My job in briefManaging risks is a crucial part of the Pictet Group's activities. With this in mind, the Internal Audit Department is the audit body which is responsible for assessing the effectiveness of the system in place within the Bank to manage the risks that are likely to determine whether the Group is able to attain its objectives, have an impact on its reputation or even its financial solidity.
Using a systematic, cross-business line and independent approach, the team I lead analyses the processes in place to manage operational, regulatory and computing risks, as well as the processes associated with corporate governance. We perform verification audits, using surveys and other standard audit methods, as well as completing assistance and advisory mandates. The objective of our work is both to ensure that the processes in place within the Bank function correctly and that they comply with the regulations currently in force, and to identify opportunities to improve the efficiency of the process and the Group's image. The Department's ultimate goal is to contribute added value. The services that we provide require us to have an overall vision of aspects associated with risk management and rely on our being able to draw on the expertise of every one of the team's members. The team comprises economists, engineers and legal experts, with all its members working in synergy.
Furthermore, the nature the Department's work is dictated not only by changes within the Bank but also by external factors, including changes to the legal and economic environment in which the Bank operates. Its members therefore have to adapt to constantly changing circumstances and be ready to react quickly to major events. Most our work is planned as part of an annual schedule, but it is not uncommon for the Department to have to respond to urgent and special requests.
I would add that the qualities required of an Internal Auditor include a thorough analytical mind, an innate curiosity, objectivity and irreproachable integrity. To a certain extent, members of the Internal Audit Department are always at the heart of the action. They should display a constant desire to acquire knowledge and be open to new people and new ideas. It is by showing their ability to listen and convey sometimes difficult messages that others come to appreciate their sense of diplomacy. Against the current backdrop of a constantly evolving environment, this promising and diverse profession offers attractive career prospects.
My work as head of the Pictet Group's Internal Audit Department - Developing a flexible planning for the annual audit, based on a solid analysis of the risks
- Completing the audit according to the planning, as well as completing special tasks and providing the Partners with advice on request
- Producing audit reports and other reporting at regular intervals
- Supervising and coordinating a highly professional audit team and ensuring that their skills and knowledge are constantly being developed
- Coordinating the Department's activities with those of other control bodies and those of the external auditors
- Maintaining regular contacts with the heads of the Group's different business lines and departments, in Switzerland and its entities abroad.
|
|
