Joseph Spinelli is a Managing Director in the Global Investigations and Compliance practice, and serves as global leader of Navigant’s Anti-Bribery & Corruption - FCPA segment.
Mr. Spinelli is a leading authority on white-collar crime with more than 30 years of forensic experience. He joined a Big Four accounting firm as a principal in 1994, founding its forensic practice. During his 12-year tenure there, he was office coordinating partner for the Northeast, public services industry leader and conducted numerous FCPA investigations, in China, Korea, Philippines and Viet Nam. He was an independent fiscal monitor during the post September 11th recovery efforts at the World Trade Center with investigative, compliance and monitoring responsibilities. He also served as a Monitor for the Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire in the AG, NH’s child abuse case.
Before his Big Four experience, Mr. Spinelli spent eight years as New York State's first ever Inspector General, leading fraud, abuse, waste and corruption investigations for all New York State agencies and authorities. While Inspector General, he co-authored the N.Y. State Internal Control Act of 1987 which required State Agencies to take a proactive approach to enjoin fraud by conducting risk assessments. He also served as Assistant Director of Criminal Justice for the State of New York, with responsibilities for the investigation of criminal complaints and fraud allegations throughout state government. His efforts resulted in a wide array of high-profile criminal convictions for fraud and corruption.
Prior to his appointment as Inspector General, Mr. Spinelli served as a Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in both the New York and New Haven field offices. While serving as an FBI agent, he worked several major kidnapping investigations involving the abduction of an 11 year old girl who was recovered unharmed. Mr. Spinelli has served as independent private sector inspector general for Miami-Dade County and as independent auditor for the Securities and Exchange Commission for two Stock Exchanges. Post 9/11, he served as the fiscal monitor at Ground Zero ensuring there was no fraud and corruption.
In 2004, Mr. Spinelli was elected to the Board of Regents of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, an international anti-fraud professional association with 65,000 members. In February 2010, he was appointed by former New York State Governor David Paterson to the New York State Commission on Public Integrity and until recently served as Chairman.
In 2012, he was appointed to the New York Racing Association Board and was named Chairman of the Audit and Compensations Committees in 2013.