Open to opportunities

Kunal Desai

@kunaldesai2

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IT audit leader specializing in SOX/ITGC, risk-based audits, and data-driven insights for regulated industries.

India

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What I'm looking for

I’m looking for a leadership role in IT audit, IT risk, and SOX/ITGC assurance where I can drive compliant, risk-based execution, mentor teams, and use data analysis to improve audit quality in regulated environments.

I lead IT audit and assurance engagements across Banking and Financial Services, covering ITGC, ITAC, and SOX compliance, with a strong focus on ICFR, cyber security, and general IT controls. I have supported PCOAB audit readiness for the largest private sector bank in India, aligning compliance with operational excellence.

As an Associate Director and DISA/CISA-led professional, I manage end-to-end IT SOX testing for application and interface controls, and lead General IT Controls (GITC) programs across IT application environments. I’ve built audit rigor through risk-based planning, report testing, and validation of areas like user access, change management, and computer operations.

I bring hands-on delivery and team leadership—leading 12–15 resources, coaching new team members, and driving audit planning, scope finalization, and IRM budget/resource planning. My work has been recognized with an Audit Quality Award (2023) for PCOAB quality delivery and EY Spotlight Award (2021) for Quality Expert performance under high-pressure timelines.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Associate Director

Current

BSR & Co LLP

Apr 2022 - Present (4 years 2 months)

Led IT audits for Banking and Financial Services (BFSI) clients, including PCOAB audit compliance and IT SOX testing of application and interface controls. Managed a 12–15 member team for ICFR/GITC coverage and received an Audit Quality Award (2023) for quality delivered on the PCOAB engagement.

IT Audit IT Application Controls SOX Testing Team Leadership

Senior Consultant

Ernst & Young LLP

Jan 2018 - Mar 2022 (4 years 2 months)

Led IT Risk and Advisory (ITRA) services across BFSI, Oil & Gas, FMCG, Pharmaceuticals, and Manufacturing. Conducted IT application and general control testing and received an EY Spotlight Award (2021) in the “Quality Expert” category for delivery under high-pressure engagements.

IT Application Controls IT General Controls Quality Assurance

Senior Consultant

Aneja Associates

Aug 2017 - Jan 2018 (5 months)

Led IT application and IT general control reviews for the Oil & Gas sector, focusing on effective control design and testing in complex technology environments.

IT Audit IT Application Controls IT General Controls Controls Testing Internal Controls

Freelance IT Audit Consultant

Freelance with CA Firms

Feb 2016 - Jul 2017 (1 year 5 months)

Performed IT application and ITGC reviews for large clients in SAP, Oracle, and mPower environments, detailing configurations and defining what to test. Analyzed expected outputs and relevant tables to conclude effectiveness of IT controls.

MPower Test Evidence Analysis

Article Assistant

Shankarlal Jain & Associates

Aug 2011 - Aug 2013 (2 years)

Supported advisory and audit engagements, including issuing segregation of duties (SoD) reports for a Kuwait client in the automotive/dealership industry and producing IT readiness reporting for a Saudi Arabia client’s IPO processing.

SoD (Segregation Of Duties) Reporting IT Readiness Assessment

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

ISACA

CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor), Information Systems Audit and Control

2022 -

Earned the CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor) credential and leads IT audit work for banking and financial services (BFSI) clients.

ICAI - The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India

Chartered Accountant, Accounting / Chartered Accountancy

Qualified as a Chartered Accountant (CA) through ICAI and has supported IT audit planning, scope finalization, and team resourcing activities.

ICAI - The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India

DISA (Diploma in Information System Audit), Information System Audit

Completed the DISA (Diploma in Information System Audit) and has led IT SOX testing of IT application and interface controls for large banking engagements.