Peter Mcconnell, B. Comm., Cpa, Cia, Crma Email & Phone Number

The greatest lessons I've learned as a leader in internal audit are speedily adapting to a changing environment; assessing complex issues efficiently and effectively; taking charge by shoring-up the resilience of practices and processes; strengthening the lines of communications with team members, clients, executives, the audit committee members and other stakeholders (e.g. external auditors); investing time in the care, development and aspirations of my team members; and embracing innovation. With a focus on delivering insightful and informative results in support of the organization strategic objectives and business goals.By looking after these things, I was able lead a dedicated team of internal audit and data professionals at AIMCo to distinction among their public pension investment management peers in Canada. I transitioned the team from a traditional audit function to a discipline-oriented group focused on operational risk, data risk, cybersecurity and IT risk that used their skills and talents to provide organizational risk assessments, forward-looking assurance, and investigative services to the organization using innovative approaches and data analytics tools and methodologies that focused on key risks, risk management and mitigation efforts, and communication of results.Some of the major organization assurance projects that I have led and participated in include: organization-wide risk assessments; internal audit assurance activities of all the major areas of business activity; forward-looking assurance on project execution and delivery, application controls, and third-party risks of cloud-based systems; leading internal investigations and whistleblower complaints; assessing the resilience of IT systems controls; assessing operational risk management frameworks including fraud risks, third-party risks, insider threat management, IT and cybersecurity risks, etc. The results were informative and focused the organization on the key risks and practical solutions. I know how to build and lead a quality internal audit practice and work along side assurance teams and management in major organizational transformative projects such as the implementation of ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, etc.); implementation of SOx404/302, NI 52-109 and other internal controls assessment (e.g. SOC1) and disclosure programs; fraud risk assessment programs; operational risk management programs (e.g. ERM); third-party risk management assessments; cybersecurity and IT auditing (e.g. SWIFT) and more.

• 

  Washington State University

  Accounting & Finance