FRA Partner Jenna Voss named one of GIR's Women in Investigations 2025
Jenna Voss, Partner and Head of FRA’s New York Office, has been named one of Global Investigations Review’s Women in Investigations 2025.
This is GIR’s fourth survey highlighting 100 outstanding female practitioners from across the globe and across all stages of their careers. Being included among this diverse and dynamic group is a meaningful recognition of Jenna’s contributions — both to FRA’s global firm and the wider investigations community.
Jenna shares more about her career highlights and sense of purpose in the below Q&A with GIR:
- What has been the biggest change to your practice since you started out?
Technological advances have profoundly reshaped the investigations landscape over the course of my career, driving greater efficiencies in how we do our work and enhancing the value we deliver to clients. Early in my career, many of my clients still maintained certain types of key records in hard copy. The shift to digitization, combined with growing comfort around allowing remote access to digital records, has enabled us to successfully conduct many aspects of investigations remotely. This flexibility not only gives us access to a broader pool of talent and technical skills across our global offices, but it also allows us to perform investigations more discreetly and reduces the logistical burden and travel spend for clients.
The use of advanced data analytics and eDiscovery tools have also significantly changed how we approach investigations, allowing us to dig into significant volumes of structured and unstructured data, identify nuanced patterns and connections across datasets and communications, and more readily identify potentially problematic transactions and fact patterns. AI-enabled tools have the potential to enable us to further revolutionize these processes, and we also anticipate an increasing number of investigations that focus on how companies and their employees use these technologies.
- What has been the highlight of your career?
The highlight of my career thus far has been opening FRA’s New York office in 2017 and building the team and our brand in the market in the years since. It has been incredibly rewarding to see the team grow, both in terms of headcount and in team members’ abilities and reputation. Over the past seven years, our New York team members have played pivotal roles in important complex cross-border investigative matters, bringing deep technical expertise and knowledge of the US enforcement environment to collaborate seamlessly with colleagues across FRA’s global offices.
I have also enjoyed working in a firm where a collaborative mentality is embedded in the culture and believe this attribute is a key differentiator for FRA in the marketplace. I appreciate the great deal of trust FRA’s founding partners have put in me from the moment I joined, along with their immeasurable support throughout our launch and subsequent growth in New York.
Looking ahead, I am excited to continue expanding our presence in New York and delivering excellence to clients navigating complex and difficult situations. Leading the office continues to be an exciting challenge, and as cliché as it sounds, no two days are ever the same!
- What is the most fulfilling part of your job?
The investigations field is deeply fulfilling due to the impact our work has on individuals and at the corporate level. Clients trust us with their most complex and sensitive challenges and supporting them in navigating these stressful situations with clarity and confidence is highly rewarding.
I am also driven by the broader purpose behind what we do. Our work ─ helping companies investigate and implement mechanisms to reduce fraud, money laundering, corruption, terrorist financing and other serious risks ─ contributes to addressing some of the most pressing global issues. I find it motivating to guide organizations in tackling their immediate problems while knowing that our efforts have a part in deterring future misconduct.
Beyond the substance of our matters, I value the strong relationships this role enables me to build with clients, their counsel, colleagues, and other stakeholders. Collaboration is essential to reaching successful outcomes in high-stakes situations, and working under pressure together to overcome tough challenges is rewarding. I have also enjoyed having opportunities to teach and mentor more junior employees, helping them expand their abilities and progress in their careers.
- Describe the most high-stakes investigation or matter you’ve worked on, and how it impacted your practice.
I have worked on many high-stakes cases throughout my career, but one early investigation was particularly formative. It was a pivotal experience that tested my abilities in real time and shaped how I approach challenges.
Early in my career, I was sent overseas for a fraud investigation. When my colleagues were unable to join me as planned, I suddenly had to lead the kick-off phase alone. I had to quickly step into a leadership role: liaising with the client’s counsel on investigation strategy, leading interviews with executives, and determining the population of hard copy documents to collect for off-site review. Initially, I was anxious about not knowing the “right” way to proceed at each juncture. As the matter progressed, however, I quickly realized that investigations involve navigating uncertainties by assessing the information available at the time and figuring out the best next step for filling in the gaps.
Despite the initial pressure, I rose to the challenge and ultimately led the investigation to a successful outcome. The challenge strengthened my confidence in both my technical and leadership abilities. More importantly, the experience taught me the value of adaptability and resilience – skills that continue to serve me well in my career.
