Periodic control
The Internal Audit Division comprises, under the authority of the Head of Group Internal audit, all internal audit teams, whose main purpose is to adopt an objective, thorough and impartial approach to verify the compliance of operations, the level of risk effectively incurred, the proper application of procedures, and the effectiveness and relevance of the permanent control system. The Group’s internal audit system is permanent and independent from the Group’s operating entities. It covers all Group entities and activities and may focus on any aspect of their operation, without restriction. Each Internal Audit Department regularly identifies the areas of risk to which its business division is exposed. It then defines an annual schedule of audits to make sure that the exposure is covered in full. The internal audit teams then put forward recommendations based on their findings, and follow these up to check that they are implemented correctly. Given the risks at stake, the Group’s internal audit teams are provided with the requisite resources, from both a qualitative and quantitative point of view, to carry out their functions effectively. The Group’s internal audit departments comprise some 1,500 members of staff. The system is made up of:
- the Internal Audit teams, which are hierarchically attached to the Head of Group Internal Audit and functionally attached to the heads of the business and corporate divisions,
- the General Inspection Department, which audits the business activities and operations of all entities within the Group, and reports its findings, conclusions and recommendations to the General Management. The department’s activity is defined by an annual audit plan validated by the General Management, and covers all Group entities without exception. In the course of its assignments, it makes a certain number of recommendations, the implementation of which is monitored on a quarterly basis by the Group Executive Committee.