www.wealthandfinance-news.com 36 Wealth & Finance International - December 2017 Founded in 2006, Nexus is the most successful medium size forensic company in South Africa. The idea of Nexus Forensic Services was born from a passion to fight economic crime. Situated in the Gauteng Province, the company allows direct access to National Government Departments and the Head Offices of the private-sector clients, due to Gauteng being the economic hub of South Africa. Mary-Anne describes what aspects contribute to the firm’s success, including the firm’s extensive qualifications and values. “Here at Nexus, our constant success resulted in the founding of two other companies; Nexus Training Academy and Vuvuzela Hotline. Essentially, the secret of our achievement is to always live up to our four core values; Integrity, Quality, Development and Growth.” Nexus holds membership in the following bodies; Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, the Ethics Institute of South Africa, Institute of Commercial Forensic Practitioners and the Institute of Risk Management South Africa. Mary- Anne explains how the team ensure that staff work cohesively, looking to reach certain goals. “In order for us to provide quality deliverables, we have 25 professional staff members who have collectively amassed more than 285 years of experience. On top of this, our diverse skills comprise of forensic investigators, accountants, auditors, data analysts, legal, labour, cyber and digital crime experts.” Furthermore, Nexus also invests in its own employees. The management is especially hands on in the professional services provided, while still allowing employees the space to grow and think independently. At Nexus, staff are not just a number. Management ensures that employees acquire the skills required to complete tasks at a high standard, through internal training and a lot of encouragement. Sometimes people just need a little push to move out of their comfort zone. Being versatile and adaptable, the firm’s service offerings enable it to be a one-stop-shop for clients in both the private and government sectors. Mary- Anne comments on the exceptional standard of service and products that Nexus provides. “Offering inception to completion forensic services which are objective, evidence based and conducted without fear or favour, giving our clients peace of mind to deal with day to day business while we take care of the fraudsters.” “Essentially, the quality and reliability of the evidence we gather during our investigations are of such a high standard that we ensure excellence, usually helping our clients by solving solutions and negating the needs to clients.” Repeat business and business through word of mouth is a sign of success. Mary-Anne comments on the fact that Nexus has taken on more and more work, thanks to its unique marketing skills and dedication to making a difference. “Throughout this year, we have been privileged that we have had an influx of work. The board of directors took a conscious decision, during the course of last year, to become more visible within the forensic fraternity and that required longer hours, more strategic focus and a lot of hard work.” Nexus Forensic Services plays a leading role in the forensics industry through its involvement and membership in self-regulatory bodies. One of the Directors of Nexus, Mary-Anne Whittles provides us with an overview of the company’s services and future aspirations. Economic Crime Fighters 1712WF16 Company: Nexus Forensic Services (Pty) Ltd Contact: Mary-Anne Whittles Email:
[email protected] Address: Inkwazi Office Park (Block D), 1249 Embankment Road, Centurion, 0157, Gauteng, South Africa Tel number: +27 12 664 5568 Website: www.nexusforensics.co.za “Marketing ourselves to our clients is a natural occurrence, because we aim to make a difference in delivering quality work and our clients have become accustomed to getting value for their money. Many of our assignments are as a result of recurring business, this can be attributed to the clients trust in the quality of our work.” Not just helping clients, Nexus also provide training to their counterparts, enabling other companies to develop and sharpen their own skills, as Mary- Anne alludes to. “Many of our clients require us to transfer skills to their staff, through on-the-job training, by working with us. This also enables them to develop and sharpen their own skills pro-actively, by dealing with potential economic crime within their organisations. “At Nexus, all of the staff members are beneficiaries of a trust. As such, we all share in the profits of our company. Since we work for ourselves, this approach fosters and promotes a culture of accountability, to always provide our best in everything that we do.” Ultimately, the future looks bright for Nexus, having recently performed successful projects on the African continent, including Botswana, Lesotho and other numerous African countries. Mary-Anne tells us that the firm is in the process of further expanding its footprint in Africa, as well as hinting at exciting times on the horizon. “Looking ahead, at Nexus we have already commenced growing our services into the medical aid schemes and insurance claim industries. To be effective in the fight against economic crime and unethical practices, efficiency in prevention, detection and reaction, is paramount. We provide all services to effectively achieve this objective.”