Dr. Bernard Tan

Dr Bernard is a director at Protiviti Singapore with over 25 years of experience in financial services and consulting, with proven expertise in IT, cybersecurity, digital banking, and operational and anti-money laundering (AML) audits. He has been responsible for the APAC IT Audit and Data Analytics teams. Dr Bernard is an elected board director of the Singapore ISACA Chapter and has served as a panel judge for the Singapore Cybersecurity Awards. Additionally, he has been a speaker and moderator at various technology and cybersecurity conferences.

Dr Bernard Tan holds a Doctor of Computer Science with a concentration in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance, reflecting his deep expertise in technology risk and governance.

His dissertation, titled “A Qualitative Study of Internal Audit Report Recommendations in Managing Artificial Intelligence Risks within Organisations in Singapore,” examines how internal audit practices can support organisations in identifying, assessing and managing risks associated with artificial intelligence.

The research is particularly relevant to current AI adoption trends, as many organisations are integrating AI into business processes while facing emerging governance, security and ethical risks. It highlights how internal audit functions can play a critical role in strengthening AI governance, improving risk oversight, and supporting responsible and compliant AI deployment within organisations.

Major Roles and Projects

• Managed and delivered complex IT and cross-functional audits across the APAC region, including cybersecurity, digital banking, operational, and AML audits.
• Led and developed a 3-year data analytics roadmap, currently collaborating with various stakeholders to achieve targeted plans as part of the bank’s digitalisation roadmap.
• Client serving Director managing internal audit engagements and enterprise risk management, assisting companies in establishing audit functions and risk management frameworks to improve corporate governance.
• Oversaw multi-regional technology projects to ensure compliance with regulatory guidelines and standards for data, technology, and outsourcing.
• Partnered with risk and policy owners to align outsourcing policies and frameworks with regulatory requirements, while serving as the Subject Matter Expert covering regulations in over 60 countries.
• Performed data analytics for client engagements using various tools and provided customised risk and control training, while advising senior management and board members on governance, compliance, and risk management.
• Spearheaded data analytics projects to optimise the management and data mining of Singapore-listed companies, enabling more efficient data analysis and reporting.
• Led end-to-end data analytics and business intelligence initiatives for both retail and institutional banking sectors, providing users with enhanced data insights and decision-making capabilities.

Areas of Expertise

• Information technology audit
• Cybersecurity audit
• Risk advisory
• Technology & cybersecurity risk
• Data analytics
• Regulatory compliance

Industry Expertise

• Financial services
• Government
• Global MNCs

Education

• MBA (Accountancy and Finance), Nanyang Technological University
• Master of Computing, National University of Singapore

Professional Memberships & Certifications

• Chartered Accountant of Singapore (CA)
• Certified Internal Auditors (CIA)
• Certified Information System Auditor (CISA)
• Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE)
• Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS)
• Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)