St. John’s Discussion Shines a Light on Careers in Internal Auditing

The opportunity to learn more about an emerging business discipline drew more than 40 St. John’s University students to a gathering of internal auditing professionals at The Peter J. Tobin College of Business recently.

The annual “Meet the Internal Auditors” forum on November 18 featured five industry professionals—including three alumni—who introduced students to the diversity of responsibilities undertaken by internal auditors, whose influence is growing amid an enhanced regulatory environment and global business operations.

Hosted by University Career Services and the St. John’s student chapter of  The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), the panel discussion paid particular attention to internal auditors’ roles in the information technology (IT) space, an area of interest for many Tobin students.

Yougnand Paul ’17TCB, ’18MS moderated the discussion. Panelists Christian Amazan ’21TCB, ’22MS of EY; Shreya Guha ’19TCB, ’20MS of JPMorganChase; Fazle Choudhury of JPMorganChase; and Jonathan Rojas of Fiserv took questions and outlined a career path for students interested in the industry.

“I was introduced to so many different perspectives on the internal auditing industry,” said Alexie Crisp, a senior studying Interdisciplinary Business. “It was exciting to learn how artificial intelligence can be an asset to the auditing process.”

Internal auditors evaluate the effectiveness of management policies inside an organization. Among their primary duties, internal auditors review corporate procedures, examine financial practices, assess compliance with laws and regulations, and develop recommendations to improve risk management. 

Unlike external auditors, who tend to focus on financial and accounting risks, internal auditors also evaluate a company’s reputation, growth, environmental footprint, as well as its treatment of employees and adherence to accepted business ethics.

Once considered a niche practice, internal auditing has grown in importance due to the increasing complexity of business operations, heightened regulatory scrutiny, and growing concerns about fraud and risk. David Y. Chan, Ph.D. ’01TCB, ’04MS, Associate Professor, Department of Accountancy, said internal auditing should continue to present career opportunities for St. John’s students. 

Internal auditing includes accounting elements, and most courses related to the discipline are found in the Department of Accountancy. The University offers Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees in the related field of Risk and Financial Advisory.     

“I use the analogy to students of an internal auditor being like a medical doctor,” Dr. Chan said. “You check the business for management issues through an audit. When you identify problems, you tell management and provide them with recommended solutions.”

“Theoretically, you could be studying any discipline in business, liberal arts, health sciences, or technology,” Dr. Chan continued. “This profession gives you diversification in the career areas you want to pursue.”

The University has had a decades-long relationship with the IIA. Since 2015, it has teamed with IIA on an Internal Auditing Education Partnership program (IAEP) designed to better prepare students for careers in the field. In 2019, IIA named St. John’s a Center for Internal Audit Excellence. Today, St. John’s is one of only 12 colleges or universities worldwide to have earned and maintained such a distinction. 

While some students are drawn to the internal auditing curriculum from their first years at St. John’s, others, such as junior Matthew Warner, discover it later in their academic careers. Matthew, a Finance major, called the panel discussion “eye-opening.”     

“Hearing the panelists share their career journeys and insights into the internal audit profession provided valuable guidance and inspiration for my career path,” Matthew said. “The opportunity to network with such accomplished professionals was invaluable.”

Gigi Miller, a senior Accounting major, listened intently while Mr. Amazan shared advice with students, who like her, are interested in the internal auditing profession.

“As you grow and discover yourself, do not hesitate to develop your network and professional interests,” advised Mr. Amazan, who was hired as an Enterprise Risk Consultant at EY, the nation’s third-largest accounting firm, and has since advanced to Senior Risk Consultant. “With consistent time and effort, this career will reward you.”

Gigi’s next step after her May graduation is to pursue a Master of Science degree in Accounting from St. John’s beginning next year. “This ‘Meet the Auditors’ event provided an incredible opportunity to gain valuable insights into the daily responsibilities and real-world experiences of internal auditors,” she said.