Chapter Leader Profile: Evan Lemoine, CFE

Evan Lemoine is a CFE, CPA and co-founder and president of the Young Professionals in Parliamentary Procedure. He also received the Nicholas Picchione Silver Medal in 2010, which is awarded to the individual with the second highest CPA exam score in the state. He now volunteers his time as president of the Rhode Island ACFE Chapter where he has been instrumental in making a number of positive changes within the chapter. He also recently joined our Chapter Leaders Committee.

What do you do for a living?

Evan exploring light houses in Cape Cod

I’m supervisor of operational audit with Hanover Insurance’s commercial program business. Unlike an internal audit function, we’re integrated with management and advise them on matters relating to operations and the control environment and serve as an audit function over our agency relationships. Additionally, I manage a tax and consulting firm, and am an adjunct professor of accounting, both online and in the classroom. I’m always on the move!

Why did you decide to enter the anti-fraud field?

I was always interested in investigative work, probably from the countless hours of watching Law & Order growing up. But when I entered college and chose accounting, I saw all of the areas requiring “management’s judgment” and thought of how much that could be abused. With Enron and WorldCom still relevant at the time, I knew fraud examination was going to be of great interest.

How has the CFE benefited your career?

My managers recognize the credential and its importance as I usually approach situations with a fraud risk perspective. When I was active in public accounting with the Big Four, this mindset uncovered some interesting situations!

How long have you been involved with the chapter?

I’ve been involved since my junior year in college when I was a student member. Fast-forward to today, and I’ve been involved for nearly 12 years.

Why did you become active with the chapter and the board?

Back in 2013, the chapter was trying to update our website and association management system. At that time, my sister and fellow fraud fighter Jenna Remillard was serving as training director and asked if I had interest. As I had previously created websites, I accepted the role. While not formally on the board, I was a liaison until 2016 when I was first elected as a director before taking on vice president in 2017 and now a two-year term as president. While I succeeded my sister on the board, we had a vacancy when I took over and we’re on a short list of sibling CFEs.

What has been a highlight during your time on the board?

Evan at the National Buffalo Wing Festival in Buffalo, NY

There are three highlights of my service to the chapter — navigating us through a transition to a new association management system, authoring new governing documents for our chapter since we didn’t have records of what documents actually applied to us, and leading two strategic planning sessions that have helped involve all of our board members. As the first millennial to serve as president of our chapter, I wanted to steer our chapter in a new direction. Part of that has been trying to make sure all officers have the flexibility to serve in almost any capacity so the transition of officers isn’t nearly as challenging.

What are the benefits of serving as a chapter leader?

Serving as a chapter leader will only give you whatever benefits you’re willing to put in. Some view it as additional “work,” but you can really have fun doing things. As I have an entrepreneurial mindset, I like being able to focus on all of the other facets of business I may not use day-to-day such as marketing, strategic planning and more. It’s also great getting to know all of our members who are able to identify you and often open up more to you as a chapter leader.

Do you have any advice for other chapter leaders?

Being a Certified Fraud Examiner means a lot to your members. Unfortunately, many members aren’t able to attend the ACFE Global Fraud Conference or other national events for work and budgetary reasons. For any chapter leaders who are fortunate enough to attend, try to make as many connections as possible and find not only speakers who may be willing to travel but also relevant topics that your members would be interested in learning.

What are your favorite activities and hobbies outside of work?

I love traveling and exploring new areas, which unfortunately I haven’t done for “fun” in a while. But even on business trips, I try to take in some of the local sights if I can! Cooking and baking are two of my other favorites.