Course Description
Organizations today are looking to their audit departments for company insights, risk and fraud expertise, in-depth industry knowledge, and forward-looking reporting. Auditors are expected to be open-minded and analytical thinkers. Decision-making skills and professional judgment are a daily necessity in the internal audit process. Teaching auditors to utilize critical thinking skills throughout the audit process strengthens their ability to identify and assess risk, prioritize testing, align audit objectives with business objectives, and identify true value-add activities.
Speaker Information:
Bret Kobel, MANAGING PARTNER
Mr. Kobel is Managing Partner for Verracy and has more than 20 years of professional finance, accounting, audit, risk and compliance experience. Mr. Kobel specializes in internal controls, process improvement, process transformation & implementation with organizations operating under GAAP and/or IFRS Standards. He brings a diverse background to the organization from venture-backed startups to global Fortune 500 companies.
Prior to joining Empower, Mr. Kobel spent two years on assignment in Singapore as the Regional CFO and Controller for an international logistics company responsible for seven countries in the Asia Pacific region. Mr. Kobel was tasked with transforming the financial organization and redesigning the financial processes to ensure timely and accurate financial reporting.
Prior to that, Mr. Kobel spent several years with a large international drilling services company operating in over 40 countries on six continents. He was responsible for developing the company’s initial policies and procedures and implementing the baseline internal controls framework for the company as well as the initial Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) program. Mr. Kobel later led global Internal Audit teams performing the first ever internal audits in the company’s 120-year history.
Earlier in Mr. Kobel’s career, he was part of a team that interpreted the newly released 1992 COSO Internal Control – Integrated Framework that worked to define a set of policies and procedures for one of the largest university systems in the nation and later led teams conducting the initial internal audits for the newly-implemented procedures.
Mr. Kobel received his BS degree from Indiana University and his MBA from The University of Texas at Austin. He is a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE).
Cancellation Policy:
There are no refunds for cancellations made for this event, although substitutions are allowed if member is unable to attend.