Helen Sharkey
When Helen Sharkey was hired as an accountant in 1996 by Dynegy-an up and coming energy trading company in Houston-she had no idea that the job would ultimately lead to 28 days in a maximum security prison. But that's exactly what happened.
At the age of 28, Helen was the lowest-level employees on a $300 million structured finance transaction team called Project Alpha. Little did she know, Dynegy was following in the footsteps of Enron. Soon, the Securities and Exchange Commission launched an investigation of Project Alpha, followed by criminal charges brought by the Justice Department against three employees, including Helen.
In August 2003, Helen plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud.
Today, Helen speaks about her experience with brutal honesty and not a trace of self-pity. She talks about her excitement when she landed her "dream job" at Dynegy, only to be followed by dismay when she began to doubt the ethics of what they were doing and, ultimately, her complete loss of faith in the company. She details her gut wrenching fear when she realized the Justice Department was targeting her, her struggle with the decision to plead guilty, the shame of being branded a felon and her time behind bars. She talks about her mistakes frankly, yet also delivers a message of hope: even when things are at their darkest, never lose sight of the light at the end. Follow it and believe.
When Helen Sharkey was hired as an accountant in 1996 by Dynegy-an up and coming energy trading company in Houston-she had no idea that the job would ultimately lead to 28 days in a maximum security prison. But that's exactly what happened.
At the age of 28, Helen was the lowest-level employees on a $300 million structured finance transaction team called Project Alpha. Little did she know, Dynegy was following in the footsteps of Enron. Soon, the Securities and Exchange Commission launched an investigation of Project Alpha, followed by criminal charges brought by the Justice Department against three employees, including Helen.
In August 2003, Helen plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud.
Today, Helen speaks about her experience with brutal honesty and not a trace of self-pity. She talks about her excitement when she landed her "dream job" at Dynegy, only to be followed by dismay when she began to doubt the ethics of what they were doing and, ultimately, her complete loss of faith in the company. She details her gut wrenching fear when she realized the Justice Department was targeting her, her struggle with the decision to plead guilty, the shame of being branded a felon and her time behind bars. She talks about her mistakes frankly, yet also delivers a message of hope: even when things are at their darkest, never lose sight of the light at the end. Follow it and believe.
Low Man on the Totem Pole - How I became a White Collar Criminal
When Helen Sharkey was hired as an accountant in 1996 by Dynegy-an up and coming energy trading company in Houston-she had no idea the job would ultimately lead to 28 days in a maximum security federal prison. But thats exactly what happened.
Today, Helen brings her powerful story to audiences about the events that led to her prison sentence and how she has rebuilt her life in the aftermath. Helen's polished, engaging storyhas gripped audiences and won rave reviews for...
