About ECIIA
The mission of the European Confederation of Institutes of Internal Auditing is to enhance corporate governance by promoting the professional practice of internal auditing. ECIIA’s members comprise 35 national institutes of internal auditing from countries that fall within the wider European region, representing 55,000 members. ECIIA’s vision is to further the development of good Corporate Governance and Internal Audit at the European level, through knowledge sharing, developing key relationships, and impacting the regulatory environment. The General Assembly is composed of all members of the Association and meets once a year. The National Institutes are at the core of the work we carry out at ECIIA. ECIIA also works at a global level with The Institute of Internal Auditors to support the profession and prepare internal auditors worldwide with a real community, relevant resources, and professional development.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) leads the secretariat based in Brussels, and works closely with the Management Board, Committees, Working Groups and Members to advance the association’s mission. ECIIA is now recruiting a new leader to succeed Pascale Vandenbussche who is leaving in summer 2025 after 14 successful years with the organization.
About the Internal Auditing Profession
Internal auditing strengthens the organization’s ability to create, protect, and sustain value by providing the board and management with independent, risk-based, and objective assurance, advice, insight, and foresight. Internal auditing enhances the organization’s:
* Successful achievement of its objectives.
* Governance, risk management, and control processes.
* Decision-making and oversight.
* Reputation and credibility with its stakeholders.
* Ability to serve the public interest.
Internal auditing is most effective when:
* It is performed by competent professionals in conformance with the Global Internal Audit Standards, which are set in the public interest.
* The internal audit function is independently positioned with direct accountability to the board.
* Internal auditors are free from undue influence and committed to making objective assessments.
ECIIA CEO Role
The CEO is responsible for the day-to-day management of ECIIA, in accordance with the decisions of the Board. The CEO should be a strong people manager who can bring focus, consistency and membership engagement. The CEO will:
* Help the organisation retain its sense of purpose, dynamism, insurgency and non-hierarchical ethos while developing the light and flexible systems it needs to grow to the next level.
* Be accountable to ECIIA Board and works closely with the Chair.
* Ensure that ECIIA remains fit for purpose and financially sustainable.
* Possess good political antennae and a commitment to ECIIA’s core mission.
* Act as the main external face of the organisation.
* Facilitate relationships with and between the members.
* Ensure that ECIIA is delivering the right services and adding value for the membership.
* The CEO reports to the Board and makes suggestions to the Board. The CEO will be present at board meetings on their invitation. The Board will from time to time review their performance yearly.
ECIIA CEO Responsibilities
* Work with the Board and the members to set and implement the overall strategy for ECIIA, including facilitating discussion and decisions on organisational development, policy and governance.
* Oversee alignment between strategic priorities and resource allocation, and ensure consistent, transparent and well-supported decision-making when considering new programmes, operational opportunities, and expenditures.
* Oversee coordination between ECIIA strategies and members (NIs) needs.
* Advocacy: Manage the advocacy activities of ECIIA: the development and execution of policy and advocacy plans; represent the profession’s interests to policymakers and third parties; develop and consolidate position papers, briefings and other relevant material for the internal audit community and for external engagement, aligned with the members’ needs.
* Establish new and maintain existing relationships with key EU regulators (notably European Commission, European Parliament, ECB, EBA, EIOPA, and Stakeholders’ European Associations) to maximize public policy influencing.
* Inform/communicate to the members about EU new regulations and their impact for the profession.
* Manage/facilitate the committees, working groups and advocacy projects; ensure the work programme reaches its goals; ensure coordination between the different bodies, reflecting the interests of members.
* Operations: Organisation – continue to strengthen and support the various organs of ECIIA Governance and ensure they collaborate constructively.
* Management – ensure the infrastructure, systems and processes are adequate to support all operations, to manage the office and to account for the effective and efficient use of resources.
* Planning – help ensure the timely formulation and effective delivery of advocacy projects and actions.
* Change – lead the transformation of ECIIA, including validation and implementation of yearly plan.
* People – recruit, develop and manage talented staff, and inspire a performance-driven culture of transparency, accountability and commitment to the institution and its mission.
* Governance – work with the Board and the various organs (including the ECIIA members) to support and promote the work of ECIIA across Europe.
* Services – ensure that ECIIA services are aligned with the members’ needs.
* Partnerships and representation: Representation as spokesperson with regulators and stakeholders; build effective partnerships with relevant organisations and other external actors.
ECIIA CEO Candidate Requirements
The following is expected from applicants:
* Experience in managing organisations in multinational and multi-cultural settings, probably in a not-for-profit environment.
* Strategic and operational management ability in a dynamic and evolving environment.
* Capacity to manage and steer financial and human resources in a national/European context.
* Strong experience in lobbying with European Regulators (understanding of the institutions, how they operate and interact).
* Results-orientated, can-do attitude, willing to pitch in at all levels of the organisation and roll-sleeves-up to get things done.
* Ability to work effectively with a high-profile board.
* The following would be advantageous: Detailed knowledge of EU institutions; Knowledge of corporate governance and ideally of internal audit.
Recruitment Process
The specialist executive search firm Dober Partners has been retained to draw up a shortlist of prospective candidates against the criteria set out in this document, and using their discretion and expertise to recruit a new Chief Executive Officer of ECIIA, together with the Board.
Please send your CV and motivation letter to:
Mark Dober
M: +32 477 950 466
M: +32 488 945 579
natalia@doberpartners.com
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