Equip your internal audit team with proven strategies to assess project governance, identify hidden risks, and protect major capital investments from devastating cost overruns.
Large capital programs routinely fail not because of a single error, but due to compounding breakdowns in governance, controls, and oversight discipline. This course examines why major projects exceed budgets, miss milestones, and drift from original scope—focusing on the systemic issues that audit functions are often positioned too late to influence. Participants will explore common failure patterns such as scope creep, weak procurement controls, poor change management, and unreliable forecasting, while also identifying early warning indicators that signal trouble long before formal project failure is declared. The course equips auditors with practical tools to move from hindsight reviews to proactive, in-flight assurance across capital programs.
Key Topics Discussed:
Chief Audit Executive | Governance, Risk & SOX Leadership | AI & ESG Integration
Nirpendra (“Nick”) Ajmera is a global audit and risk leader with over 20 years of experience strengthening governance, controls, and decision-making across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. His work spans utilities, telecommunications, manufacturing, IT, logistics, and the public sector, where he has built and led internal audit, SOX, and enterprise risk management functions in complex, asset-intensive environments. In his role as Chief Audit Executive within a major public-sector utility, he leads risk-based audit activities and partners with senior leadership to reinforce governance, enhance accountability, and support organizational performance. His career highlights include leading risk governance during billion-dollar M&A transactions, establishing enterprise-wide audit and risk programs from the ground up, and guiding organizations through transformation and operational change. He has worked across four continents, collaborating with diverse teams and navigating varied regulatory landscapes. Nick is known for his hands-on leadership style, strong ethical discipline, and practical, business-focused approach to strengthening controls and anticipating risk. His thought leadership has been featured in Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors, Kaplan, InternalAudit360, MYCPEONE, New York Weekly, CEO Weekly, Business Today, India Today, and Hindustan Times, reflecting his commitment to advancing the profession through clear and accessible insights. He holds the CA (India), CIA, CISA, and CFE designations, combining deep technical expertise with strategic insight. Outside of his professional work, he writes on internal audit, controls, and governance, and mentors professionals in audit, finance, and risk, supporting their career development with a focus on confidence and integrity.
