February Meeting
Thursday the 4th
Cityplace Conference Center

Academic Relations Month

Meeting 12:00pm - 1:30pm
Registration begins at 11:30pm

Emerging Trends of the Internal Audit Profession
Paul Sobel, Vice Chairman of the Board – Research; President of IIARF;
Vice President of Internal Audit, Mirant Corporation

Objectives: Over the last 18 months we’ve seen unprecedented challenges and changes in the business world. Not surprisingly, the events leading to these turbulent times have also caused shifts in the direction of internal auditing. In this presentation, Paul Sobel discusses the state of the profession and where it is going in the coming years. Using recent surveys, as well as his own experience as a Chief Audit Executive and IIA leader, he provides insights into the challenges internal auditors currently face, the changes that will be taking place in the profession, and how current and future internal auditors can prepare to succeed in this evolving environment.

Paul Sobel is Vice President, Internal Audit for Mirant Corporation, an energy company based in Atlanta that operates power plants in five states. He is responsible for directing the worldwide internal audit activities and developing and implementing risk assessment and ERM methodologies. In addition to reporting to Mirant’s Audit Committee and Nominating & Governance Committee, he sits on the company’s Risk Oversight, IT Steering, Disclosure and Sarbanes-Oxley Steering Committees.

Prior to joining Mirant, Mr. Sobel was Vice President, Risk Assessment at Aquila, Inc., in Kansas City, with similar responsibilities. Before joining Aquila, Paul was a Senior Manager in Arthur Andersen’s Business Risk Consulting practice, with focus on risk assessments and internal audit co-sourcing arrangements. His career has also included positions as Audit Director with Harcourt General in Orlando, responsible for the Harcourt Brace publishing and insurance operations; International Audit Manager for PepsiCo, based out of Purchase, NY, responsible for audits of the international soft drink, snack food and restaurant operations; and Experienced Manager with Arthur Andersen in St. Louis, responsible for financial and information systems audits.

Paul is a CIA and CPA. He is a frequent speaker on governance, ERM and internal audit topics at IIA and other conferences, and achieved Distinguished Faculty honors as an instructor of IIA seminars. He has published a book titled Auditor’s Risk Management Guide: Integrating Auditing and ERM. In addition, he co-authored the textbook titled Internal Auditing: Assurance and Consulting Services, which is sponsored by the IIA’s Research Foundation. Finally, he has been recognized for articles published in Internal Auditor magazine (The IIA) and Management Accounting Quarterly (Institute of Management Accountants).

Paul has been an active volunteer in the profession. He currently serves on the IIA Board of Directors, and is President of the IIA Research Foundation. In the past he has served on the North American Board, the Strategic Planning Task Force, the IIA Research Foundation Board as a Trustee, and has served as the Midwest Region Representative and Midwest District One Representative. He currently serves on the Atlanta Chapter Board of Governors and has agreed to be the Program Chair for the IIA’s 2010 International Conference, which will be held in Atlanta. Previously, he served as President of the Kansas City Chapter, and was on the Board of Governors in the Kansas City and Central Florida Chapters. He has also been appointed to the Standing Advisory Group of the PCAOB. He is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis.

1 Hour Continuing Education

Make your Reservation On line!

CAST Meeting 10:30am - 11:30am
Registration begins at 10:00am

Negotiating Skills
Steve McLaurin, Managing Partner, SolomonEdwardsGroup

Objectives: In today’s market, how should you approach negotiating? Do you have the better position or does your employer, client or customer? Do the market conditions really dictate whether you should negotiate, or just how you should approach negotiations? To some individuals, negotiation skills come very naturally; to others, it becomes very uncomfortable to negotiate. The key to negotiation is to understand your Best Negotiated Alternative (BNA). You have to know where the value resides for both parties and position that value to your best advantage. With that said, good negotiations should leave both parties feeling that they received mutual results.

Steve McLaurin is the Managing Partner for SolomonEdwardsGroup in DFW. SolomonEdwardsGroup (SEG) is a Services Firm solving the shifting needs of the CFO and CIO organizations and its professionals. SEG delivers talent, perspective, and action in the critical areas of accounting operations, resource management, business performance, information technology, and risk and regulations. Steve McLaurin has over 20 years experience working with both CFOs and CIOs from middle market to Fortune 100 companies.

Steve’s areas of expertise include financial talent acquisition, accounting, auditing, information technology risk management, SOX, ERP, and financial reporting system implementations. In these roles, Steve has managed and implemented a variety of solutions.

