Walter Smiechewicz - BBA 1981 - Managing Director, Risk Assurance, Pricewaterhouse Coopers

Walter Smiechewicz is Managing Director in PwC's Los Angeles Risk Assurance Practice where he is responsible for driving internal audit, enterprise risk management (ERM), governance, risk and compliance (GRC) and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance (SOX) consulting services for the financial services sector. He leverages his industry expertise to help companies nationally identify and assess risks and devise cost effective mitigating strategies consistent with their business objectives.

With more than 25 years of internal and external auditing experience, Smiechewicz has spent the majority of his professional services career serving the banking sector, including his most recent post as the Chief Audit Executive and Chief Risk Officer of First Niagara Financial Group. He also spent time as the Chief Consultant for GMI Ratings and five years at Countrywide as Chief Audit Executive and Senior Managing Director of Enterprise Risk Assessment. His work has been recognized as best-practice by the Institute of Internal Auditors.

Smiechewicz earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Cleveland State University in 1981 and his Master of Divinity degree from Columbia International University. He also completed the Executive Leadership Program at eCornell. His acknowledged expertise has led to extensive speaking invitations as well as published works and interviews in prominent trade publications including American Banker, Journal of Banking and Finance, FEI’s Magazine, ACFE’s Magazine and Directorship Magazine, among others. Smiechewicz, a CPA and Certified Risk Professional, also devotes his time and talents to several charitable and civic causes where he resides, including the Union Rescue Mission, Girl Scouts board and Gateway Longview’s New York board.