Marriott School graduate Dale Holdaway earned the distinguished William S. Smith Certificate of Excellence Award for his performance on the May 2006 administration of the Certified Internal Auditor exam.
The award, given by the Institute of Internal Auditors, is granted to nonstudents who perform exceptionally well on their first attempt at the CIA exam. The exam is known for its difficulty, with a first-time pass rate of under 50 percent. Holdaway was one of five people to earn the award.
“I believe that I was able to score so highly on the CIA exam through simple, old-fashioned preparation and by learning to read both questions and potential answers very carefully while taking tests,” Holdaway says. “Given that the pass rate is extremely low, I wanted to ensure that I passed the first time.”
CIA certification is not a requirement for internal auditors, but accreditation from the IIA is considered a valuable accomplishment that requires hard work and dedication. In recent years, many companies have begun looking exclusively at CIA-certified auditors for upper-management positions.
“I anticipate that passing the CIA exam and becoming a certified internal auditor will provide additional career opportunities that I would not have otherwise,” Holdaway says. “Professional certifications such as the CPA and the CIA have become more valuable to many employers in corporate finance.”
Holdaway graduated from the Marrriott School with a bachelor’s degree in business management in 1991 and earned an MBA in 1993. He currently works as manager of global finance training for Ford Motor Co. He and his wife, Kimberly, have four children.
