Chapter Leader Profile: Matt Storlie, CFE
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Matt Storlie, CFE
Matt Storlie, CFE has served as president of the Twin Cities Chapter in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area since 2013 and on the chapter’s board of directors since 2010. Storlie entered the anti-fraud field after helping discover a large fraud at a previous employer and now works as principal internal auditor for University of Minnesota Physicians. When not working or serving the chapter, Storlie enjoys spending time with family, cycling and photography.
Why did you decide to enter the anti-fraud field?
After working with the FBI on a $1 million fictitious vendor fraud scheme at a former employer, I was
hooked! I love thinking outside the box, exercising my critical thinking skills and trying to catch a
fraudster by putting all of the pieces of the puzzle together without having the picture on the
front of the puzzle box to use as a guide. Even if I’m not always “chasing bad guys,” I always have my
“fraud hat” on and am applying my fraud lens to everything that I do.
Where were you born and raised?
I was born on the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea, raised in northeast Iowa and have lived in
the Twin Cities for nearly 20 years.
What do you consider your greatest achievement to date?
Developing a SAS99 manual journal entry testing methodology to identify potential fraudulent
transactions using data analytic tools and techniques for both external and internal auditors. While it
hasn’t uncovered a fraud yet, it was successfully used in a fraud investigation to expand the breadth
and depth of a known fraud beyond what was admitted to by the fraudster.
How has the CFE benefited your career?
I obtained my CFE certification as I was interviewing for my first fraud job, and it helped cement my
qualifications as a candidate. Being a CFE has validated my fraud fighting work for the last seven years in
professional services and now fortifies my work as the principal internal auditor for a large nonprofit
health care organization.
What are the benefits of serving as a chapter leader?
Serving as a chapter leader has provided me with my first experience as a president of a nonprofit.
Getting to be a leader of our chapter has been rewarding. It has also allowed me to get to know
many more of the 150 members of our chapter and other members of our anti-fraud community, as well
as network with the great speakers that come to our events. I’ve been thankful to work for
companies that fully support and encourage my chapter leadership involvement.
What goals would you like to help the chapter accomplish?
We held our first all-day training event in June to help local CFEs obtain their annual
20 hours of CPE credit. I’d like to continue to improve and enhance the event to make it become more
of a draw locally and regionally, pulling in top-notch speakers and perhaps sponsors. Increasing local
awareness of our chapter, finding additional ways to support and reinvest in future fraud fighters and
our community, and working closer with other local professional chapter affiliations are some of my
other goals.
Do you have any advice for other chapter leaders?
Ensure that you have a solid board of directors that is serious about responsibilities and remain
involved in the chapter’s activities. Learn as much as you can from previous leaders in your chapter,
then continue to find ways to invigorate and reward the chapter members to keep it as fresh as
possible. I found the Chapter Representative’s meeting at the ACFE’s ACFE Global Fraud Conference helpful, as well, so be sure to attend and learn from other chapter leaders next year!
What are your favorite activities and hobbies outside of work?
I enjoy spending as much time as possible with my wife and two kids, and also cycling and photography. I’ve ridden in the Minnesota MS 150 for the last five years, and I hope to perhaps ride with the ACFE team one of these years in Austin!
What is your personal motto? Does it have any special meaning?
“Stick with it.” Fraud fighting, investigations and even some audits can be messy and tough, and you
have to be willing to spend the time and effort in the detail and the weeds in order to get to the bottom
of the fraud and/or determine the root cause of the issue. Your work has to be complete and thorough
so it can be repeatable and hold up in a court of law, if necessary. I try to apply this mentality to
everything I do.
