IIA Senior Vice Chair, Jenitha John, Appointed CEO of Regulatory Board

Jenitha John, IIA Senior Vice Chairman of the Board, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA) in South Africa, effective 1 June. John will lead the independent audit regulator and implement the Board’s new five-year (2021–26) strategic plan. Read the IRBA’s official announcement.

John, who will also become 2020–21 IIA Global chairman upon election in July, has more than 26 years of experience in internal auditing, including as a Chief Audit Executive, in the public and private sectors. Most recently, she was CAE of FirstRand Ltd., a financial services provider in South Africa. John, CIA, QIAL, is also highly experienced as an independent board member in a diversity of industries.

John has served a number of important roles at The IIA, and is currently leading a review of the widely used Three Lines of Defense model. Before becoming Senior Vice Chairman of the Global Board, John served on the IPPF Relook Task Force, Committee of Research and Education Advisors, Financial Services Guidance Committee, and on the Global Board’s Executive Committee as 2018–19 Vice Chairman-Professional Certifications and 2017-18 Vice Chairman-Professional Practices.

The IRBA, headquartered in Modderfontein, South Africa, is a statutory body established to protect the financial interests of the public by ensuring registered auditors and their firms deliver services of the highest quality. Its mission is the effective regulation of assurance conducted by registered assurance providers in accordance with internationally recognized standards and processes.

“Jenitha serves the internal audit profession, The IIA and our stakeholders with professionalism, dedication, and commitment,” said IIA President and CEO Richard F. Chambers, CIA, QIAL, CGAP, CCSA, CRMA. “We congratulate her on this important appointment, knowing she will provide strong leadership over the IRBA’s efforts to uphold the independence of audit firms and to enhance the credibility of financial performance reporting.”