Melissa Walton-Jones

Melissa I. Walton-Jones is an Adjunct Professor of Accounting Information Systems in the Turner School of Accountancy at UNC Charlotte’s Belk College of Business. A finance and governance leader with more than 20 years of experience, she has worked across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors in corporate finance, internal audit, and enterprise risk management.

Walton-Jones has held executive and senior leadership roles, including Vice President of Internal Audit in the financial services industry. She has also led internal controls, ERP implementations, and board-level audit reporting for Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies in manufacturing and telecommunications. A trusted advisor to executives and boards, her career trajectory reflects a deep commitment to strategic governance and Chief Audit Executive leadership.

She is passionate about aligning governance with business strategy, optimizing internal control environments, and mentoring future leaders in accounting systems, internal controls, and business ethics.

Degrees

• MBA – University of Missouri–Kansas City
• B.S. in Business Administration – Rust College
• Top Gun Executive Leadership Program – Center for Creative Leadership
• Executive Leadership Institute – The College of William & Mary
• Dale Carnegie Executive Communications Training – Center for Creative Leadership

Certifications

• Certified Fraud Examiner
• Certified Internal Auditor
• Six Sigma Green Belt
• Certified Public Accountant (Candidate)

Expertise

• Internal Audit Leadership
• COSO Framework & SOX 404
• Enterprise Risk Management
• Governance & Compliance
• Board & Audit Committee Reporting
• ERP & Systems Transformation