Audit Forward, LLC is an innovative internal audit consulting and training company designed with smaller audit shops in mind.  We transform, digitize, and modernize your credit union internal audit department, retail branch audit program, and executive reporting.

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Elizabeth McDowell is passionate about advancing and advocating for the internal audit profession and credit union industry. She makes auditing fun (no, really!) and efficient, resulting in time and money savings.  Her credit union internal audit department has been described by state and federal regulators as "Best in Class," and she developed efficient data analytics tools and visualizations, effective and crisp executive and board presentations, and a robust risk-based internal audit plan that incorporated operational, IT, branch, and compliance audits. Specific accomplishments include development of a ground-breaking digital retail branch audit program and creation of a risk-based compliance testing program.

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Innovation is essential to advancement, especially in the internal audit profession.  For too many years, Internal Audit was seen as the ‘police’ or the ‘gotcha’ department. Over the past four years at Achieve and Elevations, Elizabeth shaped the audit departments into trusted advisors that were proactively sought out for partnership and collaboration. This was done through quarterly one-on-ones with executives, enthusiastic promotion of the audit plan and department, and a transparent and collaborative audit process.

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Internal Audit and Credit Union Advocacy Efforts:

• Podcast Guest: The Audit Podcast: Ep 124: Managing Multi-generational Directed Workforces 

• Article: ACUARP Q2 Magazine: Modernize Your Branch Audit Program

• Article: Do More With Less: Data Analytics for your Small Audit Shop

• Article: How Elevations Credit Union Centralized Audit, Risk, and Compliance

• Webinar: The Advantage of a Multigenerational Disrupted Workforce

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Expertise:

• 2023 Internal Audit Beacon, awarded by Richard Chambers

• Certified Public Accountant (Alabama and Colorado)

• Certified Internal Auditor

• 20 years internal audit, external audit, risk management, compliance, and SOX experience

• Dynamic and engaging conference speaker

• Transition of the audit department from primarily being outsourced to nearly 100% in-house

• Innovative and informative Audit and Risk Committee and executive management reporting using PowerBI and AuditBoard data

• Audit and risk universe development (entities, sub-entities, risks, and internal controls)

• Implementation of AuditBoard audit management software for use in all audits, risk assessments, audit universe, follow-up, branch audits, and compliance management; also experience with Teammate, Teammate Analytics, and Galileo.NET

 

Work Hard, Play Harder: Off-the-Job Interests:

• Volunteering | Board, Broomfield FISH Family Resource Center & Food Pantry

• Physical Fitness | Running (four half marathons!), Body Pump (weight lifting), and kickboxing

• Mental Fitness | Jigsaw Puzzles (biggest accomplishment: 5,000 piece puzzle!) and reading