DePaul professor, author, fraud expert, and filmmaker Kelly Pope discusses ethical leadership, purposeful growth, and resilience with UVU students during the Reed and Christine Halladay Executive Lecture Series.
An author, filmmaker, and accounting professor at DePaul University, Kelly shared a deeply personal and unconventional career journey shaped by resilience, curiosity, and an enduring interest in ethics and fraud.
Kelly began by reflecting on her upbringing and the influence of her father, a business school dean who inspired her early academic path. She earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, followed by a Master of Accountancy and a PhD in Accounting from Virginia Tech. Early experiences observing poor ethical decisions sparked her interest in fraud and raised questions that would continue to shape her work.
While Kelly initially planned to follow a traditional academic path, her life changed suddenly with the loss of both parents within a short period of time. She emphasized that while plans often shift unexpectedly, growth requires persistence and the willingness to keep moving forward, even in uncertain moments.
After completing her PhD, Kelly sought experiences beyond academia. She left a faculty position to work at KPMG, taking a risk before earning her CPA, and later returned to teaching. Over time, her career evolved into what she described as an “unplanned plan,” leading her into authorship, filmmaking, and public education focused on fraud and ethical decision-making.
Kelly shared how determination and discipline allowed her to break into filmmaking despite having no formal background. Her work ultimately reached Netflix, reinforcing her belief that drive and consistency can create opportunities where none seem to exist. A TED Talk later inspired her to write Fool Me Once during the pandemic, a project that gained national recognition and expanded her platform through media, radio, and podcasts.
During the lecture, Kelly engaged students with a real-world fraud case, inviting them to analyze the situation themselves. This interactive approach helped students connect abstract ethical concepts to real decisions and consequences.
Kelly closed by sharing several guiding principles: tough times are inevitable, discipline matters, transferable skills are invaluable, learning exists in nearly every experience, growth requires creating opportunity, and meaningful careers often require making your own splash.
The Woodbury School of Business thanks Kelly Pope for sharing her story and perspective. Her message emphasized resilience, adaptability, and the power of embracing an unconventional path with purpose and persistence.
Want to catch every insight from this year’s Halladay Lecture Series?
LEARN MORE ABOUT ALL SPRING 2026 HALLADAY LECTURE SERIES SPEAKERS HERE.
Watch Kelly Pope's full lecture below.
