Eight outstanding professionals were honored in front of 2,000 of their peers during The Institute of Internal Auditors’ (IIA’s) 72nd annual International Conference July 15 - 17 at the Orlando World Center Marriott.
Stephen Goepfert, CIA, CRMA, vice president of Internal Audit for United Airlines, and Patricia Miller, CIA, CRMA, CPA, CIFA, owner of PKMiller Risk Consulting LLC, were honored with the prestigious Victor Z. Brink Award for Distinguished Service. Named after one of The IIA’s founding fathers, the award recognizes individuals who, over time, have given unusual and outstanding service to the internal audit profession through participation in IIA activities. Both Goepfert and Miller have served as chairman of the board for The IIA.
“Steve Goepfert and Patty Miller are exemplary role models for advocacy, education, and activism on behalf of the global internal audit profession,” said 2012-2013 IIA Chairman of the Board Phil Tarling. “Each of these knowledgeable professionals is extremely deserving of this distinguished honor.”
Andrew Cheskis, president of Cheskis Consulting in Scarsdale, NY, received the John B. Thurston Award for his Internal Auditor article, “What’s Your Brand?” (October 2012). Douglas Secrest of Louisiana State University received The IIA Research Foundation’s Esther R. Sawyer Research Award for his paper Ethics and Compliance Programs: Key Elements of an Effective Ethics and Compliance Internal Audit Program. Gerrit Sarens of Belgium received the Larry Sawyer Research Foundation Project of the Year Award for his report, Combined Assurance, which was co-authored by Loïc Decaux and Dr. Rainer Lenz.
During an awards ceremony held on the final day of the conference, The IIA recognized three individuals from Spain, Poland, and China for achieving high scores on their Certified Internal Auditor core exam parts. Juan Carlos Diaz, CIA, of IIA-Spain earned the William S. Smith Gold CIA Exam Award for being the highest-scoring candidate during the 2012 calendar year. Anna Agnieszka Stepien, CIA, of IIA-Poland earned the Kurt Riedener Bronze CIA Exam Award (formerly known as the William S. Smith Bronze Award). Wang Yang, CIA, of IIA-China earned the Dr. Glenn Sumners Student CIA Exam Award for being the highest scoring full-time student.
About The IIA
Established in 1941, The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) is a global professional association for internal auditors around the world, with headquarters located in Altamonte Springs, Fla., USA. The IIA serves more than 180,000 members from 190 countries by providing professional development, guidance, and certification.
Further information : IIA International Conference
Vice-Chairman of Research Sharon Grant presents Gerrit Sarens with his award.
