Senior Audit Manager, Capital One Corp.
While earning her MBA at Jindal School, Jackson, a McKinney resident, was an active member of the campus’ Institute of Internal Auditors student chapter. She’s also heavily invested in organizations dedicated to education, serving as a volunteer with LIFT, specifically working with very low-literate adults; and as chair of the Young Professionals Board for Girls Inc., which ensures at-risk girls and young women receive education and encouragement to reach their full potential, in spite of the context of their lives or the obstacles they face. Prior to attending UT Dallas, Jackson earned her undergraduate degree at University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management.
Tell us the highlights of your professional career. What are your proudest achievements?
My daily job consists of managing the execution of audits and audit teams across Financial Services business lines at Capital One Corp. I also regularly consult with executives around mitigation plans for the operational or regulatory issues their business lines encounter. Prior to Capital One, I served as vice president and supervising auditor for the Consumer Audit team at Bank of America Corp. On the heels of the financial crisis, I was given the opportunity to be a part of a team that traveled across the U.S. ensuring the appropriate assimilation of legacy Countrywide Mortgage sites into the Bank of America model. Over the next several years, I evaluated and made recommendations on business processes, procedures and standards to ensure the consolidated bank was in alignment with consumer protection practices, professional and ethical standards. In both 2014 and 2015 I was awarded the Platinum Award – Bank of America’s highest performance related award – for work with Bank of America business lines around driving practices towards quality and continued ethical lending standards for its customers.
What brought you to UT Dallas?
I chose UT Dallas based on its great reputation in the Dallas area.
What is your favorite UT Dallas memory?
My favorite memories really stem from my experiences as a part of the UT Dallas student chapter of the Institute for Internal Auditing. I made lasting friendships with my fellow classmates and was exposed to so many great networking and career opportunities. As a part of the student chapter, we had the opportunity to be a part of the Institute of Internal Auditors International Conference in 2006. It was a fantastic opportunity that allowed us to interact with audit leaders from across the world, as well as take part in some of the many learning sessions offered as part of the prestigious conference, prior to entering into the industry.
Who was your favorite professor and/or what was your favorite class and why?
My favorite professor was Mark Salamasick who was the executive director of Jindal School’s Center for Internal Auditing Excellence at the time. Mark was extremely passionate about his work at the university and through his professional network was able to expose his students to a diverse group of employers across the Metroplex. Coming out of Mark’s program, I was presented with several great offers from industry leading companies. The internal audit course he taught was my favorite because at the end of the course we had the opportunity to work on a true audit project alongside an actual organization’s audit group. The experience gave students real world audit work exposure. [Salamasick now serves as executive director of audit at The University of Texas System in Austin.]
What’s the best advice you have received?
As a believer, I’ve always felt the best advice I’ve ever received has come from scripture which, paraphrased, says that in any work you do, always do it to the best of your ability and wholeheartedly in thanks and honor to God (Col 3:23). Remembering this has helped me tremendously as I have navigated through my career.
What advice do you have for current students hoping to succeed in the business world?
At any level it’s important to network and find a great mentor. It’s also a great idea to find opportunities to expand and share your skill sets by giving back to the community through volunteer work.
What makes an effective leader?
In my opinion, an effective leader is someone who can find a balance between confidence and humility; a person who welcomes diverse ideas and can reach outside of his/her comfort zone to take risks; and finally, someone who operates with respect for others and ethical values on a daily basis.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Outside of just spending quality time with family, I really love being active and in the outdoors! I enjoy snorkeling, running and gardening in particular.
