Course content

    1. Presentation

    2. Recording

About this course

  • $78.00
  • 2 CPD hours
  • September 30, 2022

Course Description

The downfall of Elizbeth Holmes, founder of Theranos, has been told in many formats (books, podcasts, television). However, the story of Theranos, the company, the employees and other stakeholders have not been examined in-depth, especially from the perspective of ethical decision making and organizational culture.

In this webinar, we will explore the Theranos fraud and key stakeholders using IESBA’s (International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants) five fundamental principles of ethics as the framework for our investigation:

  • Integrity
  • Objectivity
  • Professional competence and due care
  • Confidentiality
  • Professional Behaviour


We will also examine how a lack of psychological safety and a toxic organizational culture compromised the ethical decision-making process of numerous stakeholders.


This course qualifies for 2.0 verifiable ethics hours.

Learning objectives:

  1. Defining IESBA’s five fundamental principles of ethics
  2. Summarizing the key events and dates of the Theranos fraud
  3. Identifying the key stakeholders of Theranos
  4. Illustrating what when wrong with Theranos using each of the five fundamental principles of ethics
  5. Explaining how low psychological safety and a toxic organizational culture contributed to the fraud and poor ethical decision making

Instructor(s)

Garth Sheriff

Garth Sheriff, CPA, CA, CPA (Illinois), CIA, CGMA, MAcc, is the founder of Sheriff Consulting (sheriffconsulting.com) and Sheriff Consulting Online (online.sheriffconsulting.com).

Sheriff Consulting specializes in the design and delivery of assurance, accounting, and communication skill professional development courses. The mission of Sheriff Consulting is to provide an engaging approach to your professional development.

Garth has worked as an assurance professional and learning provider for over 20 years. He has prepared and trained CPAs for key changes to the profession, including internal control documentation (SOX), Canadian Auditing Standards (CAS) and Canadian Standards on Review Engagements 2400 (CSRE 2400).

He earned a Master of Accounting and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours - Accounting) from the University of Waterloo, Canada. He is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (CPAO), American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA).