eNews Update - September 2000

This is the first edition of eNews for the 2000 - 2001 chapter year. Use the buttons at left to navigate to the major sections of the newsletter.

To "Unsubscribe" go to DallasIIA.org/E-News.htm, enter this e-mail ID and select "Unsubscribe." To change the e-mail address you receive this newsletter, unsubscribe as noted above and then "Subscribe" with the desired ID. Note: there will be no printed newsletter this year. All newsletters will be sent electronically.

September 21, 2000, 12:00 Lunch Program

11:30 Registration

Leading an Audit Team in 2000 and Beyond

Howard J. Johnson will outline the background skill sets of audit teams going forward, the attributes that auditors need to have to be successful, the reasons why auditors are currently so popular, and the challenges that we face recruiting and maintaining an audit staff.

Howard is the Director of JCPenney Auditing. In addition, Howard was the Chairman of the Institute of Internal Auditor's Board of Directors in 1999-2000.

10:30 Pre-meeting, CityPlace's Turtle Creek III

Coping with Change: Each Personality Has a Different Style

Presented by Mary Witherspoon. Participants will take a brief quiz to assess their personality and decision making style based on four characteristics. Mary will lead a discussion on how to understand why you do the things you do in the workplace when you are involved with change. Then, tips will be given to help others on your team cope with change, especially when they see the work environment differently than you.

Mary is a keynote speaker and leader of seminars designed to improve performance; create energetic and spirited work environments; and build strong relationships in the workplace.

1:00 Post-meeting, CityPlace's Turtle Creek III

1999-2000 Chapter Research Project

Presented by Ruth Burton, Project Chairperson. She will discuss the results of the chapter's survey on Managing the Internal Audit function. The survey consisted of the following three components:

• Audit Standards and Management Objectives -- Assess whether members perceive a gap between the services they provide and the expectations of their respective organizational management, and, if so, identify factors contributing to the expectations gap.
• Audit Department Administration -- Identify the expectation model, or mission, adopted by member departments and assess its degree of influence on administrative decisions such as project selection, experience level of staff members, amount of outsourcing, and department organizational structure.
• Appraising the Internal Audit Function -- Identify the basis of performance measures, the types of activities measured and the methods used to measure performance.

Ruth has eight years of audit experience in consumer lending and mortgage loan servicing. In January 2000, Ruth began working exclusively on department initiatives such as developing an auditor competency model, training curriculum and scheduling in-house training. Ruth has been a member of the Dallas Chapter since 1992 and has chaired or co-chaired the Newsletter Committee, Audit Committee and this year the Research Committee.

You may download the Final Report (503 kb) as a MS Word document.  Please bring a copy to the post-meeting.

All Meetings are at CityPlace Conference Center, 2711 North Haskell at Central Expressway in Dallas.

Preferred Method

The best method to confirm your reservation is via the website at DallasIIA.org/Reserve.htm.

Secondary Method

An optional method is to use the telephone, fax, or e-mail. However, a $2 phone/fax/e-mail fee will be assessed to each reservation.

Contact

Gina Bailey, TXU
Phone: 214-812-5937
Fax: 214-812-6676
e-mail:gbailey1@txu.com

Luncheon Fees:

Members: $25
Non-Members: $30
Students: $15
Phone/Fax/E-Mail Fee $2

Reservations must be received by noon on Friday, September 15 or a $7 late fee will be charged.

We reserve the right to bill for "no-shows"

Meeting Dates for the 2000-2001 Chapter Year
October 19, 2000
November 16, 2000
December 12, 2000
January 18, 2001
February 15, 2001
March 15, 2001
April 19, 2001
May 15, 2001

IIA Research Foundation

Dave Hallo recently received three new publications from the Foundation:

• Data Warehousing and Data Mining: Opportunities for Internal Auditors (order number 393, price is $50 for IIA Members and $65 for nonmembers)
• Corporate Governance and the Board - What Works Best (order number 408, price is $50 for IIA Members and $65 for nonmembers)
• Assurance Services Within the Audit Profession (order number 392, price is $60 for IIA Members and $75 for nonmembers)

All three can be purchased through the IIA Distribution Center (toll free in the U.S. 1-877-867-4957. If you would like to preview any of the publications prior to purchase, please let Dave know (214) 812-4990.

