Bernadette Charan

Bernadette Charan is the Chief Audit Officer at Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC), leading Internal Audit and Program Compliance and Investigations.

Previously, she served as Manager of Trust Safety at the Law Society of Alberta, overseeing the compliance, audit and analytics programs focused on Anti‑Money Laundering and Anti‑Terrorism Financing. She managed a $200B Trust Accounting & Safety program and built a high‑performing in‑house audit team. Her earlier experience includes managing Internal Audit for a major North American environmental solutions provider.

Although Bernadette was born and raised in Calgary, her parents immigrated to Canada in 1975. At that time there were not many programs to support immigrants, let alone women. Volunteering with CIWA is her way of paying it forward to those who may be in the same place as her mom, who migrated to Canada 50 years ago.

Bernadette brings 20 years of experience in compliance, risk, and internal audit. She holds a BBA, CPA and is a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA). She is committed to financial literacy, continuous learning, and developing strong teams.  Passionate about community impact and leadership, she volunteers as a Financial Literacy volunteer with CPA Canada and a volunteer stylist with Dress for Success. She is also a Governor with the Calgary Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors.