Fara Akanni

• Responsible for raising awareness within both general employee population as well as at managerial/company officer levels about ever-changing cyber-security environment.
• Raised knowledge of how employees and client business entities should be prepared to respond to cyber-security exposures.
• Regularly informed management of changes in technical, legal, and regulatory issues affecting information security and data privacy.
• Primary investigator for all clients' company data breach incidents. Documented all aspects of breach and methods/circumstances by which incidents occurred, and present recommendations to management to improve practices, procedures, systems, and data storage methodologies to address any observed deficiencies.
• Primary liaison for all company Business Continuity Planning (BCP) and IT Disaster Recovery (IT-DR) activities. Including coordination of annual IT systems recovery exercise. • Actively involved in external cyber-security focused professional organizations.
• Provided leadership, expertise, guidance, and coaching to team of IT Auditors/security professionals in cyber-security and data privacy disciplines.
• Provided oversight for design and implementation of policies, procedures, systems, and safeguards necessary to ensure integrity of information systems assets and to protect those assets from inadvertent or intentional access or destruction.
• Conducted comprehensive IT audits for business clients including financial services, funds administration using ITGCs and IT Application Controls testing with good understanding of relevant regulations and industry standards such as SOX Audit, SOC 1, 2 & 3, SOC 1 Type 2, COSO, COBIT, ITIL, ISO27001.
• Developed audit scope, objectives, and audit program; determine audit procedures and resources. • Identify areas of risk to corporation, including those where efficiency and effectiveness of IT processes may be improved.
• Analyzed, evaluated, and recommended improvements to IT control and business processes of company by performing reviews of processes, activities, and transactions.
• Ensured high-quality client service by overseeing daily progress of fieldwork, reviewing all key work products and client deliverables, informing engagement executive of work status and issues, and managing senior/staff performance.
• Managed and performed detailed configuration and IT control reviews for extensive variety of operating systems and databases to support audit engagements.
• Provided professional services and support in a dynamic work environment.

• Conducted IT audits to evaluate the effectiveness of internal controls, identify risks, and assess compliance with industry standards and regulations.
• Develop and execute data analysis routines and visualize and interpret the results.
• Performed data analysis, vulnerability assessments, and testing of application controls to identify security weaknesses with SOX compliance requirements.
• Assessed the adequacy and effectiveness of the internal control environment using a risk-based methodology such as COSO, COBIT, ISO and ITIL.
• Performed SOX Compliant audit readiness to prepare for the external auditor.
• Prepared detailed audit work-papers, findings, and recommendations, and reported results to management.
• Assisted in developing and implementing IT audit plans, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives.
• Mentored and trained interns on audit techniques and SOX compliance.

• Streamlined audit processes, improving efficiency and reducing time spent on each audit engagement.

• Successfully served as engagement onsite leader of up to six engagement teams simultaneously through fostered teamwork and creating successful working environment.
• Planned, budgeted, and scheduled financial audit, SOX, internal audit and third-party reporting engagements for successful quality and financial outcomes.
• Participated in team projects, demonstrating an ability to work collaboratively and effectively.
• Managed procedures of IT audit engagements related to financial audit, Sarbanes Oxley (SOX), internal audit, IT effectiveness projects and third-party reporting projects for healthcare, financial services, telecommunication and manufacturing industry clients to achieve engagement continuity, operational success, and compliance with all internal and external regulatory requirements.
• Evaluated design and tested operating effectiveness of internal controls by identifying and analyzing operational procedures, security and application change management controls.
• Provided recommendations to clients on activities to improve internal procedures and controls and identified high risk areas that could result in misstating financial information and proposed risk mitigation strategies to fill these gaps.
• Led and performed SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft configuration reviews related to IT general controls.
• Led PeopleSoft controls and risk-related engagement for Fortune 500 client. Developed Controls Strategy and Controls Framework which led to evaluation of security and controls throughout implementation of PeopleSoft Asset Management for process optimization. Activities include evaluate Process and Interface Design, review Process, Interface and Conversion Controls, and assess Application Security.
• Displayed leadership skills through mentoring Staff Associates to contribute to their growth and future development while also improving engagement team performance.
• Consistently achieved high ratings for performance reviews on engagements for people, quality, growth, and operational excellence components.
• Collaborated with internal teams to develop customized solutions that addressed unique client needs
• Facilitated workshops with clients to identify pain points, establish goals, and define actionable steps towards achieving desired outcomes
• Presented findings and recommendations to executive-level stakeholders, effectively communicating key insights and action plans.
• Conducted thorough market analyses, identifying growth opportunities and informing strategic decision-making for clients
• Enhanced team performance by implementing training programs and fostering a collaborative work environment.
• Identified issues, analyzed information and provided solutions to problems.