2000 - 2001 SEMINARS

Back-to-School Seminar

The Dallas IIA's 10th Annual "Back-to-School" Seminar

The seminar will be taught in Meeting 1 Room of the JCPenney low-rise building (Park Central III) near Coit Rd. and I-635. Earn 8 CPE hours.

AGA / IIA State and Local Government Conference

Austin, Texas

October 30 - 31, 2000. Sponsored by AGA and IIA Headquarters, $345/members; $425/non-members.

November 1, 2000 Training Expo: Sponsored by AGA and IIA Austin chapters. $125/members; $145/non-members

Day one of the conference will address why and how to form internal and external strategic partnerships. Day two will consist of the presentation of best partnerships practices from around the country that really worked. Day three, sponsored by the AGA and IIA Host chapters, will focus on two tracks: GASB Statement No. 34/35 and the new internal audit standards.

Please see the AGENDA (topic per session, and more details) and the REGISTRATION FORM at this web site:

http://members.aol.com/agaaustin/conferen.html

Note: The State Auditor's Office will not hold a separate conference in October this year. This is the ONE to attend!

Introduction to Information Systems Auditing

October 16-18, 2000

The way an organization uses Information Technology continue to change at a rapid pace with computing environments changing in both design and usage. Mainframes, mid-range and client/server computers are all being used to house and process critical business functionality. Businesses are outsourcing a variety of activities and enterprise-wide computing has grown from being a concept to reality.

How does all this affect the auditors who have to perform IS audits? Where do you start? What should you be doing? Which activities should you be performing and in which sequence? What does a set of IT "Best Practices" look like? What do "Audit Best Practices" look like?

This seminar provides proven and practical answers to these questions in a planned and easy-to-understand manner (with IT jargon kept to a minimum). The seminar content is based on both "IT Best Practices" and "Audit Best Practices" and has been proven many times in real-life situations on a global basis. The seminar author and presenter is regarded as a leading international practitioner in both the IT and IS Audit arenas.

What the Seminar Provides:

• An introduction to IS Audit Best Practices
• An introduction to IT Best Practices
• An introduction to a proven audit toolkit
• An introduction (Road Maps) to auditing an organization's IT activities/practices
• IT Management
• IT Systems Development
• IT Operations & Networks
• Application Software
• Real-life Case Studies
• A set of IT Best Practice References for an organization's management
• A set of audit programs (160 in total) for the auditor

Who Should Attend

• People needing to perform quality IS Audits
• Information Systems Auditors
• Internal Auditors
• External Auditors
• Quality Assurance Personnel

Topics to be Covered Include

IT Management - Planning for the IT Department, Policies, Standards, Procedures, Organizational Responsibilities, Quality Assurance, External Requirements

IT Systems Development - SDLC Methodology, IT Project Initiation, Feasibility Study, Design Phase, Development & Implementation, Operation & Maintenance, Post Implementation Review

IT Operations & Networks - Resource Planning, Computer Operations, Networks & Distributed Processing, Operating System Software, Logical & Physical Security, Contingency Planning

Application Software - Data Origination, Data Input, Data Processing, Data Output

2000 FALL SEMINAR

"Intro to IS Auditing"
Sponsored by North Texas Chapter of the ISACA

Instructor: Bryan McAtee B.Bus, ASA, CISA - Bryan McAtee & Associates
Dates: October 16-18, 2000 (Mon-Wed)
Time: 8:30am to 5:00 PM
Registration: 8:00am Monday
Location: CityPlace Conference Center
2711 Haskell on the SE corner of North Central Expressway (Hwy 75)
Fees: ISACA Members$450
Non-Members $475
Daily continental breakfast and lunch included in fee)

Deadline: Wednesday October 11 (Noon) - class size limited to 40

Contact: www.isacantx.org or mail to ISACA@eds.com
(972) 605-3578 or Ronda Tubertini - ronda.tubertini@eds.com

CPE: 24 Hours

Make Checks Payable to ISACA North Texas Chapter

May Seminar

One, Two, FREE! (Almost)

One result of Dallas hosting the IIA International Conference in 1998 is having the resources to offer an almost FREE seminar to all Chapter members. The seminar is scheduled for May 2001 with the topic of "Best Practices in Value-Added Auditing" by James Roth.

