Vice President, Audit

Established in 1927 as a provincial government agency, the LCBO is the largest retailer and wholesaler of beverage alcohol in the world. With a stellar local, national and international reputation as a best-in-class, customer-first, socially-responsible retailer and wholesaler, the LCBO prides itself in its commitment to supporting the local beverage alcohol industry and in offering more than 32,000 products annually from more than 70 countries to consumers and licensed establishments. The LCBO is a cornerstone of Ontario's economy and community as all net income ($2.43 billion in FY2024) helps fund key local and provincial public programs and services including health care, education and infrastructure.

To ensure it continues to grow sales responsibly, maximize profitability, and improve operational efficiency, the organization is undergoing a foundational business transformation impacting people, process and technology as outlined in the key strategic directions of its new strategic plan:

• Transform and scale our wholesale business.
• Craft the retail customer experience.
• Evolve our culture and organization.
• Modernize the foundations.

Strategic and responsive, the LCBO continues to evolve its operations to address the challenges and opportunities present in the business environment while supporting government objectives and customer needs.

All 10,000 employees are guided by the LCBO's values that serve as the foundation of its culture, govern how business is done, and inform interactions with customers, partners and each other. The workforce is 89% unionized (OPSEU).

THE OPPORTUNITY

The LCBO seeks a new VP Audit & Risk/CAE to lead the audit function and continue to strengthen its ability to create and sustain value, protect its corporate reputation, and ensure the LCBO maintains its operations in the event of a significant business disruption. The role oversees 5 functional areas: internal audit, business continuity (including crisis management), enterprise risk, compliance, and EthicsMatter, LCBO's whistleblower program. The VP/CAE provides independent and objective assurance on governance, risk management, and internal control effectiveness to the Board, Audit and Risk Committee, and senior management as well as to government and industry representatives.

The VP/CAE reports functionally to the Audit and Risk Committee and administratively to the President & CEO, and leads a current team of 18 people. The position is based at the LCBO corporate office in Toronto and is an in-office role.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

• A senior audit leader in the retail/wholesale and/or the public sector with thorough knowledge and experience managing a large, complex internal audit function.
• Additional experience in building and leading business continuity, risk and compliance is a strong asset.
• Has a relevant professional designation (e.g. CPA or CIA) and current association membership.
• Serves as a strategic advisor to the business on a broad range of audit, risk, business continuity and compliance matters, and provides assessment of risks without gatekeeping.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; effectively supports and communicates risks, mitigations and plans to all stakeholders, internal and external.
• Highly principled and ethical with strong integrity; effectively addresses conflict and provides unbiased assessments.
• Brings strong business acumen; is accountable, proactive, results-driven, solutions-focused and data-driven; IT audit and business transformation experience is an asset.
• An experienced team leader with a positive, calm, courageous and resilient leadership style.
• Highly-strategic and at the same time is detail-oriented and actively participates in creating strategies, plans and budgets.
• Values diversity, inclusion, safety and wellness, and leads as a role model of LCBO competencies.

The LCBO fosters a culture of inclusion and belonging, so everyone feels valued, respected, and heard. The LCBO is an equal opportunity employer and committed to providing employment accommodation in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility of Ontarians with Disabilities Act. Should you require accommodation to participate as a candidate in the hiring process, please communicate your needs to the LHH Knightsbridge project team.

CONTACT INFORMATION

If you are interested in being considered for this exciting and impactful senior leadership position, please submit your resume through LinkedIn, or you may forward your cover letter and resume to Chris Sawyer, Senior Consultant,