SVP, Chief Audit Executive Global Audit and Advisory (Chesterfield)

RGA is a purpose-driven organization working to solve today’s challenges through innovation and collaboration. A Fortune 200 Company and listed among its World’s Most Admired Companies, we’re the only global reinsurance company to focus primarily on life- and health-related solutions. Join our multinational team of intelligent, motivated, and collaborative people, and help us make financial protection accessible to all.

SVP, Chief Audit Executive

The SVP, Chief Audit Executive serves as the highest-level audit officer of the company and is responsible for the independence, integrity, and strategic direction of Global Audit & Advisory. Operating across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC, the Chief Audit Executive provides objective assurance and advisory services that strengthen governance, risk management, and internal control environments enterprise wide. This role maintains a dual reporting line to the EVP, Chief Financial Officer for administrative matters and to the Board of Directors Audit Committee for functional independence, with unfettered access to the Board on all audit-related matters.

It is preferred that this individual is based out of RGA’s headquarters in St. Louis, MO. Remote candidates will be considered if they are unable to relocate, but they must be open to extensive travel (~50%).

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership of Global Audit & Advisory

• Establish and execute a multi-year strategy aligned to enterprise risk priorities, business transformation initiatives, and regulatory expectations across all regions.
• Build and sustain a high-performing, globally diverse audit organization encompassing subject matter experts, and in-hour professionals.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement, intellectual curiosity, and data-driven auditing, positioning Global Audit & Advisory as a trusted advisor to executive leadership.

Enterprise Risk‑Based Audit Planning

• Lead the development and maintenance of a dynamic, risk-based audit culture and annual audit plan, incorporating input from executive management, second line risk management and compliance functions, the Audit Committee, regulators, and external auditors.
• Apply quantitative and qualitative risk assessment methodologies to prioritize audit coverage across all operations, treaty and facultative portfolios, actuarial, finance, technology, and third‑party exposures.
• Continuously monitor the risk landscape, including macro‑economic, geopolitical, climate, and cyber developments, to adjust the plan and deploy resources to emerging risk areas in real time.

Board & Audit Committee Governance

• Serve as primary liaison to parent and subsidiary Board of Directors Audit Committees, preparing and presenting comprehensive quarterly reports on audit plan status, significant findings, management remediation, and overall state of the internal control environment.
• Advise Audit Committees on governance developments, regulatory trends, and emerging risks relevant to RGA, enhancing the Board’s oversight effectiveness.
• Maintain functional independence from management, preserving unfettered access to the Audit Committee Chair and Non‑Executive Directors on all matters of significance.

Executive Advisory & Stakeholder Partnership

• Provide proactive, forward‑looking advisory services to the CEO, CFO, Chief Risk Officer, Head of Operational Risk, Chief Legal Officer, and regional business leaders on risk, control design, process optimization, and regulatory compliance matters.
• Partner with second‑line risk management and compliance functions to reinforce the three‑lines‑of‑defense model, eliminate redundancy, and create an integrated assurance framework.
• Engage constructively with senior business leaders to communicate audit findings with clarity, context, and actionable remediation guidance calibrated to commercial realities.

Regulatory Relationships & External Coordination

• Serve as the primary internal audit point of contact for international insurance regulators, including those within NAIC jurisdictions (Americas), Solvency II regimes (EMEA), and applicable APAC regulatory bodies.
• Coordinate and align the internal audit plan with external auditors to optimize total audit coverage, minimize duplication, and satisfy regulatory reliance requirements.
• Lead audit responses to regulatory examinations, market conduct reviews, and supervisory inquiries, ensuring timely, accurate, and complete information is provided to all regulatory authorities.

Financial, Actuarial & Reinsurance Audit Oversight

• Direct audit coverage of financial reporting processes including GAAP, statutory, and IFRS 17 compliance; treaty and facultative contract administration; reserve adequacy, ceded reinsurance recoverables; and investment valuation.
• Oversee the integrity of actuarial audit coverage, including loss reserving, pricing assumptions, mortality and morbidity experience studies, and model governance.
• Ensure audit programs reflect the full complexity of global reinsurance structures, retrocession arrangements, and cross‑border intercompany transactions.

Technology, Cybersecurity & Data Governance Audit

• Lead audit coverage of enterprise technology risk, cybersecurity controls, cloud architecture, data privacy (GDPR, CCPA, and equivalent global frameworks), and AI/machine learning model governance.
• Direct Global Technology controls, and application controls audits across core policy administration, underwriting, claims, and financial systems, including ERP platforms and third‑party administered systems.
• Integrate continuous monitoring and data analytics capabilities into audit methodology to enhance real‑time risk detection and audit efficiency.

Global Talent Development & Organizational Excellence

• Recruit, develop, and retain audit professionals with deep expertise in life and health reinsurance, actuarial risk, financial reporting, technology, and global regulatory environments.
• Establish and sustain a robust performance management, succession planning, and professional development framework, including active support for IIA, CPA, CIA, CISA, and actuarial credentialing pathways.
• Cultivate an inclusive, globally collaborative team culture that values diverse perspectives and ensures equitable advancement opportunities across all regions.

Audit Quality, Methodology & Standards Governance

• Ensure full conformance with the IIA International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing, COSO Internal Control Framework, and applicable regulatory guidance.
• Lead the design and continuous improvement of audit methodology, workpaper standards, quality assurance and improvement programs (QAIP), and external quality assessment processes.
• Maintain a robust issue tracking and management action remediation process to ensure identified control deficiencies are resolved timely and sustainably.

Budget, Resource Governance & Innovation

• Develop and manage the Global Audit & Advisory budget, optimizing the allocation of internal and specialist audit resources across the global plan to maximize coverage and value delivered.
• Champion the integration of advanced audit technologies, including AI‑enabled analytics, robotic process automation, and continuous auditing platforms, to elevate audit quality and productivity.
• Provide the Audit Committee with transparent, data‑driven reporting on Global Audit & Advisory performance metrics, including plan completion, cycle times, issue aging, and return on audit investment.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Actuarial Science, Business Administration, or a closely related discipline from an accredited institution.
• Certified Internal Auditor (CIA); Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or international equivalent.
• Minimum 15+ years of progressive internal audit, public accounting, or risk management experience, including experience in a senior audit leadership role within a global insurance, reinsurance, or financial services organization.
• Experience managing audit teams across multiple international jurisdictions, time zones, and regulatory environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading audit functions within a Fortune 500 or equivalent global organization with multi‑regional operations.
• Proven track record of direct Audit Committee and Board‑level engagement and reporting.

Preferred

• Master’s degree in business administration (MBA), Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA); Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA); Fellow, Life Management Institute (FLMI); or actuarial designation (FSA, MAAA).
• Deep technical expertise in life and/or health insurance or reinsurance products, actuarial concepts, treaty structures, statutory accounting, and IFRS 17.

Skills and Abilities

• Strong executive presence and outstanding communication skills, presenting complex audit findings and recommendations to diverse audiences including the Board Audit Committee, C‑suite executives, and regulatory authorities.
• Exceptional leadership capabilities with proven ability to influence and collaborate across all organizational levels from board members to operational staff.
• Strategic thinking ability to align audit activities with enterprise objectives and emerging risks is critical.
• Analytical rigor combined with sound business judgement to ]]>