Carolyn McDonnell, an Associate Director at FRA, is a specialist in forensic investigations and regulatory work with over nine years of experience in forensic accounting, including disgorgement and fine calculations, monitorships, investigations, anti-money laundering, trade sanctions, False Claims Act and transaction testing. Carolyn has been involved in a wide range of engagements in the financial services, manufacturing, shipping and logistics, engineering and construction, information technology, automotive, aerospace and life sciences industries across the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
Carolyn is currently performing several disgorgement and fine calculations across the engineering, life sciences and automotive industries involving activity in Asia and South America. These matters involve the US Department of Justice, US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Brazilian Controladoria-Geral da União (CGU) and Brazilian Ministério Público Federal (MPF). Recently, Carolyn also worked on a number of other profit disgorgement calculations, involving financial analysis and presentations to the DOJ, SEC, CGU, MPF and French Parquet National Financier (PNF) for companies operating in the information technology and engineering industries.
Carolyn was part of the FRA team supporting Airbus in a multi-year forensic accounting and eDiscovery review within the context of the company’s multinational investigation, reporting to investigative authorities including the SFO, DoJ and French regulators. The investigation involved analysis of complex cross-border financial flows and sophisticated accounting schemes.
Carolyn has been involved in several global compliance monitorships across the financial, medical device and automotive industries. Specifically, she supported the FRA partner appointed by the DOJ to serve as independent compliance monitor for a German engineering company, as a result of its involvement in the Dieselgate scandal. Carolyn performed a detailed evaluation of the company’s compliance controls, including its internal risk assessments, third party management and subsidiary compliance program rollout.
Prior to joining FRA, Carolyn worked for three years in the forensic investigations group at a Big Four accounting firm (KPMG) – working on various projects including forensic investigations, anti-money laundering and regulatory compliance. She gained FCPA-related experience while working on engagements for a multinational retail corporation as well as an investigation of an automotive manufacturer.
Carolyn is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from the University of Delaware in 2013.