SIT Accountancy Forum

With the growing focus on Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting and risk mitigation activities, internal auditors have a role to play in changing the way businesses function to make them more sustainable, fairer, and ultimately more successful. When considering which career path to take, internal audit is a safe and smart choice.

IIA Singapore Young Professionals Working Group (YPWG) therefore made it a point at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) Accountancy Forum, not just to share with students but parents as well. This outreach being the first for the year, is also a first in having a Meet-The-Parents session on 25 February 2023, before interacting with the students on 1 March 2023. Stephen Ching, Senior Vice President, Group Head of Internal Audit, Singapore Technologies Engineering and Governor of IIA Singapore and Olivia Loke, Chairperson of YPWG shared insights into how they came to be in internal audit and what they enjoy about the role.

Stephen said, “As an internal auditor, we have audience with various stakeholders, the board, executive management, the regulator. I love the fact that our work is acknowledged by different stakeholders as critical to the organisation. The internal audit profession is evolving as the business landscape evolves. Technical skills as well as soft skills in communication, persuasion and collaboration are becoming critical success factors for the modern-day internal auditor."

Bringing both parents and students together effectively bridges the age gap, and provides for questions from two very different perspectives, thus allowing for a more informed decision-making process.