Monday, July 7

The presenters will chart the course of internal auditing based on a review of recent efforts to strengthen the conceptual foundations of the profession. The interplay of theory and practice produces conceptually robust and practically relevant guidance to internal auditors globally that paves the way to world class assurance and consulting services.

Sponsored by Grant Thornton LLP
All Levels

Now that the U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 "crunch" has passed, Internal Audit Departments are re-evaluating their traditional audits. Additionally, management is putting downward pressure on IA budgets and asking IA to reengineer their audits with the goal of not only managing risks and controls but also finding ways to improve company profitability. Leading IA departments are leveraging new tools on audits to also address fraud, financial leakage, and other operational risks. Miron will provide examples of IA departments making the transition from primarily compliance-oriented activities to adding more value and even clearly demonstrating a measurable return on the Internal Audit investment.

Sponsored by Protiviti
All Levels

Despite economic uncertainty in many parts of the world, demand remains strong for skilled finance and accounting professionals. This session will provide an in-depth assessment of the global hiring trends in finance, accounting and audit based on Robert Half’s 2008 Global Financial Employment Monitor. The report covers issues including the functional areas experiencing the greatest talent shortages, rising concern about employee retention and effective staffing strategies. Paul McDonald will also provide hands-on strategies to help participants more successfully address these issues.

Sponsored by Robert Half Management Resources
All Levels

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has announced they will enhance their credit rating evaluation to include a review of risk management practices for companies outside of the financial services industry. S&P’s ERM evaluation may result in a change in the company’s credit rating which could directly impact the company’s ability to attract debt at favorable interest rates. The goal of this presentation is to better inform attendees of the S&P initiative, including an overview of their proposed framework, evaluation approach, and potential areas of focus in industry sectors. This presentation will explore the role of internal audit in preparing the organization for the S&P evaluation and the development of an appropriate response plan.

Sponsored by Ernst & Young
Intermediate and Advanced

The IIA recently performed a quality assessment of SAP’s Global Internal Audit Services (GIAS) group resulting in "Generally Conforms." SAP is the first and only German-based company to have an internal audit function directly assessed by the IIA. Our presentation encompasses an insight of GIAS’ organization, Roadmap (i.e.: comprising all processes, controls and forms of a true and fully compliant global audit approach) and how GIAS is effectively dealing with challenges presented by business needs of a global company. For example, addressing global audits, global virtual teams, auditing in multi-cultural environments, global information flows and communication, performance measurement, allegations, etc.

Sponsored by SAP
All Levels

Navigate the vast knowledge base of PricewaterhouseCoopers' Global Best Practices® and discover how benchmarking and best practices add value to internal audit. You will be shown how to better understand business processes--accelerating the learning curve and leading to more robust reviews. See how to enhance the credibility of your recommendations with examples of how other companies have achieved success. Learn how instant access to a wide range of process improvement tools will save you time and increase your productivity. Come away with appreciation of a decision-support tool that can help prove and support the valuable contribution of internal audit.

Sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers
All Levels

Tuesday, July 8

The Global Program Advisory Services Leader for Ernst & Young provides insight into the critical factors for managing risks and improving the success of major programs such as construction projects, IT implementations, post-merger integration efforts, and other major change initiatives.

Sponsored by Ernst & Young
Intermediate and Advanced

The Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) selected Grant Thornton LLP to develop new guidance designed to help organizations effectively monitor the quality of their internal control systems, as well as comply with the U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX). The presenters will discuss the monitoring tool that will bring together leading practices at large and small organizations and provide in-depth guidance for implementing the monitoring component of COSO's Internal Control - Integrated Framework.

Sponsored by Grant Thornton LLP
All Levels

During this session we will discuss how to use enabling technologies to integrate internal audit assessments into your Governance Risk Compliance Program (GRC). You will learn: How the annual risk assessment process can “fit” into GRC; When to leverage other assessments for audit’s benefit; Techniques to keep the risk assessment “fresh” and current; Options for appropriately sharing audit’s assessment with others; About the technologies that exist today to help facilitate the process; and Practical ways to select a technology that suits your organization.

Sponsored by Protiviti
All Levels

If you are considering or preparing a continuous auditing initiative, you will not want to miss this informative session. Learn through real customer experiences the common pitfalls to avoid; implementation factors; elements of a successful roll-out; and considerations for ongoing operations management. You’ll also gain insight into the challenges, advantages and best-practices for managing the evaluation and procurement process for a complex technology solution.

Sponsored by Oversight Systems, Inc.
All Levels

As business becomes increasingly globalized, there is a need for companies to ensure sustainable and responsible business practices. Internal Audit must be a strategic partner in assisting management with responsibility and sustainability initiatives. Internal Audit can also contribute business value by examining the alignment of social, environmental, and financial performance goals. This session will discuss strategies to help organizations embed sustainable business practices.

Sponsored by Deloitte
All Levels

Navigate the vast knowledge base of PricewaterhouseCoopers' Global Best Practices® and discover how benchmarking and best practices add value to internal audit. You will be shown how to better understand business processes--accelerating the learning curve and leading to more robust reviews. See how to enhance the credibility of your recommendations with examples of how other companies have achieved success. Learn how instant access to a wide range of process improvement tools will save you time and increase your productivity. Come away with appreciation of a decision-support tool that can help prove and support the valuable contribution of internal audit.

Sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers
All Levels

Many companies still struggle with effectively managing their IT Compliance Programs. In this session, you'll learn strategies for improving your IT Compliance Program based on compliance leaders' best practices that not only reduce deficiencies but also help manage operational and financial risk. Symantec will share insights into how to implement some of these best practices including automating IT general computer controls assessments and policy management, performing risk based self-assessments, reducing control objectives, and increasing the frequency of IT audits.

Sponsored by Symantec
All Levels