Cynthia Cooper (WorldCom)
Encyclopedia
Cynthia Cooper is a native of Clinton, Mississippi
who formerly served as the Vice President
of Internal Audit
at WorldCom. In 2002, Cooper and her team of auditors worked together and often at night and in secret to investigate and unearth $3.8 billion in fraud at WorldCom. At the time, this was the largest incident of accounting fraud in U.S. history.
Since leaving MCI, Cooper has started her own consulting firm. In addition, Cooper speaks to professionals as well as high school and college students to share her experiences and lessons learned. Cooper's book about her life and the WorldCom fraud, Extraordinary Circumstances: The Journey of a Corporate Whistleblower, was published in 2008. Profits from the book were given to universities for ethics education.
Cooper previously worked for the Atlanta offices of public accounting firms PricewaterhouseCoopers
and Deloitte & Touche. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Mississippi State University
and a Master of Science in Accountancy from the University of Alabama
. She is a Certified Public Accountant
(CPA) in Georgia, Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and a Certified Fraud Examiner
(CFE). Cooper was named one of three "People of the Year
" by Time magazine
in 2002. She maintains an office in Brandon, Mississippi
. She married Lance Cooper in 1993; they have two children Stephanie, and Anna Katherine.
Cynthia Cooper website
Clinton, Mississippi
Clinton is a city in Hinds County, Mississippi, United States. Situated in the Jackson metropolitan area, it is the tenth largest city in Mississippi. The population was 23,347 at the 2000 United States Census.-History:...
who formerly served as the Vice President
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
of Internal Audit
Internal audit
Internal auditing is an independent, objective assurance and consulting activity designed to add value and improve an organization's operations. It helps an organization accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk...
at WorldCom. In 2002, Cooper and her team of auditors worked together and often at night and in secret to investigate and unearth $3.8 billion in fraud at WorldCom. At the time, this was the largest incident of accounting fraud in U.S. history.
Since leaving MCI, Cooper has started her own consulting firm. In addition, Cooper speaks to professionals as well as high school and college students to share her experiences and lessons learned. Cooper's book about her life and the WorldCom fraud, Extraordinary Circumstances: The Journey of a Corporate Whistleblower, was published in 2008. Profits from the book were given to universities for ethics education.
Cooper previously worked for the Atlanta offices of public accounting firms PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest professional services firm measured by revenues and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms....
and Deloitte & Touche. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
and a Master of Science in Accountancy from the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
. She is a Certified Public Accountant
Certified Public Accountant
Certified Public Accountant is the statutory title of qualified accountants in the United States who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and have met additional state education and experience requirements for certification as a CPA...
(CPA) in Georgia, Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and a Certified Fraud Examiner
Certified Fraud Examiner
The Certified Fraud Examiner is a credential awarded by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners . The ACFE association is the world's largest anti-fraud organization and premier provider of anti-fraud training and education...
(CFE). Cooper was named one of three "People of the Year
Person of the Year
Person of the Year is an annual issue of the United States newsmagazine Time that features and profiles a person, couple, group, idea, place, or machine that "for better or for worse, ...has done the most to influence the events of the year."- History :The tradition of selecting a Man of the Year...
" by Time magazine
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
in 2002. She maintains an office in Brandon, Mississippi
Brandon, Mississippi
Brandon is a city in Rankin County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 16,436 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Rankin CountyBrandon is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
. She married Lance Cooper in 1993; they have two children Stephanie, and Anna Katherine.
External links
"Cynthia Cooper chronicles her experience during the rise and fall of WorldCom in her book 'Extraordinary Circumstances.'"Cynthia Cooper website