As disruption rises, misconduct follows.
Build resilience by
Empowering Integrity.
What is Empowering Integrity?
Rising global disruption is amplifying competitive pressures, making misconduct more likely. Even one ethical failure can seriously damage trust.
CULTURE
STRUCTURES
STRATEGIES
Empowering Integrity is a framework developed for organizations that need to ensure they have the right structures in place to prevent, detect, and respond to misconduct. It also helps foster an ethical culture and center ethics within the organization's strategy.
As disruptive forces — climate, technology, geopolitics — reshape the global landscape of risk and competitiveness, Empowering Integrity becomes even more important. Ortus works with clients to respond to these forces by embedding ethical conduct throughout the fabric of an organization to build resilience in the face of new challenges lying ahead.
How can Ortus help?
Ortus provides credible, independent advice and support to leaders and Board members who need to rebuild trust in their organizations.
Our expertise comes directly from landmark cases that have changed the way the world thinks about integrity, compliance, disruption, and governance. In each of these matters, we have helped companies weather the challenge at hand, address systemic issues, and emerge stronger than before.
We support organizations in several capacities, serving as a credible, independent expert to restore trust after crises; a strategic advisor to Boards and executives on disruption, competitiveness, and ethics; and an energetic advocate for collective action against corruption and dirty money.
Here are some of the ways Ortus can help:
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Post-crisis remediation assessment: Ortus undertakes credible, independent assessments of the implementation of remediation measures in the aftermath of investigations and ethical crises.
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Strategic remediation support: Ortus works with stakeholders to develop effective remediation measures and strategic roadmaps for lasting transformation of an organization's culture, leadership, and governance.
Spotlight
AI and Ethical Leadership
AI can be a powerful tool to support ethics and compliance but it cannot substitute for curiosity, judgment, and moral courage.
Opportunities
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Risk monitoring: AI can extend oversight beyond sample-based audits to continuous monitoring of all relevant organizational data.
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Investigations and whistleblowing: AI can streamline the lifecycle of whistleblower reports from intake to resolution, and facilitate the scanning of extensive data sets from investigations.
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Policies and training: AI can support companies in tailoring policies and training materials to fit the organization's context and risk profile.
While AI can be a formidable ally against misconduct in organizations, leaders and compliance professionals need to understand its risks and limitations.
Risks and Limitations
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Ethical judgment: AI cannot substitute for robust ethical oversight, accountability, and tone setting by organizational leaders.
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Blind spots: AI cannot fix flawed or missing data and its effectiveness can be hindered by algorithmic bias.
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Regulatory issues: Organizations using AI to support compliance must understand and adhere to evolving regulations governing the technology, which can create legal and reputational exposure.
How is Ortus different?
Our work complements the work of legal advisors and corporate functions, ensuring that critical red flags and blind spots are not missed.
Corporate leaders and Board members reach out to Ortus when their organization needs support delivering on critical ethical commitments.
How is Ortus' approach different?
Experience & Credibility >
Ortus has supported companies in connection with some of the most significant corporate ethical matters on record, including three of the largest U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) cases to date. In helping organizations uphold their pre- and post-resolution commitments, Ortus has cultivated significant credibility with regulators and enforcement authorities.
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Clarity & Focus >
In fact-finding and remediation efforts, companies that maintain rigid organizational silos and a constellation of external advisors can be hampered by blind spots, poor coordination, and redundancy. Ortus brings together the input and perspectives of all stakeholders to develop effective roadmaps with clear KPIs — keeping efforts on track and facilitating good governance.
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Strategic Perspective >
Instead of following rote checklists or a "one-size-fits-all" methodology, Ortus' work plan always incorporates a strategic analysis of the wider geopolitical, economic, and cultural contexts — which can be decisive in achieving the best outcome.
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Spotlight
Key Questions for Boards
Ortus provides credible, independent advice, support, and training to leaders and Board members who need to empower integrity in their organizations.
