SkyStem

The SkyStem Podcast is a place where we ponder topics around finance and accounting, including the people, process and technology that drive the back-office function. We explore ideas relating to process improvement, technology, corporate governance and fraud. SkyStem LLC is the maker of ART – a SaaS solution that helps CFOs and Controllers shorten the month-end close.

Fraud Story - Paul H.

This is the story of Paul H., an accountant who stole more than $1 Million from his clients through his bookkeeper business.

09-10
04:40

Fraud Diary - Kubient

This is the story of tech company, Kubient, and its former CFO and Audit Committee Chair, who fabricated information surrounding the company's nascent revenue scream and lied to its auditors as part of their scheme to conceal the fraud.

12-18
07:08

Fraud Story: IRL Social App

This is the story of IRL, an up and coming social app that was once valued at $1 Billion, until it was revealed that most of its users were fake.

12-13
04:28

Fraud Story: FTX / Prager Metis

This is the story of FTX's external auditor firm, Prager Metis, and the role it might have played in contributing to the spectacular collapse of FTX in November 2022.

10-10
05:15

How Milford Federal Streamlined Month-End Reconciliations and Saved Time During Audit

Milford Federal Bank is headquartered in Milford, MA, and has been serving its communities since 1887 for over 136 years. Today, it has roughly an asset size of $500 million and 4 locations. In this session, we’re thrilled to have Melissa Mestre, VP Finance at Milford Federal Bank, share her firsthand experience with SkyStem ART.

09-27
32:36

Fraud Diary - Janet Mello

This is the story of Janet Mello, a civilian who is accused of stealing $100 million from the Army.

12-08
06:16

Mastering Efficiency: How UWCU Elevated the Month-End Close Process Through Automation

University of Wisconsin Credit Union is a $5 Billion dollar institution headquartered in Madison, WI. With more than 300,000 members. UWCU is the third largest credit union in the state of Wisconsin and currently operates 29 full service branches throughout the Madison and Milwaukee metro areas. In this webinar, we will chat with Sandy O’Connor, the Director of Accounting Operations at UWCU, about her accounting team’s journey into the world of month-end close automation and how that made an impact on her team’s closing process today.

11-27
50:25

Fraud Diary - Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

This is the story of Tom Stalf, Pete Fingerhut and Greg Bell, who were indicted this month and are charged with fraud and misuse of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium's assets to the tune of $2 million.

09-21
06:26

Fraud Diary - John Nock

This is the story of John Nock, an Arkansas businessman convicted in $18 million investment fraud conspiracy this September 2023

09-07
04:36

Fraud Story: Aimee Boch

This is the story of Aimee Boch and her non-for-profit Feeding Our Future, along with 60 other individuals, orchestrated a $240 million scheme to defraud a federal program designed to feed underprivileged children.

07-24
09:11

Becoming a CEO With a Vision for Technology and Teamwork

Check out the latest episode of the CUES Podcast, "Becoming a CEO With a Vision for Technology and Teamwork," with guest Dana DeFilippis, CCE, CEO of Merck Sharp & Dohme Federal Credit Union. Now CEO at the credit union for two years, DeFilippis has leveraged the knowledge she gathered to help her use technology and teamwork to promote staff innovation and better serve members.

06-15
21:50

Chit Chat: Elevating the Month-End Close Process Through Automation -- Lancaster Leaf

Lancaster Leaf Tobacco Co., Inc., is a subsidiary of Universal Corporation, the leading global leaf tobacco supplier. Lancaster Leaf manages Universal’s dark air cured tobacco operations in all relevant traditional dark air-cured origins. Lancaster Leaf supplies virtually all of the major cigar manufacturers in the U.S. with filler, binder, and wrapper from the U.S. and other origins. In addition to domestic supply, Lancaster exports filler, binder, and wrapper to international cigar manufacturers. Lancaster Leaf contracts directly with farmers in all dark air cured growing regions around the world including the United States, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Paraguay, and Ecuador. Join Raul Perez, VP and CFO of Lancaster Leaf, in this one hour webinar as we discuss his team’s journey to modernizing his finance and accounting operations.

05-30
50:39

Fraud Diary - Ali and Yousef Jaafar

This is the story of Ali and Yousef Jaafar, a father and son who were sentenced to federal prison this month in connection with a massive "ten-percenting" scheme that resulted in over $20 million dollars in fraudulent lottery winnings.

05-26
04:03

Fraud Diary: George Constantine, Marc Elefant and Andrew Dowd

This is the story of George Constantine, Marc Elefant and Andrew Dowd. These three individuals, together with others, attempted to defraud their victims of more than $31,000,000 through "trip and fall" accidents in New York.   Episode source: https://dailyvoice.com/new-york/mamaroneck/31m-trip-fall-fraud-scheme-attorneys-doctor-sentenced-for-defrauding-ny-businesses/ 

04-28
05:36

Fraud Diary - Guo Wengui

This is the story of Guo Wengui, who was arrested this week for allegedly orchestrating a complex $1 billion fraud scheme that duped online followers with promises of outsized investment returns.

03-17
04:52

Fraud Diary - Deloitte China

This is the story of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP ("Deloitte China"), who paid a $20 million penalty to the SEC for asking clients to perform their own audit testing, and presenting the results as its own.

01-09
04:02

Boost Month-End Efficiency by Going Paperless - Pinnacle Financial Partners, Inc.

This Chit Chat session features Jonna Wall, Financial Analyst of Pinnacle Financial Partners, a ~$40 Billion (assets as of 06/30/2022)  publicly traded financial institution based in Nashville, TN with locations in many markets throughout the southeast. Join us as we discuss the Bank’s journey to become more efficient during month-end close, at a time when it was also going through a period of tremendous growth.

12-14
43:22

Lula Strong

Excellent resource! Thank you, I enjoy listening. By the way, many useful ideas for improving technological and communication processes can be found in Office Technology https://www.kdi-inc.com/. It is interesting to discuss what is proposed here in your podcasts.

12-26 Reply

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