Bob Mcdonald, Freddy Beck and Ross Tilly
The Bob McDonald Award is the highest honour that can be conferred by the IIA-Australia on one of its members and, in the opinion of the Institute of Internal Auditors – Australia Board, Freddy Beck is a most worthy.
Freddy actively upholds high professional standards and his career has been one of achievement and utmost integrity. With extensive internal audit experience in Australia and South Africa, Freddy is a strong voice for internal audit in both countries. He has held chief audit executive roles for 24 years, leading internal audit services in complex organisations. A feature is his ability to grow internal audit capability, expertly demonstrated by external quality assessment reports of his internal audit functions.
He has mentored upcoming internal auditors who subsequently rose through the professional ranks to themselves become senior internal audit leaders. Freddy is an accomplished conference presenter with many of his presentations being case studies of real-life situations he encountered and pursued to expose corruption.
Freddy has demonstrated the highest level of personal courage and integrity under incredible pressure at immense personal cost. An extract from the updated Internal Audit Standards reflects the need for internal auditors to be courageous: ‘Behaving in a manner that can withstand scrutiny by peers and others. It involves fair dealing, truthfulness, and having the courage to act appropriately, even when facing pressure to do otherwise or when doing so might create potential adverse personal or organisational consequences’. The Crime and Corruption Commission Queensland’s Operation Windage investigated allegations of corruption within Ipswich City Council as a result of investigative work led by Freddy. Sixteen people including senior employees and mayors were charged with criminal offences and Freddy’s assistance to the Commission was acknowledged by the Crime and Corruption Commission Queensland’s Chair, noting Freddy’s strength of character and ethical behaviour.
The Bob McDonald Award is the highest honour that can be conferred by the IIA-Australia on one of its members and Freddy Beck is a very worthy recipient.