(The "almost" part is that there will be a nominal registration fee, lunch will not be included, and it will be B.Y.O.B (Bring Your Own Binder) for the materials.)

There are a few strings attached to this offer. To be eligible to attend this seminar for "free", you'll need to be an enrolled member in the Dallas Chapter and attend at least TWO monthly chapter meetings during the period September through April. Plan now on attending our first meeting of the Chapter year in September. Then attend one other meeting before May 1, 2001 and you will be eligible for the "free" seminar.

Remember, make sure you are enrolled member of the Dallas Chapter and attend any two monthly meetings to be eligible for the "free" seminar!

CIA Exam Review Course

Last Chance! The Chapter will be offering its renowned CIA Exam Review Course on September 15 - 18, 2000 at the JCPenney facility at Park Central. For more information and to register, visit DallasIIA.org/CIAReview.htm.

The Institute of Internal Auditors announced the Global Auditing Information Network has moved to the internet. Audit groups can find the survey via the GAIN Benchmarking Service link on www.theiia.org home page. Also, the previously paper only report is now an email attachment providing delivery under one hour and a global price of $195!

Since 1992, The IIA has provided internal auditors with this benchmarking service. Clients provide data about their audit function and in return receive a confidential 120 page "slide show style" report comparing them to averages in their industry, specialty group, staff size, base country and universe. GAIN goes beyond just answering "does your company spend more or less on auditing" by providing a network directory of participants.

You can contact GAIN at +1-407-830-7600 x258 or email at GAIN@theiia.org.

Career Opportunities

New Career Opportunities are being posted to the web site. Visit DallasIIA.org/Employ.htm for the latest job postings. Here are this month's opportunities:

Company Information

JCPenney Company, Inc. is one of America’s largest retailers employing over 290,000 associates. Our major operations include 1,100 JCPenney stores, 2,600 Eckerd drugstores, JCPenney Catalog and an expanding e-commerce business. Annual sales in 1999 were $33 billion placing JCPenney in the Fortune 500.

We have the following positions available in our Internal Auditing department:

The majority of the positions are located at our Home Office in Plano, TX, a suburb of Dallas. Additionally, we have several openings in Salt Lake City, UT, as well as in each of our field offices located in the following cities: Atlanta, GA, Los Angeles, CA, and Pittsburgh, PA.

JCPenney is consistently recognized for having a "world class" professional internal audit organization rated by our peers among the very best for:

• Developing innovative audit approaches
• Incorporating ground-breaking technology into the audit process
• Responding to management requests
• Establishing a partnership with management to identify Company opportunities and implement sound business solutions

Most recently, JCPenney Internal Auditing was featured in The Institute of Internal Auditor’s (IIA) book on Best Practices in Internal Auditing. Our audit organization prides itself on being a leader in the profession and is active in The IIA at local and international levels.

Our audit approach is focused on working in partnership with management. With JCPenney auditing, you will be involved in managing and completing financial, operational, compliance, and information technology audits in a wide variety of areas. You will be responsible for learning a business area, assessing the efficiency and effectiveness of the control environment and communicating your audit results to management. Additionally, you will be challenged to identify operational, systems and financial opportunities, as well as assisting in development of solutions for the opportunities identified in your reviews. In some cases, you will be placed on non-audit teams, working with Company management to develop new business processes or improve existing ones.

Requirements

• Ability to manage multiple complex projects with limited supervision
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Proven ability to identify and capitalize on opportunities and efficiency improvement, cost reduction and elimination of non-value added activities
• Solid PC skills - experience with data retrieval and analysis a plus
• Bachelors or Masters degree, preferably in business or information systems
• CIA, CPA, CMA, or CISA - a plus

Travel

Some of our audit teams travel on a regular basis while others travel only on a limited basis.

