SFO prosecutor Liz Collery wins economic crime award

Liz Collery, a Case Controller at the Serious Fraud Office, has been named Outstanding Female Economic Crime Professional at the Tackling Economic Crime Awards. The SFO announced the win and highlighted her leadership on complex, high‑profile cases that shape how corporate wrongdoing is addressed in the UK.

If you’re studying law, business, criminology or politics-or teaching any of those-this is more than a trophy moment. Awards like the TECAs are a window into how economic crime is investigated and prosecuted. We’re going to use Collery’s work to explain what the SFO is, how Deferred Prosecution Agreements operate, and where public‑minded graduates fit in.

As a Case Controller, Collery leads multi‑disciplinary teams of lawyers, investigators and analysts. According to the government announcement, she steered the SFO’s 2021 case that ended in a £103 million Deferred Prosecution Agreement with Amec Foster Wheeler, and co‑led the bribery prosecution of Glencore Energy (UK) Ltd that produced the largest penalty to follow a corporate criminal conviction in the UK.

So, what does the Serious Fraud Office actually do? It is a specialist UK agency that both investigates and prosecutes the most serious or complex fraud, bribery and corruption. That dual role matters: the same office that gathers evidence also takes the case to court, working with police forces in the UK and authorities abroad when the money trail crosses borders.

A Deferred Prosecution Agreement, or DPA, is a court‑approved deal between prosecutors and a company. The company admits the facts, pays a financial penalty, and agrees to strict conditions such as compliance improvements and co‑operation-while the prosecution is paused. If the company keeps its promises, the case does not proceed to a conviction; if it breaks them, prosecutors can return to court. The Amec Foster Wheeler outcome, valued at £103 million, is a live example the SFO points to when explaining how DPAs can drive reform without a contested trial.

Not every case ends in a DPA. Some go to sentencing after a guilty plea or trial. In the Glencore Energy case, the SFO secured a corporate criminal conviction for bribery. The court then imposed what the SFO describes as the largest penalty of its kind in the UK, signalling that corrupt payments in global commodity markets carry serious consequences for businesses at home.

From a learning point of view, it helps to see the stages. Intelligence and complaints trigger an assessment; a formal investigation follows if the legal tests are met; evidence is gathered from emails, phones, bank records and witnesses; prosecutors decide on charges; cases conclude through a DPA, a guilty plea, or a trial before a judge and jury. A Case Controller like Collery keeps the legal strategy, evidence work and ethics on track throughout.

The human side matters. The SFO says Collery leads and mentors around 25 colleagues-investigators, lawyers and specialists-focusing on ethical decision‑making and careful case building. If you picture an SFO team, think law plus accounting, data analysis, digital forensics and international co‑operation, rather than a lone courtroom performance.

If you’re aiming for this field, there are several routes. Law graduates often train as solicitors or barristers before moving into public service; finance and data graduates start as investigators or analysts and build expertise in evidence handling; career‑changers bring sector knowledge-engineering, energy, procurement-that helps spot red flags. Wherever you begin, the constant is public interest: serving victims, safeguarding markets and proving cases fairly.

Why cover an award at all? Because recognition highlights what society expects from corporate enforcement: independence, accuracy and consequences that change behaviour. Alongside Collery’s win, the SFO noted three colleagues-Andrew Grieve, Sarah Goudarzi and Simon Daniel-were shortlisted. The agency’s Director, Nick Ephgrave QPM, praised her persistence and integrity in major fraud and bribery work. For us as learners, the takeaway is clear: strong cases are built by teams who combine law, evidence and ethics-and they make a measurable difference.