Francine McKenna is a persistent critic of the audit profession. This post titled Canceled: Why I Won’t Be Speaking At Ethics And Compliance Officers Association Annual Conference, is a typical if egregious example.

An excerpt is below:

I was really looking forward to it. But an “ethics” organization buckled under pressure from sponsors, some of whom are also board members, to rescind their offer to me to speak because I might “insult” or “disparage” one of them from the podium.

Billed as “The Great Debate” on September 26,  The Ethics and Compliance Officer Association Annual Conference showcases two speakers on an issue of critical interest to members. This year’s topic: Does ethics training change behavior?

On August 21, the organization’s Chief Operating Officer, Tim Mazur, contacted me via email to ask if I would be willing to step in late in the game as one of the debaters. A previously committed speaker had canceled and recommended me as a substitute. “It’s a unique need but she thinks you’d be ideal for it,” he said.

When you think the big four audit firms can't get any worse be prepared to be disappointed...

Two days later I received a call from Mazur informing me that “speakers” were complaining about my participation and were threatening to not attend the “Great Debate”, pull out of the conference, even cancel memberships because of my participation. The stated reason was that I am a journalist and the conference is billed as a closed session for professionals where they can air sensitive issues and concerns without fear they would be quoted or written about by media. They must not be afraid of their confidences being used to pitch to them. Those who sell to this C-list level group — lawyers, consultants and software vendors — fill more than one-third of the speaking slots and hold off-agenda workshops that charge additional admission fees. No media had previously been given access to the conference, although Gretchen Morgenson of the New York Times did speak at the conference, by Mazur’s admission, two years ago.

My suspicions were, however that the speakers who complained were also sponsors and Big Four firms. Two Big Four firms count their professionals on the board of directors, also.

See Francine McKenna's full post here.