Joseph T. Wells, CFE, CPA
Founder and Chairman
Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
Austin, TX

Joseph T. Wells is founder and Chairman of the Board of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, the world's largest anti-fraud organization. After graduating with honors from the University of Oklahoma, Mr. Wells spent two years on the audit staff of Coopers and Lybrand.

He then was appointed a Special Agent of the FBI. Over the next ten years, Mr. Wells investigated thousands of fraud cases, ranging from nickel-and-dime con artists to former Attorney John Mitchell for his role in the Watergate case. In 1982, he left the government to form Wells & Associates, a firm of criminologists specializing in fraud detection and deterrence.

Since becoming Chairman of the ACFE in 1988, Mr. Wells has lectured to tens of thousands of business professionals, written thirteen books, and authored scores of articles and research projects. His writing has won numerous awards, including the top articles of the year for both Internal Auditor Magazine and the Journal of Accountancy.

In addition to his duties as ACFE chairman, Mr. Wells is a former adjunct professor of fraud examination at the University of Texas where his pioneering work has been recognized by the American Accounting Association, which named him Accounting Education Innovator of the Year in 2002.

Mr. Wells has served on various senior committees of the American Institute of CPAs and he is a member of the AICPA's Business and Industry Hall of Fame. He has been named to Accounting Today magazine's annual list of the “Top 100 Most Influential People” in accounting for the last nine years in a row.