Leon Walega, Cia, Cfe, Crma
About Leon Walega, Cia, Cfe, Crma
Leon Walega serves as the Director of Internal Audit and Chief Audit Executive at Shift, bringing over 20 years of experience in audit functions across various companies. He advocates for an agile auditing approach, emphasizing data analytics and Enterprise Risk Management to enhance organizational value.
Current Role at Shift
Leon Walega serves as the Director of Internal Audit and Chief Audit Executive at Shift since 2021. In this role, he leads the internal audit function, focusing on aligning audit strategies with the company's key risk areas and strategic objectives. He emphasizes an agile approach to auditing, integrating data analytics and robotic process automation (RPA) to enhance audit efficiency and effectiveness.
Previous Experience at Frontier Communications
Prior to his current position, Leon Walega worked at Frontier Communications as a Senior Manager of Internal Audit from 2020 to 2021. During his tenure in Dallas, Pennsylvania, he was responsible for overseeing internal audit activities and providing insights to the Audit Committee regarding emerging risks that could impact the organization.
Background in Internal Audit
Leon Walega has over 20 years of experience in internal audit, having held various positions in both publicly traded and privately held companies. He worked at CSS Industries, Inc. as the Director of Internal Audit and Chief Audit Executive from 2017 to 2020, where he focused on enterprise risk management and the assurance of financial reporting, SOX compliance, and cybersecurity.
Career Progression in Audit Roles
Leon Walega's career in internal audit began at Baker Tilly (formerly ParenteBeard) as a Staff Auditor from 1999 to 2001. He then served as a Staff Accountant at Kane Is Able, Inc. from 2002 to 2004, before moving to SunGard as a Senior Internal Auditor from 2004 to 2006. He continued to advance his career at Cinram International as a Senior Internal Auditor from 2006 to 2009 and later at Benco Dental as the Head of Internal Audit from 2009 to 2017.
Expertise in Risk Management and Audit Functions
Leon Walega advocates for an agile auditing approach and supports enterprise risk management (ERM) initiatives. He collaborates with management to ensure that the audit plan addresses key risk areas and aligns with the strategic goals of the organization. His expertise includes providing assurance over financial reporting and addressing cybersecurity risks.