Beyond Words: The Art of Reading Truth

85% of communication isn't spoken. What if you could read hesitation before it becomes a lie, catch a micro-expression before it's masked, and build trust deep enough that the truth surfaces on its own?

Organized by ACFE Switzerland Chapter, this full-day, in-person, small-cohort training equips internal auditors and investigators with practical, science-based skills for reading truth beyond words. One day. Real case studies. Real role-plays.

CPE credits: 9 CPEs
Lunch is included in the ticket price.

What you'll learn:

I. Verbal Clues — Language patterns, hesitations, and inconsistencies that surface under pressure, decoded through real interview footage and case studies.

II. Body Language — Posture, gesture, and congruence: learning to see when the body agrees with the words, and when it doesn't.

III. Micro-Expressions — The seven universal emotions and the flashes of true feeling that leak through, even in a well-managed face.

Program (hour by hour):

• 09:00 — Welcome & Framing: Why empathy is a detection tool, not a weakness (Discussion)
• 09:30 — Module I: Verbal Clues — Spotting evasive language and inconsistency (Videos + Case Studies)
• 11:00 — Module II: Body Language — Reading posture, gesture & congruence (Videos)
• 12:30 — Lunch break (included)
• 13:30 — Module III: Micro-Expressions — The seven universal emotions, live drills (Videos)
• 15:00 — Integration Workshop: Combining three signals into one coherent read (Workshop)
• 15:45 — Role-Play Simulations: Live interviews with peer feedback (Role-Play)
• 17:00 — Debrief & Action Plan: Key takeaways and personal commitments (Discussion)

Your Trainer — Maxime Chrétien
Chief Audit Executive, City of Geneva. Maxime built his career investigating fraud at the highest level — first as a forensic partner at a Big Four firm, leading complex investigations across the world, especially in Africa, and today as Chief Audit Executive of the City of Geneva. Along the way he became a specialist in behavioral profiling and body language, and now sits on the board of the ACFE Switzerland Chapter. He has trained hundreds of auditors and investigators to notice what words alone don't reveal.

• Former Forensic Partner, Big Four
• Specialist in Behavioral Profiling & Body Language
• Board Member, ACFE Switzerland Chapter

Format: Full-day, in-person, small cohort (lunch included)
Location: Badenerstrasse 172, 8004 Zürich, Switzerland
Date: September 9, 2026
Organizer: ACFE Switzerland Chapter
CPEs: 9

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