Letter from the President

December 4, 2023

Hello ACUA! I’d like to start by expressing my sincere gratitude and excitement about serving as your ACUA President for the upcoming year. This organization is near and dear to my heart and has been my professional home for learning, growing, and serving for more than a decade.

We had a fantastic AuditCon conference in Miami in September, where we had the second highest member attendance in ACUA’s history with over 470 attendees! I want to take a minute to personally thank all of our Professional Education Committee volunteers and ACUA staff for their hard work in creating an exceptional conference experience. As I reflect on the week spent together, I am immensely proud of the dedication and enthusiasm displayed by our members. The exchange of knowledge and vibrant discussions within this organization is so inspiring and makes me very excited for the year ahead!

During AuditCon, I spoke to the continually challenging economic landscape within our industry. This year, it is imperative for us to remain adaptive and resilient as we navigate the complexities posed by these challenges. Our Professional Education Committee is already beginning to prepare for a virtual spring conference that will provide opportunities for continued learning and collaboration. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.

There are many ways in which our members have the ability to share their knowledge and expertise, which is truly what makes this organization so great. I would encourage anyone reading this to reflect on how you might use your time and talent to share your insight with others. For some that might be writing a Journal article, for others it might be partnering up with another auditor to create a Kick Starter. And I would be remiss if I did not also plug the tremendous value of raising your hand for a volunteer role! It could be the opportunity that forever changes your professional future.

In closing, I would like to extend my gratitude to Immediate Past President Melissa Hall. Her unwavering commitment and leadership have guided this organization through a year of challenges and successes. She leaves big shoes to fill, but I look forward to continuing the momentum she has built over the past year.

Wishing all happiness and health as we move into the holiday season,

Marion Candrea, Boston University
ACUA President

About the Author

Marion Candrea

Marion Candrea is the Associate Vice President, Internal Audit & Advisory Services at Boston University. Prior to joining BU, Marion also held roles as the Chief Audit Executive at Ohio University, where she led the Office of Audit, Risk, and Compliance, and at Rutgers University in the Audit & Advisory Services group, where she began in higher education in 2008. Marion spent the beginning of her career working at Ernst & Young in its Risk Advisory group, based out of New York City.

Marion received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from The College of New Jersey and is both a Certified Internal Auditor and a Certified Fraud Examiner. She is a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Marion’s involvement with ACUA began more than 15 years ago. Her volunteer services to the organization have spanned the gamut, including Co-Director of the Governmental Affairs Committee, participating as a mentor in the ACUA mentorship program, Board Member-at-Large, and most recently serving as ACUA’s President on the Board of Directors. She has participated on several QAR peer review teams at member institutions and has attended countless ACUA conferences. candream@bu.edu candream@bu.edu

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Letter from the President