A prosecutor at the Serious Fraud Office has won a national award celebrating her work on high-profile cases and supporting more junior colleagues.
Liz Collery, case controller at the SFO, took home the Outstanding Female Economic Crime Professional Award at the annual Tackling Economic Crime Awards.
Judges described Collery as a “distinguished Serious Fraud Office prosecutor who led landmark cases, including the £103m Amec Foster Wheeler settlement and the Glencore resolution”.
The case that Collery led against the consultancy, engineering, and project management company Amec Foster Wheeler in 2021 addressed extensive misuse of corrupt agents within the engineering sector, which the SFO said sent “a strong deterrent message about industry-wide misconduct”.
Collery led the SFO’s investigation into senior-level bribery allegations at global commodity giant Glencore in 2022. “This resulted in the largest penalty ever imposed after a corporate criminal conviction in the UK, highlighting the prosecutorial rigour she brings to complex economic crime,” the SFO said.
Collery – who leads and mentors a team of around 25 investigators and legal professionals – was also recognised for her commitment to developing the next generation of financial crime professionals.
“A global mentor and educator, she shares financial crime expertise internationally. Known for pioneering legal strategies and inspiring leadership, she balances a demanding caseload while nurturing her team, exemplifying excellence in economic crime prosecution,” the award judges added.
SFO director Nick Ephgrave said Collery’s success in leading complex, high-profile fraud and bribery prosecutions “exemplifies the determination and integrity critical to the success of the Serious Fraud Office”.
“Her incredible work across notable prosecutions has made a huge contribution to our mission in holding wrongdoers to account and protecting the UK’s financial systems,” he added.
Three other SFO staff were also nominated for awards: Andrew Grieve, Sarah Goudarzi and Simon Daniel.
The TECAs celebrate individuals and organisations across law enforcement, private industry, academia and the public sector who demonstrate innovation, collaboration and impact in the fight against economic crime.
The Outstanding Female Economic Crime Professional Award recognises women working at any level who have “consistently shown outstanding performance over a substantial period of time”. It also recognises individual’s impact on driving improvements in tackling any aspect of economic crime.
Collery also appeared on the Global Investigations Review’s 2025 Women in Investigations list, which highlights 100 exceptional women working on tackling white-collar crime.