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WorldCom Whistleblower to Speak at Ethics and Professionalism Symposium

The third annual Ethics and Professionalism Symposium by the Department of Accounting and Information Systems will be held May 1. The public is invited to attend a public talk given as part of the symposium by Cynthia Cooper. Cooper was named Time magazine’s 2002 Time Person of the Year, along with fellow whistleblowers Coleen Rowley and Sherron Watkins.

Cooper is the former vice president of internal audit at WorldCom. In June 2002, she revealed what would turn out to be the largest fraud in U.S. corporate history. Her report on the company’s actions unleased a firestorm of investigations, media coverage and accusations. After its collapse, Cooper remained with the company (which changed its name to MCI and was later acquired by Verizon), serving as chief audit executive until it successfully emerged from bankruptcy. In 2004, she resigned to form her own consulting business. She speaks on ethics and leadership to students and businesses. She is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Georgia, a Certified Fraud Examiner and a Certified Information Systems Auditor.

Cooper will speak and take audience questions from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in 1100 Morgridge Auditorium in Grainger Hall. A reception and book signing will follow. Cooper is the author of the book, “Extraordinary Circumstances: The Journey of a Corporate Whistleblower.”