Richard Bowen

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May 15, 2023 By Richard Bowen

Who follows the Sarbanes Oxley Act?

A picture of a court hearing form with compliance written at the top together with a gavel, block, pen and glasses.

The Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX), passed in 2002 after the failures of Enron and Worldcom, specifically addressed internal controls and oversight responsibilities for all publicly-traded companies, including banks. SOX mandates that management must establish and maintain “effective” internal controls and must publish a separate “Internal Controls Report” certifying the effectiveness of its internal controls and certifying that there is no fraud.

Tagged With: Auditor, Bank Failure, Financial Crisis, Internal Controls, Sarbanes Oxley Act

May 11, 2023 By Richard Bowen

Resisting Corporate Corruption at the University of North Carolina

Photo of Stephen Arbogast in front of Richard M. Bowen's slides on a Zoom call for Resisting Corporate Corruption class.

The class discussed the case about my experience at Citigroup “Write to Rubin? – Pressure on Underwriting Standards at Citigroup,” focusing on whether or not there were viable alternatives to my writing my email warning Robert Rubin (who was named Chairman of the Citigroup Board of Directors the following day) about the massive fraud I had discovered involving the underwriting and selling of mortgage loans.

Tagged With: business ethics, Ethics, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

May 3, 2023 By Richard Bowen

UT Dallas Students Recognize Need for Ethical Behavior

Photo of Richard M. Bowen speaking to students in a classroom.

students fully recognized the need for ethical behavior and decision-making and the absolute importance of maintaining their personal ethics in their careers. This recognition, truly, is the only way our country can reverse the continued ethical decline we have witnessed.

Tagged With: Ethical Issues in Business, University ofTexas at Dallas, UTDallas

March 18, 2023 By Richard Bowen

Reflections of a Whistleblower – The Boom and Bust Cycles

Image of Richard M Bowen speaking at the front of the room with a still of Alan Greenspan speaking into a microphone on C-SPAN 2 behind him.

n the Q&A session at the conclusion of my talk, a student asked me about the possibility of another financial crisis, and I told the class that there was no doubt in my mind that our country would be going into another financial crisis, although I could not predict the timing or circumstances involved.

Little did I know at the time that the second and third largest bank failures in our country’s history would be announced that weekend!

Tagged With: Bank Bailout, Bank Collapse, Deregulation, Financial Crisis

January 20, 2023 By Richard Bowen

What should you do before you report wrongdoing?

Unethical and illegal behavior in both our corporate and government arenas caused our last financial crisis and will, inevitably, cause future financial crises which will harm millions more. Our only hope to change the dangerous direction our country is taking is for individuals who witness illegal and unethical behavior to effectively report that behavior.

Tagged With: GAP, Government Accountability Project, Ian Herel, whistleblowing

December 20, 2022 By Richard Bowen

Peace and happiness this holiday season

Image of the words "Merry Christmas" cut out of snow on a red surface with a holly wreath in the top right corner.

This holiday season, I think of the past year and of those who have supported my efforts to inspire a more ethical world. I hope that this year has been just as memorable for you, your friends, and your loved ones as it has for me. Have a peaceful holiday season and a prosperous new… [Read More]

November 21, 2022 By Richard Bowen

Wishing you a warm and happy Thanksgiving

Wooden sign of white painted boards that says, "Grateful, Thankful, Blessed" in orange with orang sprigs of leaves below in a window.

I am thankful for you coming here and reading my posts and sharing your stories with me across social media outlets. Your support means more than I can express and encourages me to keep writing. Thank you.

Tagged With: Thanksgiving

October 5, 2022 By Richard Bowen

Speaking at the University of North Texas

Image of Richard M. Bowen speaking to a group of accounting students at the University of North Texas.

The ethics students learn and develop now will affect their actions when they become move into the workforce. As Professor Madhuri Bandla emphasized to the students, ethics and integrity are absolutely essential to the accounting profession. Sharing my experience and the actions I have witnessed is my way of helping those essential features become part of a young accountant’s education.

Tagged With: business ethics, Ethics, University of North Texas

September 26, 2022 By Richard Bowen

Resisting Corporate and Government Corruption

Image: Richard M. Bowen speaking to a room full of MBA students at UTD.

For the ninth consecutive year, I addressed the beginning full-time Cohort MBA students at the University of Texas at Dallas on the last day of their two-week LEAD camp preparing them for success at UTD and their careers.

September 13, 2022 By Richard Bowen

SIM Card Fraud, My Personal Experience

Image: Headline and top image from DMN/Lieber's "Having your SIM card stolen is one of the scariest ID theft crimes. You can prevent" it article.

How secure is two-factor authentication? It’s the standard of security that most of us understand to be the safest way to operate online. And it’s not as safe as we thought.

Tagged With: Digital safety, SIM Card, Two-factor Authentication

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What People Are Saying About Richard M. Bowen

William D. Cohan"Richard Bowen is one of my heroes. His is a story of human fortitude at its best and Wall Street at its worst."

~ William D. Cohan, NY Times Best Selling Author
2017-06-30T10:08:59-05:00
"Richard Bowen is one of my heroes. His is a story of human fortitude at its best and Wall Street at its worst." ~ William D. Cohan, NY Times Best Selling Author
https://richardmbowen.com/testimonials/2556/

Eileen McDonnell"Richard Bowen reinforced my motto that "there is no right way to do a wrong thing.” Long after his presentation, the conversation has continued about personal responsibility and the courage to challenge things that appear to be wrong. We encourage this dialog and rely on it to help make our business stronger."

