You are here: Home / Our People

Our People

Founded on experience and passion

Our team’s credentials are outlined below. For more information, please contact us.

Bill Douglas

Bill Douglas

Bill Douglas

Founder and President, Bill Douglas, has been a prolific speaker, writer and instructor in the areas of fraud and internal controls. He has been a frequent contributor to numerous industry organizations and publications. Click here to see clips from Mr. Douglas’ presentations. Douglas was also the President and Founder of Accounting Aid for Fraud Victims (AAFFV), a local non-profit that provided forensic accounting help to elderly and mentally disabled victims of financial abuse. He has also been a Volunteer Fraud Investigator and a sworn Sheriff’s Deputy with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and has been a Volunteer Fraud Investigator with the Hillsboro Police Department.

Prior to founding Cost Advisors, Mr. Douglas held management positions in accounting, IT systems, sales and marketing. He has been an auditor with Deloitte & Touche and CFO of a software firm. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Villanova University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.

Mr. Douglas holds numerous professional certifications: Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA); and is a member of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA),  past chair of the Business & Industry Committee of the Oregon Society of CPAs,  past board member of the Oregon chapter Institute of Internal Auditors, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE, past board member of the Oregon chapter). Mr. Douglas received the Oregon Association of Certified Fraud Examiner’s 2014 Member of the Year Award.

Mamie Douglas

Mamie Douglas

Mamie Douglas is a Consultant for Cost Advisors, Inc.  In that role, she serves clients by conducting tests and performing analysis of financial data and by producing findings which are easily understood by clients and others.

Prior to joining Cost Advisors, Ms. Douglas performed analysis of financial statements and tax returns for Wells Fargo Bank.

Ms. Douglas is a graduate of Portland State University where she earned a B.S. degree in Accounting.  She has a strong background in taxation, QuickBooks, financial reporting and analysis.  She is an Oregon Licensed Investigator (PI), former U.S. federally authorized Enrolled Agent (EA) and a former Oregon Licensed Tax Consultant (LTC).  Ms. Douglas speaks fluent Mandarin and Cantonese.

Our Credentials

Explanation of credentials (referenced in profiles above).

CPA (Certified Public Accountant) While requirements vary by state, obtaining a CPA license usually requires 150 semester hours (including accounting courses), one year of professional experience under another CPA and passing the CPA exam. To maintain the license, CPAs must complete 80 hours of continuing professional education every two years.* CIA (Certified Internal Auditor) The IIA’s (Institute of Internal Auditors) CIA certification is the only globally accepted designation for internal auditors. Candidates must have a Bachelor’s degree, 2 years’ professional experience in internal auditing and pass a four-part exam. A practicing CIA must complete 80 hours of continuing professional education every two years to maintain the certification.
CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner) The ACFE’s (Association of Certified Fraud Examiners) CFE certification requires a Bachelor’s degree, two year’s professional experience in a field related to the detection or deterrence of fraud and passing the CFE exam. 20 hours of fraud continuing professional education each year are required to maintain the certification. CFF (Certified in Financial Forensics) This credential is exclusively offered by the AICPA (American Institute of CPAs) to members who demonstrate considerable knowledge in forensic accounting. They must have five years’ accounting experience, hold a CPA license and pass the CFF exam. 60 hours of fraud training are required every three years. At the time of writing, the latest AICPA figures show that there are only 4,467 CFFs in the country. Click here to learn about the benefits of hiring a CFF.
PI (Licensed Private Investigator) An Oregon PI is licensed by the State and engages in the business of obtaining or furnishing information. 1,500 hours of experience, passing an exam on criminal code and a State Police background check are required to obtain the license. 32 hours of continuing professional education are required every two years to maintain the license. A state license is REQUIRED of Oregon investigators unless they are CPAs. At Cost Advisors, our practice is limited to the detection and investigation of white-collar crime.

*NOTICE: Cost Advisors® is a consulting firm with expertise in Accounting Investigation and Forensics. Cost Advisors does not issue opinions on financial statements or offer attestation services.