For immediate release: Sept. 6, 2011

Vanek to Lead BWC Internal Audit

COLUMBUS – Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) Administrator/CEO Steven Buehrer today announced the appointment of Dennis A. Vanek as Chief of BWC's Internal Audit Division.

"Dennis is a highly experienced business executive with proven leadership in the private sector," said Buehrer. "His expertise in accounting, internal controls, finance, risk management and information system processes are exactly what we need in this very important position to ensure transparency and accountability within BWC. I am pleased to welcome another high caliber professional to BWC as we round out our leadership team."

As Chief of Internal Audit at BWC, Vanek will oversee a staff that operates independently of management and regularly tests internal controls and assesses compliance to ensure business processes are open, clear and well documented. The division also provides an independent assessment of the performance of programs, activities and functions. Audit recommendations are presented publicly to the BWC Board of Directors" Audit Committee.

Vanek most recently served as director of global audit services for Expedia, Inc. in Bellevue, Washington where he was responsible for the annual risk-based global audit plan and reporting results to executive management and the audit committee of the company's board of directors.

Vanek was previously vice president of internal audit for Sports Authority in Englewood, Colorado, from where he managed the annual risk-based audit plan, and director of integrated audit services for the Public Service Company of New Mexico in Albuquerque, directing the annual audit plan comprising financial, operational, IT and compliance audits.

Vanek worked for several years in Columbus earlier in his career as senior manager of enterprise risk services for Deloitte & Touche, where he provided enterprise risk consulting services in the Ohio Valley region. He was also senior manager, operational and systems risk management for PricewaterhouseCoopers L.L.P.

Vanek earned a bachelor's in business administration from Ohio University.

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Editor’s note: Photo available for download