• Managed firewall configurations to maintain optimal levels of network protection while allowing for necessary business operations.
• Assisted with the successful migration of company data to a secure cloud-based storage system, enhancing overall data protection capabilities.
• Assessed the value of data and the specific risks the company might face from UNIX terminal.
• Clearly and completely document in test sheets the controls performed, and the conclusions reached.
• Monitored access to the network and looked for vulnerabilities while conducting SOX Audits.
• Conducted various IT Audits by identifying vulnerabilities ensuring best practices are followed.
• Installed software to help protect company data using NIST and ITIL standards.
• Serve as a liaison between internal and external auditors and IT departments during audits.
• Ensured security assessment were done to prevent security threats and risks to the IT systems.
• Verified the security of third-party vendors using SOX readiness assessment.
• Provided comprehensive training to employees on cybersecurity awareness, promoting a culture of vigilance.
• Implemented multi-factor authentication measures for all users, adding an extra layer of defense against unauthorized access attempts.
• Performed regular audits of user access rights, ensuring only authorized personnel had access to sensitive information.

• Implemented EDMS & ECM project across the entire business units.
• Increased stakeholder confidence by presenting clear and concise reports on audit findings and recommendations for improvement.
• Provided ongoing professional development opportunities for junior auditors through mentorship programs, enhancing their expertise in information systems auditing.
• Ensured accuracy in audit documentation by maintaining meticulous records, reducing potential errors during the review process.
• Managed multiple simultaneous projects while adhering to strict deadlines, demonstrating exceptional time management skills.
• Streamlined audit processes by automating manual tasks, increasing efficiency in the identification of control weaknesses.
• Documented testing procedures for developers and future testing use.
• Developed and maintained defect databases for known issues.
• Completed pre-implementation testing for new system modifications to assess potential impacts.
• Gathered data on integration issues and vulnerabilities, reported findings and recommended improvements.
• Authored and maintained well-organized, efficient and successful manual test cases for entire team.

• Improved business processes by analyzing data trends and implementing strategic recommendations.
• Enhanced decision-making capabilities for upper management through comprehensive data analysis and reporting.
• Enabled informed investment decisions by providing thorough risk assessment analyses based on historical company data.
• Championed best practices in data management, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of information used for making critical business decisions.
• Promoted a culture of data-driven decision-making by training colleagues on best practices for leveraging available information resources.
• Optimized operational efficiency by evaluating performance metrics and identifying areas for improvement.
• Maximized resource allocation through careful evaluation of staffing needs and scheduling requirements, increasing overall productivity levels.
• Transformed raw data into valuable insights, empowering stakeholders to make more informed strategic choices.

• Demonstrated leadership skills in managing projects from concept to completion.
• Participated in team projects, demonstrating an ability to work collaboratively and effectively.
• Demonstrated respect, friendliness and willingness to help wherever needed.
• Demonstrated a high level of initiative and creativity while tackling difficult tasks.
• Paid attention to detail while completing assignments.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Skilled at working independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Developed strong communication and organizational skills through working on group projects.

• Created detailed travel itineraries for customers.
• Ensured that all necessary information, such as flight details, hotel reservations, ground transportation, and any additional travel-related services, are accurately documented.
• Coordinated complex travel schedules, multiple destinations, and special requests.
• Coordinated travel package operations.
• Updated information systems.
• Assigned personnel to tasks.
• Monitored and managed airport services.
• Communicated to all customers, vendors on latest holiday destinations.
• Ensured safety protocols are followed.
• Communicated with airline personnel.
• Improved operational efficiency by streamlining processes and implementing new strategies.
• Maintained compliance with industry regulations by conducting regular audits and implementing corrective actions when necessary.