The World of Internal Audit: A Cross-Disciplinary Career!

Join UBC alumnae Nataliya and Sandy as they explore their UBC education and career path that has led them to internal audit roles at Aritzia and Translink. As Academic Relations Co-Chairs at the Institute of Internal Auditors (Vancouver Chapter), they will introduce you to the unconventional career path of an internal auditor and how their different educational and career backgrounds have led them there. They will talk about the future of internal audit and the cross-disciplinary skills you will learn along the way. Some hot topics in internal audit include data privacy, environmental, social, & governance (ESG) reporting, cybersecurity, fraud prevention, and artificial intelligence.

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Sandy is a Senior Internal Auditor at TransLink, specializing in compliance, operational, and IT audits.

Her career in internal auditing began with a co-op position at the Vancouver Airport Authority, where she gained her first exposure to the field. She then launched her accounting career at MNP in Vancouver, working in the Private Enterprise Group, where she focused on tax and financial compilations for small businesses. Sandy later transitioned to a consultant role at MNP, where she concentrated on enterprise risk management and internal audit for both the public and private sectors. This experience deepened her expertise and passion for internal audit, which she has continued to pursue throughout her career. Sandy currently holds the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) designation and is actively working towards obtaining the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) designation.

Nataliya is a Senior Manager, Internal Audit & Risk Advisory at Aritzia.

Her education path started at UBC, where she earned a BSc in Environmental Sciences in 2013, followed by a Diploma in Accounting in 2016. She started her career at BDO working in external audit with clients in various industries, from nonprofits to real estate to mining, where she has earned her CPA (Chartered Professional Accountant) designation. Following that, Nataliya has discovered risk advisory and internal audit, where she has first encountered internal audit from a consulting perspective and has earned her CIA (Certified Internal Auditor) designation. She has since learned that internal audits and risk advisory apply to various financial or non-financial processes across all industries and provide value by ensuring the processes are effective, efficient, and have the appropriate checks and balances in place.