Former HealthSouth CFO, UNA Alum To Speak On Campus

Feb. 24, 2012

FLORENCE, Ala. – Weston Smith, former chief financial officer for HealthSouth Corporation and accounting alumnus at the University of North Alabama, will deliver a presentation March 12 at 6 p.m. called “Crossing the Line—An Insider’s Perspective of the HealthSouth Fraud.” The presentation will take place in Stevens Hall auditorium and is open to the public.

Smith worked for more than 12 years as the CFO of HealthSouth, a Fortune 500 company, until a multi-year, $2.7 billion dollar accounting fraud became public. Smith came forward voluntarily by informing the government of the fraud, and took responsibility for his actions. He spent 14 months in Maxwell Federal Prison Camp for his part in the HealthSouth debacle.

Ethics and integrity within business are major topics of discussion for Smith, who uses his background and work experience to teach others about responsible living and work. In his presentation, Smith will discuss the financial and non-financial red flags of corporate misconduct and how fraud is devised and can be avoided. Today, Smith’s message is to teach others to do the right thing and be ethical within the work place.

Smith is a 1982 graduate of UNA and spent five years on the audit staff of Ernst &Young before being recruited by HealthSouth Corporation in 1987. During his tenure at HealthSouth, the company grew from 13 locations to more than 2,000, located in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. Smith rose to the rank of CFO in 2001. While at Ernst & Young, he earned the Certified Public Accounting license.

The event is sponsored by the Department of Accounting & Business Law and Alpha Chi, the Accounting Scholars student group.

For more information on Smith, visit his website at www.westonsmith.biz . To learn more about Smith's presentation, contact the Department of Accounting and Business Law at 256-765-4544.