If you meet the following requirements, please forward your resume and salary requirement to:

David Price
JCPenney Company Inc.
P.O. Box 10001
Dallas, TX 75301-4321

Or, e-mail your resume to dpprice@jcpenney.com.

Please note that relocation assistance will be considered. JCPenney is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Additional Information
Position Type: Full Time
Ref Code: JCPenney

Please visit www.jcpenney.com

Ultramar Diamond Shamrock

Fortune 200 company, Ultramar Diamond Shamrock Corporation is one of the largest independent refining and marketing companies in North America with revenues over $15 billion. Our business consists of 7 refineries, 5,900 convenience stores and a network of pipelines and home heating oil business across 18 states in the US and 6 provinces in Canada. We have 2 senior auditor openings in our San Antonio headquarters for highly motivated individuals seeking fast-paced assignments and career opportunities.

SENIOR AUDITOR

This position is responsible for organizing, preparing, conducting, and supervising financial and operational audits, as well as special projects for all corporate and US Refining and Marketing activities. This position identifies and recommends best practices, helps improve business risk management processes and monitors the effectiveness of internal controls. This position also assists in planning and scheduling audit activities and consults company personnel in matters of audit significance and/or assistance as may be requested or directed.

Requires a Bachelors degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field with a minimum of 5 years audit experience. Professional certification (CPA or CIA) is preferred. The successful candidate must be able to manage multiple tasks simultaneously, meet set deadlines and have excellent interpersonal, presentation, and computer skills. Must have the ability to learn on the job; be a self-starter and perform while in possession of highly confidential corporate information. Ability to travel up to 30%.

Please fax resumes to (210) 592-2034, reference REQ#1617-LO. For more information on our company, please visit our home page at www.udscorp.com. Very comprehensive benefit package. Relocation package not provided. Ultramar Diamond Shamrock is an equal opportunity employer.

University of Texas at Arlington

Senior Auditor

The University of Texas at Arlington currently has a position available for a Senior Auditor. This position is responsible for planning and performing audits by surveying activities, developing audit programs, preparing audit work papers, and evaluating internal controls and institutional compliance programs. Additionally this position facilitates communication of audit results through written reports and oral presentations and helps to develop and supervise staff auditors by setting performance goals, monitoring performance, providing feedback and documenting performance. This position requires a Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, management or information systems and a minimum of three years previous relevant experience in accounting or auditing positions within a public or private college or university, a state or federal agency, and accounting/auditing firm, or with a corporation. CPA or CIA preferred. Interested candidates should submit their resume and a cover letter to: Office of Human Resources, University of Texas at Arlington, Box 19176, Arlington, TX, 76019 or fax at (817) 272-5798 or (817) 272-5810. Transcript required upon job offer.

Please visit www.uta.edu.

Internal Auditor

Ennis Business Forms, a NYSE listed company with 32 plants in 14 states has an immediate opening in the corporate office in DeSoto. You will report to senior level management in a corporate setting. It is preferred that you have a CPA with 2-3 years in financial/operational auditing in a manufacturing environment. Travel will be required and you will have an opportunity to set up all required infrastructures.

Ennis offers excellent benefits including retirement plans, insurance, vacation and holidays. Only candidates need apply. Send your resume and salary requirements to:

To learn more about us check our Web site at: www.ennis.com

Looking for a career change or companies seeking employees? Let the Dallas IIA Employment Committee help you. Individuals seeking positions can send an updated resume to:

Greg Dubis
JCPenney Company
P.O. Box 10001
Dallas, TX 75301-4321
Phone: (972) 431-7121
Fax: (972) 431-7195
E-mail: gdubis@jcpenney.com

Resumes will be kept on file and forwarded to Companies and Recruiters seeking to fill positions.

This service is offered to members at no charge. Also, any Company desiring to advertise a job opening in the Monthly eNews and on the web site may do so for a small fee. Contact Laura Haeussler at (214) 209-9865 for more information.

© 2000 Dallas Chapter of the IIA
All Rights Reserved

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