How Has the Board’s Role in Financial Reporting Changed?

Join RSM and Directors & Boards for an insightful webinar in which Sara Lord, RSM’s chief auditor and member of RSM’s board of directors; Rick Condon, RSM’s professional practice leader; Lauren Harrell, Director & Head of Commodities, Financial Institutions Group and Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital Foundation Audit Chair; and April Hall, Managing Editor of Directors & Boards discuss how the board’s role in financial reporting has changed.

While board members play an important role in the governance of an organization’s business, the audit committee’s role of overseeing the financial reporting process is critical…and ever-expanding. The number and magnitude of financial reporting risks to be monitored continue to grow. The COVID-19 crisis also has fundamentally changed the world of work—and, in turn, affects many board responsibilities. Boards, and particularly audit committees, must consider how this unprecedented event affects their financial oversight responsibilities, especially regarding financial reporting.Join RSM and Directors & Boards for an insightful webinar in which Sara Lord, RSM’s chief auditor and member of RSM’s board of directors; Rick Condon, RSM’s professional practice leader; Lauren Harrell, Director & Head of Commodities, Financial Institutions Group and Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital Foundation Audit Chair; and April Hall, Managing Editor of Directors & Boards will discuss and pose the following questions of audit committee members:

Speakers


Sara Lord

Chief Auditor and RSM board member, RSM

Sara is the Chief Auditor and a member of the Board of Directors for RSM US LLP (RSM). In her role as Chief Auditor, she leads the audit and accounting policy and audit innovation departments of the firm. This includes overall responsibility for the methodology, tools, training and thought leadership supporting RSM’s assurance services as delivered today and their evolution into the future.

Prior to joining RSM, Sara was a partner in a regional accounting firm where she served clients and was a concurring and consultation resource for accounting and assurance needs. Sara also worked for a Big Four accounting firm in a variety of roles, including audit client service, national office consultation, and global office public policy.

Sara is a member of the AICPA Auditing Standards Board and Vice Chair of both the Center for Audit Quality’s Professional Practice Executive Committee and Advisory Council.

Sara received a Bachelor of Accountancy from the University of North Dakota (UND). She is a member of the UND College of Business and Public Administration Advisory Board and a 2015 inductee in the UND Accounting Hall of Fame.


Rick Condon

Partner, Audit Services, RSM

Rick serves as the director of the eastern regional professional practice office (RPPO) for the firm. The RPPO supports the firm’s assurance practice and acts as a single point of contact between engagement teams and national, expert-level resources in dealing with complex accounting, auditing and risk management matters. He has provided audit, transaction assistance and risk advisory services for domestic and international clients in a wide array of industries including consumer and industrial products, technology and financial services for over 25 years.

Prior to joining RSM, Rick was a partner at a company, where he also served as the SEC practice director. Prior to that, he was a partner in the audit and business advisory practice at a firm.


Lauren Harrell

Director & Head of Commodities, Financial Institutions Group, Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital Foundation Audit Chair

Lauren Harrell is an experienced risk management and finance leader with holistic views of the finance sector. Having worked internally at finance and audit organizations and externally as an advisor across the finance enterprise, her approach leadership and the boardroom with a multiple-stakeholder focus. Lauren’s ability to be an upstream thinker, connect the dots and recognize patterns where others see complexity allows her to bring a future-oriented mindset to a leadership or board role that has a need to evaluate alternative scenarios and see around corners.

For SEC purposes Lauren is considered a Qualified Financial Expert and a licensed CPA (active status) and a CFA Charterholder.

Professional Highlights:
Proposed, built, and scaled energy hedging business line for a global debt and derivatives advisory firm for Financial Institutions over $20B in assets
Advised financial institutions ranging in asset sizes from $500MM to $70B+ on risk management solutions
Performed financial statement and internal control audits of public and private financial institutions ranging in asset size of $250mm to $20B+
Trusted subject matter expert on risk with interviews/quotes for American Banker and Risk Management Association
Faculty member at American Bankers Association Stonier Graduate School of Banking hosted by UPenn Wharton’s Business School teaching Derivatives

Board Director Highlights:
Board Chair- $6.5M nonprofit
Advisory Board- $12B financial institution
Board Member- $110MM organization with 1,000 employees that engages in M&A and has multiple subsidiaries
Implemented and lead Board oversight of governance restructuring
Lead Board oversight of COVID-19 crisis response for a first responder organization
Oversaw financial turnaround for an organization in breach of loan covenants
Chair and/or member of Audit, Governance, Investment and Finance committees


April Hall

Former Managing Editor, Directors & Boards and Private Company Director magazines

April Hall is the former digital director for MLR Media and managing editor of Directors & Boards and Private Company Director. She is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years of experience with daily newspapers, magazines and radio.


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