J.S. Held welcomes Akhlaq Ahmed as senior managing director

Global consulting firm J.S. Held has appointed Akhlaq Ahmed as a senior managing director in the firm’s global investigations practice. He brings more than 25 years of experience to the role.

Greg Esslinger, executive vice president and global investigations practice lead, shares, “Akhlaq brings extensive experience in specialist accounting investigations, including identifying accounting gaps and financial black-holes. He complements our expertise in Digital Investigations & Discovery by applying his knowledge of forensic technology and data analytics to make sense of financial and accounting flows.”

J.S. Held is a global consulting firm that combines technical, scientific, financial, and strategic expertise to advise clients seeking to realize value and mitigate risk. With more than 1,500 professionals spanning six continents, the firm provides a comprehensive suite of services, products, and data that enable clients to navigate complex, contentious, and often catastrophic situations.

Arriving with a quarter-century of global, cross-sector experience, Ahmed has advised corporations, government agencies, regulators, investors, and law firms on dispute, investigations, compliance, and regulatory matters. Most recently, this saw him work as a senior managing director at Ankura, where he spent three years in the firm’s London office.

Earlier in his career, Ahmed also spent time as a partner leading the dispute resolution practice of RSM in the UK. This followed a two-year spell in a similar role at KPMG, and a decade with Big Four rival EY – with Ahmed having first started working in the forensic accounting world with BDO.

With Nasdaq having earlier stated in its 2024 Global Financial Crime report that the total cost of financial crime is estimated to be $3.1 trillion, these skills will be crucial to J.S. Held’s clients in the years ahead. Ahmed particularly specialises in undertaking focused proactive risk reviews, helping businesses identify potential fraud risks before they escalate.

"It is apparent that many organisations are unaware of existing fraud or corruption risk," Ahmed explained. “Our proactive reviews of financial accounting controls, policies, procedures, and practices help identify red flags and support adherence to regulations like the UK's Criminal Finances Act."

“Akhlaq’s ability to synthesize complex financial data and his experience with contract compliance investigations significantly enhances our services,” added Simon Placks, EMEA lead for the digital investigations and discovery service line within J.S. Held’s global investigations practice. “His expertise in supply chain contract investigations and business intelligence adds depth to our cross-functional teams.”