Felix Vetter

He also has expertise in sports advisory services and supports stakeholders across sport with investigations, forensic accounting, and advice on governance and integrity frameworks.

Prior to joining Ankura, Felix spent three years at a risk consulting firm and 10 years working for a Big 4 firm in London, specializing in the provision of multi-jurisdictional investigations.

Felix’s professional experience includes:

Forensic Investigations

• Conducted several high-profile investigations for a German listed business into wide ranging allegations made by whistleblowers and the press of serious financial misconduct and financial misreporting. Tracing transactions through a complex network of international partners and working alongside international law firms to manage media scrutiny and auditors.
• Led a large regulatory investigation into allegations of bribery in East Africa for a UK listed multinational. This included conducting a surprise on-site visit to secure evidence and assisting the client in implementing immediate director level staff changes to ensure business continuity. It also involved working alongside in country and international law firms to report investigation findings to the relevant regulators and law enforcement agencies.
• Investigating concerns over the misuse of funds at a member association for a global sports federation. The work involved a forensic review of financial records, key contracts, interviews with senior members of the association, and business intelligence inquiries on suspected related party relationships.
• Led investigations in Eastern Europe and the Middle East for a U.S. listed pharmaceuticals company into bribery and corruption allegations concerning their distributors and engagement with HCPs.
• Led numerous other investigations in Africa, Eastern Europe, Russia, Middle East, and Asia for several global UK listed businesses. Allegations investigated included bribery and corruption, sanction breaches, manipulation of financials, and large-scale embezzlement of funds through related party companies. Work performed included review of electronic documentation and financial records, conducting interviews, forensic data analytics, and investigating related party links.
• Investigated a financial statement “black hole” which included conducting interviews, review of electronic documents, linking a high volume of complex accounting transactions, and an accounts reconstruction. The work led to uncovering the root cause, allowing the company to recover missing cash.
• Managed an investigation for a supplier to a large British retailer into their commercial relationship with the retailer following its public announcement of improprieties in commercial income recognition.

Compliance

• Conducted in-country compliance reviews for a global sports federation spanning more than 30 countries across five continents that included assessing controls, interviews, and targeted transaction testing.
• Led data analytics driven country compliance monitoring visits throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Asia as part of an anti-bribery and corruption monitoring program for a global pharmaceuticals company.

Transactions

• Experience in transaction dispute services through working on a number of earn-out and completion accounts disputes for a FTSE 100 business. This involved preparing or reviewing the completion working capital, identifying any opportunity areas for our client, and assisting in negotiating a final purchase price.
• Conducted anti-bribery and corruption due diligence on an acquisition target in the consumer products sector with operations in high-risk jurisdictions including Saudi Arabia, India, and Nigeria.