The year 2007 was marked on the one hand by the start of the operational phase of the International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR) and, consequently, by a considerable increase in the total number of staff employed by the Institute. On the other hand, the Institute succeeded in winning an exceptionally high number of consulting mandates in the fields of corporate and public governance. Consequently, the year 2007 again saw a remarkable increase in activities, including smaller consulting projects and research papers, brownbag lunches and other types of events, numerous public appearances of Institute staff, a growing network of partners, and a generally increased recognition of the Institute in Switzerland and internationally.