WHITE PAPER
Governance of Anti-Corruption and Responsible Business: A Framework for Boards of Directors
Ortus' José Hernandez and Mark Laurie authored this director's primer on anti-corruption compliance published by the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada). The white paper outlines important questions that corporate directors should ask to understand how their organization manages misconduct risks.
People, networks, perspectives
Led by José Hernandez, a globally recognized expert on ethics, leadership, and misconduct, Ortus works with an interdisciplinary network of professionals to help clients empower integrity
OUR TEAM
Ortus has its origins in FGI Europe, a consulting firm focused on strategy and crisis management founded in 2008 by José Hernandez — a leading global authority on issues of corporate misconduct and ethical leadership — with former FBI director, Louis J. Freeh.
In 2016, José launched Ortus, a unique firm with a mandate to help leaders empower integrity throughout their organizations. Ortus' core team includes experts in strategy, crisis management, compliance, and governance. Ortus also continues to work in seamless cooperation with Freeh's team on complex matters around the world.
José R. Hernandez Ph.D., CA, CPA
Chief Executive Officer
Tel +31 624 321 859
OUR GLOBAL NETWORK
Since our founding, Ortus has taken a collaborative approach to our work, partnering with other firms and independent experts to ensure that each engagement benefits from the right perspectives, knowledge base, and capacity.
Beyond our core team of integrity, strategy, and governance experts, Ortus maintains a global reach through our broad and interdisciplinary network of professionals around the world.
Big
Four
Global Law
Firms
Strategy
Firms
MEET OUR CORE TEAM
Dr. José Hernandez is a globally recognized expert on strategy, crisis management, governance, and ethical leadership. A professional accountant, he is a trusted advisor to multinational companies navigating complex criminal and regulatory matters.
Hernandez brings a unique approach and perspective to supporting organizations facing ethical scandals or criminal investigations. He also advises directors and organizations on corporate governance and compliance matters, including the design of strategies, structures, and policies to mitigate risk.
He is the founder and CEO of Ortus Strategies, a consulting firm with global clients headquartered in Europe and North America. Prior to founding Ortus, Hernandez was a founding partner in FGI Europe, a strategy and crisis management firm that he built with former FBI Director Louis Freeh.
Prior to that, he was a partner with PwC, where he developed his specialty in forensic accounting, governance, and compliance, supporting Fortune 100 corporations facing regulatory investigation and prosecution. During his time with PwC, he was based in The Netherlands, Cuba, Canada, and the United States, specifically Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C.
Over the past three decades, Hernandez has worked on several landmark cases involving the remediation of ethics and compliance at blue-chip organizations faced with fines and penalties exceeding $1 billion. His U.S. experience has made him particularly valuable to European-headquartered companies unfamiliar with — and struggling to navigate — the approach taken by U.S. regulators and prosecutors targeting corporate misconduct.
Hernandez is a Canadian Chartered Accountant and Professional Accountant (Ontario), U.S. Certified Public Accountant (Delaware), and Chartered Financial Analyst. He holds both Bachelor of Mathematics and Master of Accounting degrees from the University of Waterloo (Canada). He has a Ph.D. in Economic and Business Administration from VU University in Amsterdam, where he is a guest faculty member. His doctoral dissertation was titled “Principles, Processes, and Practices of Fraud Prevention.”
He currently serves on the University of Waterloo’s President’s International Advisory Board and on the Advisory Council of the School of Accounting and Finance. He also serves on Canada’s Advisory Committee on Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, representing CPA Canada.
Hernandez has lectured at research institutions in Switzerland, Sweden, The Netherlands, Canada, and El Salvador. He is committed to higher education and the fight against corruption and dirty money, and is active in fund-raising for peace projects.
The first edition of his first book, Broken Business: Seven Steps to Reform Good Companies Gone Bad, was translated into several languages. His second book, on the relationships among global disruption, competitiveness, and ethical misconduct, is forthcoming in late 2026. His analysis has been featured on BBC, CNBC, and CNN.
