Wirecard Scandal Whistleblower Pav Gill on Preventing the Next Corporate Crisis

This exclusive interview with Pav Gill was conducted by Jack Hayes of The Motivational Speakers Agency.

Pav Gill is an award-winning legal professional and whistleblower best known for exposing the Wirecard scandal, one of Europe’s largest financial frauds. His actions uncovered €1.9 billion in fictitious profits and reshaped global conversations around corporate accountability.

Since then, Pav has held senior roles in fintech and compliance at leading firms including Wise and BigPay. In 2023, he launched the Confide Platform, a pioneering integrity hub designed to strengthen whistleblowing systems and organisational risk management.

In this exclusive interview with The Champions Speakers Agency, Pav reflects on the critical role of governance, ethics and transparency in business. He shares powerful lessons from his own journey and offers insights to help organisations embed integrity at their core.

Q1. From your experience at the centre of the Wirecard scandal, what fundamental lessons should today’s business leaders take away about corporate governance?

Pav Gill: “My experience as a whistleblower who exposed the Wirecard scandal has profoundly shaped my views on corporate governance. I tend to emphasise the critical importance of transparency and accountability, and obviously also compliance and strong internal controls.

“Governance isn’t just about ticking boxes; it’s also about fostering an environment where employees feel empowered to speak up, where leaders actively listen, and where systems are in place to prevent issues from being swept under the rug.

“So, you know, it’s not just Wirecard. I also use other examples: we have Boeing, we have the UK Post Office scandal, FTX, and just a whole list – it keeps growing – to highlight the dangers of ignoring red flags and encourage organisations to implement governance frameworks that actively seek out, address, and rectify internal risks before they escalate.”

Q2. Many organisations only act once a crisis has already erupted. What proactive measures should CEOs and boards be putting in place to detect and prevent potential scandals before they escalate?

Pav Gill: “Businesses must cultivate a culture where transparency and integrity are prioritised, and this starts by implementing robust and effective reporting mechanisms, such as whistleblowing software or processes and platforms which allow employees and other stakeholders to raise concerns – whether anonymously or otherwise, but most importantly without any fear of retaliation.

“You can also have regular internal audits, coupled with data-driven risk assessments, that can help identify irregularities early on. Business owners should also encourage open communication at all levels and ensure that stakeholders, like employees, understand that they are part of a greater mission where ethical conduct is really a non-negotiable.

“Training leaders to actively listen and address these concerns without bias can make a significant difference in catching these issues before they escalate.

“So often, people think that whistleblowing is something to be avoided – “oh, we don’t want whistleblowing processes, or we don’t want to encourage it” – but what they need to remember is, if you have a good solution internally, employees will use that solution and give you the opportunity to deal with it before it cascades outside into legal and PR nightmares.”

Q3. Ethics are often spoken about but not always embedded in practice. How can companies ensure that ethical principles remain central to decision-making and not overshadowed by short-term financial goals?

Pav Gill: “Ethics, I think, should be deeply embedded in a company’s DNA, starting from the leadership team. The business leaders need to lead by example, upholding ethical principles in every decision they make. This includes setting clear policies, having zero tolerance for unethical behaviour, and being transparent in their actions.

“One key approach is integrating ethics into the company’s performance metrics, so leaders should be rewarded for integrity, not just financial success. They could also have continuous training on ethical standards, encouraging employees to voice concerns with effective, fun, and engaging “speak up” campaigns.

“And it’s not only about speaking up – it’s also about “listening up”. You could have people speaking, but if no one’s listening, then that’s not very effective either. There needs to be a clear pathway for raising and resolving issues, and that, I believe strongly, would go a long way towards maintaining an ethical culture.”

Q4. Transparency is increasingly demanded by both employees and stakeholders. In your view, how can organisations move beyond rhetoric and create a genuinely transparent culture in the workplace?

Pav Gill: “Workplace transparency starts with communication and trust. Organisations should make it clear that they have safe, non-punitive channels for reporting concerns and feedback, such as whistleblowing platforms, anonymous surveys, open-door policies, and so on.

“Leaders must be approachable; they need to walk the talk as well and be willing to engage in difficult conversations. Cultural transparency also means being honest about both successes and failures. When leadership shares key decisions that they have made, challenges they have faced or overcome, and outcomes with the employees, it creates a sense of inclusion and trust.

“It’s equally important that organisations actually act on the feedback they are receiving, so that employees can see tangible changes based on their input. Doing all these things will foster a strong culture of transparency. That’s how I believe organisations can create a workplace culture based on openness and trust.”