The demand for experienced, talented auditors far outweighs the supply of such people. Internal audit departments and consulting firms across the nation are finding themselves in unfavorable circumstances. The Baby Boomer generation is retiring, the younger generation is not finding traditional audit an attractive career, and audit groups are having to reinvent themselves or outsource their responsibilities. But the outsourcing firms also cannot find enough talent. More than ever it is critical that audit groups develop a proactive strategy for attracting and retaining talented people. This session will point out the ten common mistakes made by mediocre audit departments that drives away the most talented people. The session will also address strategies for developing a much stronger, more appealing audit organization.

It is becoming abundantly clear that we are heading into a time of scarcity of human talent. Every indicator shows that the number of qualified people to join the audit profession is shrinking monthly. Baby boomers are retiring, members of the GenX and GenY crowd aren't as interested in business careers, and traditional audit as a profession is not held in high regard to them. This presentation will equip the listener with predictions of what the future will bring. The speaker will discuss how to find new sources for talent, develop a more consultative approach to audit and give examples of how companies are developing career paths that are more attractive to the newer generations.

In an age when companies are increasingly cost conscious and attempting to save money through outsourcing or rightsizing, every professional in the field of internal audit needs to be more aware of how he/she is perceived as a valuable contributor to an organization. Being competent in your field no longer guarantees job security. Now new factors are at play. Often senior management does not understand the value of the internal audit department. At the same time other departments are having a difficult time finding people with technical knowledge, business sense and communication abilities. This session will focus on the new career options available for people with well-developed skills and the right attitude. This session can be customized to last between 45 minutes and 90 minutes.

This session is an interactive discussion for managers (and people planning to become managers) discussing issues critical to the success of managing internal audit's impact in a corporate setting. Typical topics include: Managing resources to comply with SOX, Hiring and developing multi-talented staff, Budgeting time and resources for special projects, Understanding and reshaping senior management's expectations, and Integrated audit approaches that work. This session can be customized to last between 45 minutes and 90 minutes.

This session will teach participants how to plan their careers, how to evaluate their various options and to look realistically at what lies ahead for a person with internal and/or external audit skills. The focus of the first part will be on personal evaluation of goals and objectives. The second part will address the practical considerations of actualizing career plans within work environments, taking into account the external factors of company politics and the regional job market. This seminar is designed to help participants better formulate an action plan for success in their current employment as well as how to evaluate external career opportunities. This session can be customized to last between 45 and 90 minutes.

The audit profession has never been in such a period of change. Corporations continue to downsize and re-engineer operations and the modern auditor is required to have new skills that "add value" throughout the organization. Sarbanes-Oxley has put a huge burden on resources both inside audit and throughout most organizations. This presentation will highlight the changes occurring in the world's most successful audit departments, including case histories of the changes audit departments have made to become more pro-active. This session can be customized to last between 45 and 90 minutes.

This interactive presentation/workshop will begin with an overview of the economic, societal and psychological effects of all the changes occurring in the audit profession as a result of the changes in business and society in the last several years. Because of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the recession, the corporate scandals and enactment of Sarbanes-Oxley and other legislation, the internal audit profession is undergoing more change than probably ever before in its history.

More than ever before, an auditor's effectiveness is highly dependent upon his/her ability to influence and persuade others to give their support and provide information and assistance or to take appropriate action. This highly interactive workshop is designed to show auditors at any organizational level how to have more effective interactions with auditees, bosses, subordinates, peers, colleagues and others they want to influence. It will explore the differences between power, influence and manipulation. In addition, auditors will learn how people process information and help them tune into information gathering and decision making strategies that different people use so that they can become more powerful influencers.

The last four years have been ones of vast change in the audit profession. The influence of Sarbanes-Oxley and similar legislation has changed the field forever. But an even greater change is occurring as corporations adjust to the changing workforce. It is becoming abundantly clear that we are heading into a time of scarcity of human talent. Every indicator shows that the number of qualified people to join the audit profession is shrinking monthly. Baby boomers are retiring in record numbers, and employers are finding that the rules of the game are different for members of Generation X and Y. This presentation will define and explore the differences between all the generations currently at work in America. It will also shed light on different management styles motivate the younger generations. This presentation will equip the listener with predictions of what the future will bring. The speaker will discuss how to find new sources for talent, develop a more consultative approach to audit and give examples of how companies are developing career paths that are more attractive to the new generation.