I'm Saba Khoury

I was responsible for short and long-term Risk Management projects in the private sector. These projects concern strategic as well as operational risk assignments that includes; design and implementation of Risk Management frameworks, training and coaching of Risk and Internal Control professionals, dashboarding and reporting, evaluating and establishing a risk culture, identifying emerging risks.

As a Senior Manager, I was able to assist to identify and manage risks by giving advice to and the supporting clients on the design, execution and/or improvement of risk management within their organizations. I also provided critical, independent, clear and practical advice to determine the right processes and internal controls in order to improve and optimize the business processes. My role consists of 3 areas:

• Assignment management: Support responses to and execution of work across a range of risk management, governance, and associated advisory assignments; Participate, lead, manage risk management assignments; Conduct client meetings and interviews; Lead and/or facilitate workshops; Formulate practical recommendations and best practices to improve business, risk and compliance processes; Report writing and review reports; Developing and managing assignment budgets.
• Business development: Assist in business development by writing proposals and client presentations; Assist in the development of firm service offerings; Extend professional network; Additionally, keep up to date with all industry-specific issues and emerging risks which may affect clients and also assist and develop business development initiatives including assisting on proposals and tenders.
• People management: As a performance manager, I managed, developed, motivated, trained and coached team members to maximize the achievement of their potential.

In these positions my responsibility included (1)Performing and documentation of the key audit activities including; Risk assessment, scope and terms determination, identifying the key audit risks and areas, designation of the audit approach and responses, approving the sampling techniques and sizes, evaluating the gathered audit evidences, assessing the needs of the alternative or additional audit procedures, and evaluating the audit findings and conclusions. (2)Communication with the client's management and execute the audit plans, timing, requirement, findings and deliverables. (3)Meeting with client's management to obtain the appropriate understanding of the client's environment, business, control structure, key process and transactions. 

Leading the meetings and elaborate to the audit in-charge staff to understand the audit plan, audit objectives, audit procedures, and audit key issues. (5)Reviewing the audit tests and procedures accomplished by the audit team members. (6)Reviewing the complete package of the audit reports together with the underlying financial statements and ensure whether the audit results are in alignment with the audit opinion and auditor's report and accompanied package contents. (7)Providing in-field training, audit clarity instructions and memorandums, and contributed in the internal and external training workshops and events. (8)Preparing, reviewing, discussing the audit proposal with audit partners and how to best present our audit competences to win the new audit and other services opportunities. (9)Mentoring and assist the other audit staff in the annual assessment, goals setting and determination of development plans process. (10) Contribute in setting, revise , evaluate the firm's quality control and risk management policies and procedures as well as the firm's growth plans, goals, budgets, resources needed and the relevant tools and strategies.

This stage of my career was very challenging, although it was a tough but I enjoyed the competition, my day to day activities and role consist of (1)Train and coach junior staff to improve their skills on how to execute the audit procedures, document audit work, complete the work papers, and how to use the audit software and tools. (2)Set the audit plan which identifies the key risks and the related significant accounts, disclosures and estimates, and what those audit responses and audit approach that are required to mitigate the predicted ROMM to the acceptable levels and to obtain the appropriate and sufficient audit evidences necessary for forming the audit opinion on the underlying financial statements or the subject matter. (3)Ensure, delegate, supervise, and perform the execution of the audit work as designed in the audit plan which been approved by the audit lead partner. (4)Review the work and the documentation performed by the assistance staff. (5)Manage the coordination and the communication process with the client's financial management personnel to gather the audit requirements and the accounting supporting data. (6)Assist the client's financial management to draft the financial statements including the required disclosures and footnotes. (7)Summarize and discuss with the audit manager/ partner the audit completion decisions, consequences, findings and opinions.