Maria is a Principal in KPMG’s Internal Audit and Enterprise Risk practice with over twenty years of experience partnering with organizations to increase the impact of Internal Audit functions. She is KPMG’s Internal Audit Leader for the Life Sciences (LS) sector in the US and serves in a leadership capacity on several Fortune 500 LS client accounts.
Professional and Industry Experience
Maria has worked with senior management and the Audit Committee to develop and manage risk-based projects, including,
- Internal Audit sourcing engagements that have specifically included preparation and execution of a risk based annual audit plan, global coordination of resources and subject matter professionals, and rollout of data and analytics strategies/automation to streamline testing and provide valuable insight to the organization.
- Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) implementation of a large acquisition in Germany for a Fortune 10 Life Science company. The implementation included PCAOB knowledge support, documentation and testing of financial and IT controls in 14 different countries, management 302 certification roll-out, deficiency evaluation and remediation roadmap.
- Implementation of a SOX Center of Excellence for a fortune 100 company. Providing ideation sessions, governance structure design, training to management and testers, and ongoing monitoring of the SOX 404 program.
- Enterprise risk assessments to facilitate risk identification and scoring, performing risk governance and maturity program assessments, and providing practical Enterprise Risk Management implementation roadmaps.
- Creation of internal audit functions from the ground up and transition of in-house audit functions to outsourcing models. Focusing on internal audit positioning (rebranding), methodology enhancements, and talent development.
- Third party supplier reviews to assist clients with the identification of opportunities for cost savings, direct recoveries, and improved control over contracts.
- Quality Assurance Reviews (QAR), resulting in impactful departmental advances and better strategic alignment to the business environment.
Other Activities
- Participated in a 2-year rotation at KPMG Germany where she led a multi-million global engagement involving the coordination of work in 12 European countries.
- Board Member of Working in the Schools (WITS), an organization focused on helping students lean critical literacy skills and developing positive self-identity