~ Eileen McDonnell, Chairman, CEO, & President, Penn Mutual
2015-02-13T19:51:19-06:00
"Richard Bowen reinforced my motto that "there is no right way to do a wrong thing.” Long after his presentation, the conversation has continued about personal responsibility and the courage to challenge things that appear to be wrong. We encourage this dialog and rely on it to help make our business stronger." ~ Eileen McDonnell, Chairman, CEO, & President, Penn Mutual
https://richardmbowen.com/testimonials/711/

Ben Stein"Richard Bowen, you are a star and a hero."

~ Ben Stein, Economist and Political Commentator
2015-02-13T19:50:26-06:00
"Richard Bowen, you are a star and a hero." ~ Ben Stein, Economist and Political Commentator
https://richardmbowen.com/testimonials/712/

Jim Farrell"Richard's speech at the April Financial Executives International dinner was informative, interesting, riveting, and fast moving.  The feedback from members was overwhelming positive, and Richard received one of the few standing ovations given by our membership."

~ Jim Farrell, Program Chairman, Dallas Chapter, Financial Executives International
2014-12-28T19:48:17-06:00
"Richard's speech at the April Financial Executives International dinner was informative, interesting, riveting, and fast moving.  The feedback from members was overwhelming positive, and Richard received one of the few standing ovations given by our membership." ~ Jim Farrell, Program Chairman, Dallas Chapter, Financial Executives International
https://richardmbowen.com/testimonials/532/

Dennis McCuistion"Richard Bowen has been there, done that, and has the scars to prove it, and his message of corruption at the highest levels of industry and government needs to be heard. I only wish that more bankers had the courage that Bowen exhibits. He is not only one of the most talented bankers I have ever met, he has more integrity than all the bankers on Wall Street put together. If his former employer had listened to him taxpayers would not have had to bail out Citi for the third time in the last 30 years."

~ Dennis McCuistion, Host of the McCuistion TV program
2014-12-28T19:48:06-06:00
"Richard Bowen has been there, done that, and has the scars to prove it, and his message of corruption at the highest levels of industry and government needs to be heard. I only wish that more bankers had the courage that Bowen exhibits. He is not only one of the most talented bankers I have ever met, he has more integrity than all the bankers on Wall Street put together. If his former employer had listened to him taxpayers would not have had to bail out Citi for the third time in the last 30 years." ~ Dennis McCuistion, Host of the McCuistion TV program
https://richardmbowen.com/testimonials/533/

Betty Garrett"Richard Bowen is a dynamic, entertaining speaker and story-teller - a CPA with a great personality!"

~ Betty Garrett, Garrett Speakers International
2014-12-28T19:47:50-06:00
"Richard Bowen is a dynamic, entertaining speaker and story-teller - a CPA with a great personality!" ~ Betty Garrett, Garrett Speakers International
https://richardmbowen.com/testimonials/531/

fred-timmons"I believe Richard Bowen is the only keynote speaker to ever receive a standing ovation from the Texas Society of CPA’s at any of its annual conferences."

~ Fred Timmons, Chairman of The Texas Society of CPA's
2014-12-28T19:47:22-06:00
"I believe Richard Bowen is the only keynote speaker to ever receive a standing ovation from the Texas Society of CPA’s at any of its annual conferences." ~ Fred Timmons, Chairman of The Texas Society of CPA's
https://richardmbowen.com/testimonials/530/

"The most emotional and impactful session was absolutely Richard Bowen and the Citi Mortgage case. I was somewhat aware of the challenges and hardships faced by whistleblowers. The HBR case and documentary on Sherry Hunt's experience provided a strong understanding of the case and overall situation. However, the nuance and emotion that Bowen brought in his lecture will be one of my lasting memories of the program. His unique perspective of the exhausting experience of constantly trying to do the right thing only to be stonewalled by his leadership, and later, the US government, highlights the challenges of doing the right thing, yet the importance of someone speaking up. Bowen made whistleblowing personal to us, and I will never forget his quote that if you see wrongdoing, you have two choices, "say something or get out." Taking a stand will have an enduring impact on your career and life regardless of the outcome. It certainly causes me to prioritize selecting the right corporate culture in my future organizations."

~ EMBA student review after Richard spoke to the class

2024-09-25T16:10:48-05:00
"The most emotional and impactful session was absolutely Richard Bowen and the Citi Mortgage case. I was somewhat aware of the challenges and hardships faced by whistleblowers. The HBR case and documentary on Sherry Hunt's experience provided a strong understanding of the case and overall situation. However, the nuance and emotion that Bowen brought in his lecture will be one of my lasting memories of the program. His unique perspective of the exhausting experience of constantly trying to do the right thing only to be stonewalled by his leadership, and later, the US government, highlights the challenges of doing the right thing, yet the importance of someone speaking up. Bowen made whistleblowing personal to us, and I will never forget his quote that if you see wrongdoing, you have two choices, "say something or get out." Taking a stand will have an enduring impact on your career and life regardless of the outcome. It certainly causes me to prioritize selecting the right corporate culture in my future organizations." ~ EMBA student review after Richard spoke to the class
https://richardmbowen.com/testimonials/4629/

Presentation Topics

Playing for High Stakes: The Principles and Practice of Ethical Leadership

Dark Citi: The Story of a Whistleblower

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About Richard

Recent Posts

  • ‘The Men Who Stole the World’ is on Amazon Prime!
  • Speaking at The Institute of Internal Auditors, Northeast Ohio, Fraud Day
  • Honored to speak to two highly ranked MBA programs this summer
  • Speaking at the 23rd ACFE Annual Emerging Trends in Fraud Conference
  • I was honored to present the 2024 J. Craig Smith Business Ethics Lecture at the University of Alabama

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About Richard

Now an ethical leadership speaker, Richard Bowen was Citigroup's Business Chief Underwriter during the housing bubble.

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