Meet Roy Bvekerwa, the auditing guru

Chief executive officer of the Institute of Internal Auditors Mr Roy Bvekerwa has proven this statement true, as he is an epitome of the individual who has fought his way to the top.
A registered accountant, Mr Bvekerwa has risen to become one of the leading internal auditors in Zimbabwe.
Emerging from the dusty streets of Mbare, Mr Bvekerwa has managed to become a success in his chosen career.
Having been an enthusiastic professional and determined to succeed, he never allowed his background to determine his destiny
“I have come to realise that where you grew up is not an excuse for failure. I began to read personal development books as well as autobiographies of other personalities when I was still young and this changed my perception of success.
“I learnt that in life there are no limits “except those that we put on ourselves”, said Mr Bvekerwa
Mr Bvekerwa joined the IIA in 2010 after he received a call that he had been nominated to lead the institute as a full-time chief executive officer, an opportunity he grasped despite having other commitments.
“After receiving that call, I accepted it without hesitation and I had to assign someone to help me with managing my horticulture farm,” he said.
The role of the IIA, says Mr Bvekerwa, is to capacitate the country’s auditors with the right levels of professionalism.
“Our institution is member driven and we lobby for our members and the Government and carry out training so as to ensure that we groom a new breed of successful internal auditors.”
In terms of some of the latest developments at the institute, Mr Bvekerwa said they are now offering a professional qualification “Certified Internal Auditor Programme” which is globally recognised.
Mr Bvekerwa took time to shed light on the meaning of auditing.
He describes auditing as an activity that evaluates risk exposures relating to the organisation’s governance, operations and information systems.
“Internal audit is not all about accounting. One can be an agronomist and be an auditor at the same time. People in security services, monitoring and evaluation departments, Information and Communication Technology can also be auditors.
“Anyone who has a passion for auditing can become one as we are now moving from manual systems that include paperwork to computerisation.
“Moving beyond that we now want to blend auditors who not only rely on rules and regulations of auditing but who are able to mentor entrepreneurs in business ethics and success,” he said
Born in 1958 in the Murehwa area, Mr Bvekerwa is the first born in a family of five.
He is a holder of several other academic qualifications, including a Masters of Business Administration degree with majors in accounting, finance and management from UZ, a course in public sector accounting from the same college and a three-month study on advanced auditing in the United Kingdom.
Mr Bvekerwa grew up in Mbare where he did his primary education at George Stark School before proceeding to Harare High for his secondary education between 1973 and 1978.
Looking at his career development path spanning the greater part of post-independence Zimbabwe, it appears accounting was his destiny.
Soon after completing his A-Levels, he enrolled to study for a Bachelor of Administration degree majoring in accounting and finance at the University of Zimbabwe.
After finishing his first degree, Mr Bvekerwa joined the Comptroller and Auditor-General’s Office as an audit assistant.
During his stint, he trained in all facets of auditing.
He rose through the ranks to become the assistant director of audit.
After six years, Mr Bvekerwa left the Auditor-General’s Office and joined the Urban Development Corporation (Udcorp) in 1987 as an audit manager.
At Udcorp he provided external audit services to local authorities in Zimbabwe and training all new audit staff.
In 1990, Mr Bvekerwa joined the Cotton Marketing Board as audit manager. Using his experience in auditing he helped transform the company from a parastatal into a public-listed company. He remained in that position for six years.
In 1997 he transferred from the auditing department to the operations of the company as the business development manager until 2000.
In 2000, he moved to HortiCo, an agriculture company involved with vegetable production for the export market. He became the general manager of HortiCo Agri-systems responsible for training small-scale growers in the high value market of export.
“Working at HortiCo helped me realise my passion for farming. I left the auditing industry at the end of 2006 to set up my own horticulture farm in Banket,” he said.
He bounced back into the industry in 2010 when he was offered a post as the chief executive of the Institute of Internal Auditors.
Besides ensuring the implementation of effective and systematic working environment for companies, Mr Bvekerwa still pursues his farming passion and has ventured into mixed farming, focusing mainly on horticulture.
A Christian and a responsible corporate citizen, Mr Bvekerwa is a leader in his church, Heartfelt International Ministries.
He is also a consultant at the Kenor Consulting Group as well as the chairman for Middle Manyame sub-catchment council.
He is happily married and is blessed with three boys.
He likes playing golf, squash and “eating the word of God” (his own words).