MetricStream to Host a Webinar on Risk-based Internal Auditing
Risk experts and executives from Granite Consulting Group and MetricStream will discuss how internal auditors can build an audit program that effectively mitigates risk and adds value to the organization
July 27, 2011 | Palo Alto, California: MetricStream Inc., the market leader in Enterprise Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) solutions, announced today that Michael Bechara, Corporate Risk Expert and Managing Director of Granite Consulting Group Inc., will join Bill Daniher, Vice President of Finance and Operations at MetricStream in a webinar entitled 'Risk-based Auditing: A Value-add Proposition.'
About the webinar
Risk management has always been an integral part of business. But over the last two decades, a host of corporate scandals, security threats, recessions and myriad other crises have pushed risk management to the forefront of business strategy. Organizations are striving to manage and monitor risks more effectively, and the people they are turning to for guidance and direction are internal auditors.
Clearly, internal auditors can no longer be confined to their traditional roles and responsibilities. Stakeholders and managers are depending on them to provide risk-based advice that is critical in proactively mitigating risk, preventing adverse events, and strengthening risk-resilience. Internal auditors are best positioned to meet these expectations because of their deep understanding of organizational risks and controls, as well as their relationship with both business units and management.
To meet the demands of their new role, internal auditors will have to step up their efforts in collaborating with senior management, developing a systematic risk-based audit plan, focusing on key risks, asking the right questions and enhancing transparency into risks - all this while coping with diminishing resources, and a fast changing business landscape.
The MetricStream-hosted webinar will help internal auditors gain best practices, practical tools and strategies to rise to the demands of their new responsibilities, and add value to their organizations. The speakers will provide perspectives on:
Current circumstances forcing auditors to adopt systematic risk-based audit processes
Developing a risk-based audit plan focusing on key risks
How to keep apprised of emerging risks and trends in your organization
How to make the audit process more effective and efficient
What other organizations are doing to address the evolving risk environment
About the speakers
Michael Bechara - Corporate Risk Expert, Managing Director of Granite Consulting Group Inc. and Former Chief Audit Executive of EDO Corporation
Michael Bechara has travelled a unique road. Starting in college, he worked for a local accountant delivering checks during the dead of night in some of Chicago's worst neighborhoods. After graduating from DePaul University, he started his formal career at an insurance company performing operational audits.
Over the next years, Michael climbed the corporate ladder and witnessed the good, the bad and the ugly. Working for such multinational companies as Daimler and Pepsi Bottling and eventually becoming Chief Audit Executive at a major defense and aerospace company, he became well acquainted with various corporate governance, risk and financial management techniques.
Having a front row seat to executive management and boards, he witnessed some of the most alarming approaches and behavior, but also was fortunate enough to have participated in some very ingenious approaches to business problems.
These days Michael is Managing Director of Granite Consulting Group Inc. and the principal author of The Weekly Reconciliation blog (www.weeklyrecon.com). Michael advises clients on profitability, risk assessment, accounting, and post-merger integration issues. Recent client success stories have come in the form of greater profitability, process improvement and transfer of technical knowledge to the client. Advising executives and board members on corporate governance, risk and financial management concerns also occupies much of his time.
Bill Daniher- Vice President of Finance and Operations, MetricStream
Bill Daniher has over 15 years of experience in the technology sector in senior finance and operations roles. Prior to joining MetricStream, Bill was VP of Finance and Business Development for Aragon Consulting. Bill has held VP of Finance and Operations roles with Ziff Davis Media and several venture backed entrepreneurial companies. Bill also served as VP of Finance and CFO for a subsidiary of AMP, Inc., a $6B manufacturer of electronic components, and as General Manager of their Passive Products Division.
Bill earned an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a BBA in Finance from the University of Notre Dame. Prior to going to business school, he served as a Lieutenant in the US Nuclear Submarine Force.
Join the webinar
The webinar is scheduled to take place on July 27, 2011 at 8:00 am PDT (3:00 pm GMT). To register for this event, please click here:
https://info.metricstream.com/risk-based-internal-auditing_27july11.html