A journey from cost-based consultancy to human-benefit value.
Rohit Abbi is the IT Audit Manager at NFU Mutual. In 2022, he moved from a Big 4 consultancy to join a purpose-led NFU Mutual. We caught up with him to hear his story, his view of the importance of elevating consultancy within Internal Audit and his ambitions for the future.
How big a decision was it to leave a Big 4 consultancy firm?
Good question! After 12 years at PWC, I was at a point in my life where I wanted new challenges and to do a job that was more rewarding. I enjoyed my time at PWC, as I got to work with great people across the broadest sections of the business world. However, the work was often quite disparate and you rarely saw the long-term impact of your efforts and recommendations which was not that fulfilling.
The opportunity to take my internal audit skills, knowledge and experience to NFU Mutual really appealed to me. It offered the prospect of working for a great, purpose-led organisation where I could deepen my focus on Financial Services and grow professionally. It also provided an opportunity to immerse myself and play a meaningful role in helping to address the key technology risks and challenges facing the organisation.
What attracted you to join NFU Mutual?
Many reasons! In particular, the opportunity to join an award-winning organisation whose core strategic aims really align with mine. Who wouldn’t want to join an organisation that has being a ‘great place to work’ at its heart!? Being a mutual also affords us to take a more long-term, strategic approach which is very different to the short-terminist, bottom-line focused companies I’m used to. Secondly, the size and capability of NFU Mutual’s Internal Audit really appealed to me. It’s big enough to have more specialised skills and knowledge across the team enabling more interesting and value-add audits, yet small enough that you can build personal connections with one another.
There’s opportunity here to bring my knowledge and experience to help transform the department, further develop the team and increase the value we deliver to our stakeholders. And finally, the strong focus on development across NFU Mutual. I’ve never known an organisation that holds development and upskilling in such high regard, so I knew I was joining a place where I could truly learn, grow and progress my career.
How important is Internal Audit at NFU Mutual?
Internal audit plays a vital role in helping the organisation protect its assets, reputation and sustainability as well as achieve its strategic goals. We work closely with our colleagues to get a detailed understanding of their business area, review what could go wrong and assess the steps they have taken to manage those risks. We also add further value through recommending improvements and good practice. I don’t think there is another function that has the level of access, remit and opportunity to truly impact the way we work!
We always want to make sure the audit process is pleasant and valuable. The wonderful feedback we’ve received shows we are doing this and clearly reflects the hard work we put into these. It's also exactly the form of ‘job satisfaction’ I was looking for, and I know it’s a hugely positive aspect to being part of the Internal Audit team.
What are the core skills of the team and how do they create the conditions for success?
For me, the core skills are more of an attribute or characteristic. It’s having a keen eye for detail, a passion for problem-solving and that curiosity to really get to the heart of the matter. These combine to create a great ‘superpower’ where we can go into an unfamiliar business area, understand and review their key processes and activities, and provide valuable assurance and insights all within a 2-3 month period.
To help cultivate these attributes, my job is to support, mentor and guide every team member in bringing their unique strengths to the forefront. This means providing continuous learning opportunities, encouraging open dialogue, and creating a safe environment where critical thinking is valued.
Have you seen a difference in NFU Mutual’s Internal Audit over the last two and a half years?
It’s been great to be part of the transformation and growth of the Internal Audit ‘brand’ since joining. We’ve always been respected for the assurance we provide, but we’ve made further improvements. We’ve streamlined the audit process for our stakeholders, are being more proactive with the assurance we provide and constantly challenging ourselves to add value through more meaningful insights and greater use of data.
This extra value we’re providing has now led to us regularly being sought out by business areas to share our thoughts, give our advice, and open up a conversation around ‘challenge’, rather than just ‘checking’. This is a great place to be, and I want to lean more into it. We have the opportunity to have far greater impact if we can help the business see the full strengths and capabilities of our team. That’s down to us of course, but I’m excited about the future.
Where do you see the future you?
The simple answer is with NFU Mutual! This is really a ‘Great Place to Work’ which offers so many opportunities to grow and develop and they will support and develop you each step along your career. For now, I’m totally committed to raising the profile of Internal Audit and I’m so passionate about the ways we can help the organisation further improve. I am also ambitious and my work in Internal Audit provides a great platform to move into different and varied opportunities across the organisation, particularly given the growing role and influence of technology.
What one thing would you like to happen with Internal Audit at NFU Mutual?
I’d like Internal Audit to be the first thought when anyone across NFU Mutual is facing a challenge. I’d love us to become to ‘go-to’ destination for support and advice. The critical friend that everyone turns to for guidance. This calls for people who think beyond ‘audit’ – those who buy into the mutual model, can foster great relationships and are always looking to add value to our stakeholders by helping them continuously improve. I did - and it’s the best career decision I’ve ever made!