When conducting a series of three day training sessions for the Chief Internal Auditor's Office for the Province of Alberta, Canada, Michael Piazza (Control Digest's publisher) was asked by participants in the first two sessions if he had met Ralph Timleck. Michael had not run into him yet, but all of the participants gave him their versions of this senior person on the staff. "He's tough and really knows audit," one staffer said to him, "he probably knows as much or more than you do." Michael did not doubt the descriptions.

Ralph attended the third three day session and sat right in the middle of the front row. Michael found him to be sharp and knowledgeable as the younger and newer staff members had described him. The two men formed an immediate bond and Ralph assisted Michael with the remaining sessions, adding the specifics and nuances of the applications that the CIA's office employed. Ralph willingly made several presentations to the group as the lead instructor, while Michael sat quietly as a participant, learning from Ralph's presentation. Michael knew Ralph took to presenting like a duck to water and before the week was out, Ralph was hooked.

In 2006 when Michael was contracted to create the prototype of the Institute of Internal Auditors Public Sector Training Initiative, he invited Ralph to participate as one of the main instructors. Because of Ralph's natural attributes as an instructor and his keen ability to communicate with and support new auditors, Ralph agreed to revise the IIA's Tools and Techniques course into a public sector specific course entitled Fundamentals of the Audit Process.

Ralph was joined by Ben Meade, an IIA volunteer instructor and auditor for the Department of Defense. The two reworked the sessions and devised a new public sector specific case for the course. They became and have remained inseparable friends and colleagues. Whenever their twains can meet, the two still instruct together. 

Though some of his ideas are debatable by other 'old timers,' Ralph draws the attention of new auditors with his 'tell it as he sees it' personae. Ralph's ideas skillfully layout a firm foundation of audit fundamentals that helps new and seasoned auditors to think deeply about the purpose, scope and effectiveness of the audit function. As a former amateur comedian, Ralph has a wonderful sense of humor and brings a thousand and one jokes to his presentations, keeping things lively. His sense of humor is balanced with a very serious perspective about audit and its effectiveness.