the shipping line.  Further, the managing director was alleged to be taking “kick back” money from several suppliers and was also purported to hold ownership interest in a shipping agency that provides services to a direct competitor to shipping company.  Michael directed extensive and discreet research and analysis, reputational source inquiries, asset searches and interviews.  The investigation conducted provided additional information which helped the client corroborate the base allegation and arrive at a final resolution concerning the managing director.   
• Investigation.  As a trusted advisor to a major for profit educational institution Michael assisted the client with reducing their student loan default rates.  Michael utilized the firm’s extensive intelligence capabilities, as well as, a vast nationwide network of on the ground resources to help our client locate difficult to reach students in, a cost efficient manner, so that the client could continue negotiating a resolution to the individual loans. By employing the full strength of the firm’s technical and investigative resources Michael was able to help the client strengthen their default reduction plans by helping manage delinquency and cohort default rates.

Education, Certifications & Recognitions

• Ricker College, Bachelor of Science Business Administration, Economics and Accounting
• Certified Fraud Examiner