Steve began his public accounting career with Coopers & Lybrand after two years as a systems analyst with General Dynamics. He became a partner in 1998 with the PricewaterhouseCooper LLP (PwC) assurance practice where he focused on auditing and information technology risk management. Steve transferred to the PwC Consulting practice and, following IBM’s purchase of PwC Consulting, he became an executive with the IBM BCS Financial Management practice. Steve has been recognized for his accomplishments by the Business Press in its "40 Under 40" listing and by Texas Business as one of its "Lone Stars." He is also a member of Leadership Fort Worth.

Steve received his bachelor’s degree in computer science from Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri, where he also served as an adjunct Professor of Accounting Information Systems. In 2001, he was recognized as “Outstanding Young Alumnus” by Evangel University. He is also a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA).

1 Hour Continuing Education

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Pre-Meeting 10:30am - 11:30am
Registration begins at 10:00am

Networking: It Isn't What You Know But Who You Know
Helen Dickey, Healthcare 180°, HDMG

Objectives:

This presentation is not exclusively for folks in transition. Networking is a topic that is applicable whether you are currently employed or not. Why? Because strong networking is essential to your survival in today’s work environment and hence is critical to your professional success. Networking is about building solid relationships through effective networking; it will pay off in many ways, from making new acquaintances, generating new business, and finding your next job. Learn how to effectively network and build solid relationships, and then watch your professional success grow.

Helen Dickey has extensive experience in the professional services and financial institutions industries. Currently, she is involved in the start-up of two new firms in DFW: Healthcare 180°, providing finance/accounting and risk and control services in the healthcare and insurance industries, and HDMG, focused on internal audit services.

Over the past 12 years, Helen was an executive for a major professional services firm where her responsibilities included strategy development, sales and marketing management, financial control, delivery oversight, and people management. She also worked in the financial institutions industry for 12 years both in accounting and internal audit. She served as a trusted advisor to management and was responsible for leading and directing internal audits. In addition, she worked for Coopers & Lybrand as well as Peat Marwick Mitchell performing external audits, mainly in the financial institutions industry.

Helen graduated from the University of Texas in Austin and is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Information Systems Auditor. She has served on the Board of Governors for the Dallas Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors since 2004.

1 Hour Continuing Education

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Post-Meeting I 1:30pm - 2:30pm

Job Skills for the Changing Internal Audit Profession
Paul Sobel, Vice Chairman of the Board – Research; President of IIARF;
Vice President of Internal Audit, Mirant Corporation

Objectives: Paul will lead an interactive session with some of the leading research on skills that make a successful auditor in today’s dynamic environment. Many companies along with their audit groups have gone through significant change during the past year and may need to retool to meet the challenges in the future. This session will probe into those areas which audit groups can provide the most significant value added services. Since students will be in a networking event, this session is meant for experienced auditors of all levels, including CAE’s.

See Paul's bio above

1 Hour Continuing Education

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Post-Meeting II 1:30pm - 2:30pm

Speed Interviewing

Objectives: In commemoration of Academic Relations Month, this portion of the meeting invites students to interview with several area Chief Audit Executives (CAEs) and Senior Managers. At the end of the session, the CAEs and Senior Managers will provide interview feedback to students. This event has been greeted with much anticipation by students in years past and we are looking forward to a successful event this year as well. Below is a list of audit executives who will be participating as ‘speed interviewers’:

Amy LaBarge, Director of Audit, Parkland Health & Hospital System
Anke Eckardt, Area Director Group Internal Audit NAM, Lehigh Hanson/HeidelbergCement
Catherine Eden, Chief Audit Executive, T Bank NA
Chris Linsteadt, Assistant Director of Internal Auditing Education, UTD
Daniel Goldberg, Director of SOX Compliance, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group
David Williams, Associate Audit Director, JCPenney Company Inc.
Eric Atwood, Director of Internal Audit, Blockbuster Inc.
Gary Pankake, Assistant Director of Internal Audit, UNT
Gill Goodson, Director of Internal Audit, Southwest Securities, Inc.
Gina Moore, Audit Manager, VHA
Glenn Onstad, Senior Vice President, Risk and Compliance, Bank of America
Keith Brazile, Director of Internal Audit, Belo Corporation
Lee Gramly, Audit Manager, JCPenney Company Inc.
Leonard Amaya, Chief Internal Auditor, Broadview Security
Lori Rainwater, Vice President of Internal Audit, Southwest Airlines
Pablo DeArkos, Internal Audit Manager, Southwest Securities Inc.
Prashant Karanam, Manager of Advisory Services, Ernst & Young
Randy Watterworth, Director, Risk Advisory Services, Jefferson Wells
Robert Alexander, President, Strategic Controls Solutions, LLC.
Robert Rubel, Director of Internal Audit, UT Southwestern Medical Center
Robert Wakefield, Director of Internal Audit, INX Inc.
Sheri P. Kowalski, Director of Internal Audit, Children’s Medical Center