Dapo Ogunkola discovered the value of the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) certification as an intern early in his career. While interning at a Nigerian bank in 2008, Ogunkola says, “I noticed all my mentors in the internal audit department were all CISAs, very knowledgeable and prominent within the industry.” At this time, Ogunkola also was pursuing an accounting degree and, through his studies, saw that globalization was causing business risk to change quickly. He thought the best way to stay ahead of the curve was by joining ISACA and attaining the CISA certification.
After taking the exam in 2011, Ogunkola found that being a CISA helped him gain his first positions as an IT auditor in a bank and, soon after, as an associate at KPMG. He believes holding the CISA certification, “not only differentiated me amongst my peers, but it also showed my employers I was forward-thinking and had a high level of self-awareness.”
Later in his career, when Ogunkola wished to pursue opportunities outside of Africa, the CISA certification helped demonstrate globally that he had the IS audit and assurance knowledge needed to succeed. More importantly, the certification has given Ogunkola the confidence he needs to land positions, do his job successfully and even earn more than his peers. Ogunkola’s number-one goal as a student was to work in a Big 4 audit firm one day. Being a CISA has given him the opportunity to work in 3 of the Big 4 organizations.
Overall, Ogunkola believes that holding a CISA certification and being an ISACA member helps him and others overcome key obstacles facing professionals today. As technology evolves, there are newer risk factors that his clients experience on a daily basis, and being able to navigate that landscape and provide the best advice/solutions is challenging. But Ogunkola keeps up with changing technologies by reading the ISACA Journal and attending trainings and webinars on emerging issues. Being a member of ISACA and a CISA means he has access to the latest materials on regulatory requirements, emerging technologies, and business changes in the financial sector, and because of this, he can advise on the best global practice to solve his clients’ problems. “The best part of being a CISA is being recognized as a gold standard for IS audit, control and security,” Ogunkola says. “Once people know you are a CISA, the certification’s prestige precedes you. My clients know I am the best resource with the most valuable solutions to their problems because they know I am a CISA.”
To learn more about ISACA certifications, visit the Certification page of the ISACA website.