Felix Vetter

He is also a leading member of Ankura’s global sports advisory practice and supports stakeholders across sport with investigations, forensic accounting, and advice on governance and integrity frameworks.

Prior to joining Ankura, Felix spent three years at a risk consulting firm and 10 years working for a Big 4 firm in London, specializing in the provision of multi-jurisdictional investigations.

Professional Experience

Sports Advisory

• Financial Regulation | Europe | Sport: Led Financial Sustainability Regulation reviews of three major European Clubs on behalf of a sports governing body.
• Financial Regulation | UK | Sport: Managed expert witness reporting and provided forensic accounting support on behalf of the Premier League in three separate enforcement cases related to breaches of the Profit & Sustainability Rules.
• Compliance Reviews | Global | Sport: Conducted in-country compliance reviews for a global sports federation spanning more than ten countries across five continents that included assessing controls, interviews, and targeted transaction testing.
• Forensic Investigation | Global | Sport: Instructed by an international sports governing body to conduct an independent, high-profile public investigation into allegations of improper influence being exerted by senior officials to affect the conduct and outcome of sporting events.
• Forensic Accounting Investigation | USA | Sport: Conducted a review for a major sports governing body of the financial management of a global sporting event, which incurred a large unbudgeted deficit. The client sought a forensic review to understand the factors leading to the cost deficit, the reason for the decline in financial performance compared to initial forecasts, and the role of individuals involved in key decision-making processes.
• Forensic Accounting Investigation | Oceania | Sport: Investigating concerns over the misuse of funds at a member association for a global sports federation. The work involved a forensic review of financial records, key contracts, interviews with senior members of the association, and business intelligence inquiries on suspected related party relationships.

Forensic Investigations & Compliance

• Forensic Investigation | UK and Germany | FinTech: Conducted several high-profile investigations for a German-listed business into wide ranging allegations made by whistleblowers and the press of serious financial misconduct and financial misreporting. The work involved complex forensic accounting analysis to trace transactions through an intricate network of international partners. It also required working alongside international law firms to manage media scrutiny and regulatory reporting obligations, alongside providing regular detailed reporting and analysis to the company’s auditors.
• Regulatory Investigation | Middle East | Media: Investigation on behalf of a global media client into allegations of fraud and bribery against the CEO of the group’s Middle East operation. The work identified instances of bribery, sanctions breaches, fraud, and financial misrepresentation conducted through complex corporate structures connected to the target of the investigation. It led us to assist in a significant piece of litigation against the CEO, including assessing the impact on the earn-out that had already been paid out.
• Regulatory Investigation | East Africa | Media: Led a large regulatory investigation into allegations of fraud and bribery in an East African subsidiary for a global media business. This included conducting a surprise on-site visit to secure evidence and assisting the client in implementing immediate C-suite-level staff changes to ensure business continuity. It also involved working alongside in-country and international law firms to report investigation findings to the relevant regulators and law enforcement agencies.
• Forensic Investigations | Global | Listed businesses: Led numerous other investigations in Africa, Eastern Europe, Russia, the Middle East, and Asia for several global UK-listed businesses. Allegations investigated included bribery and corruption, sanction breaches, manipulation of financials, and large-scale embezzlement of funds through related party companies. Work performed included review of electronic documentation and financial records, conducting interviews, forensic data analytics, and investigating related party links.
• Forensic Investigation | Middle East | Pharmaceuticals: Investigation into the conduct of a local affiliate into numerous potential breaches of regulated pharmaceutical activities including the fair market value of payments made to vendors to support the provision of public health awareness campaigns; potentially inflated payments to nurses and educators; provision of gifts to healthcare professionals and hospitality payments for healthcare professionals.
• Forensic Accounting Investigation | UK and Germany | Technology: Internal investigation into matters which arose as part of our client’s financial audit, which required an internal legal and accounting investigation before an audit opinion could be signed. These specifically relate to the provision of a backdated client contract to the auditors, as well as transactions between connected parties impacting the payment of a management earnout as part of a Share Purchase Agreement (SPA).
• ABAC Compliance | UK | Construction: As part of a compliance plan under a monitorship following a Deferred Prosecution Agreement, advised on an Anti-Bribery and Corruption audit methodology to address the specific sector ABAC risks. The work included conducting ABAC audits on three contracts, reporting the results to the firm and its monitor.