One of my LinkedIn followers recently suggested that my post asking whether internal auditors will ever be the “cool kids” was negative about our profession. That comment made me pause. It sent me back through years of writing. I wanted to revisit the record. What I found reminded me of something important. I have spent much of my career calling out internal audit’s value. I have done it in print, in conference halls, in classrooms, and in boardrooms. I have done it with facts, data, and examples that show how essential a strong internal audit function is to organizational success.

I write about risks. I write about failures. I write about cultural shortcomings and performance gaps. I do that because internal auditors deserve the truth. Yet I have always balanced those critiques with a steady message. Internal audit changes outcomes. Internal audit protects value. Internal audit strengthens governance. Internal audit sees what others miss. That has been my consistent theme. The record is clear.

Over the years, I have highlighted the unique vantage point internal auditors hold. In “From the Crow’s Nest: Internal Auditors Have the Best View of the Enterprise”, I wrote about the enterprise-wide lens that only internal auditors possess. You see across silos. You see across processes. You see across risks. Senior leaders may see strategy. Managers may see operations. Internal auditors see how it all works together. That perspective is rare. That perspective is powerful. That perspective delivers value every time it is used with courage and clarity.

I have always argued that internal auditors are heroes. In “Internal Auditors Don’t Need to Slay Villains to be Heroes,” I reminded readers that true heroism in our profession comes from integrity and persistence. You do not need a scandal to prove your worth. You do not need a crisis to demonstrate impact. You show your value when you find the small issue before it becomes a big one. You show your value when you help management see a blind spot. You show your value when you help prevent the next failure. Quiet heroism defines this profession.

I have also written often about courage. Several of my most widely read posts issue a call for boldness. In “Courageous Internal Auditors Know When to Walk Away,” I wrote about those moments when the right choice is to step aside from a role or an environment that compromises your principles. In “Courageous Internal Auditors Don’t Wait for a Choir,” I encouraged auditors to raise concerns even when they stand alone. These messages come from experience. Internal audit delivers the most value when auditors demonstrate moral clarity and professional resolve.

I have also highlighted the importance of talent and diversity within the profession. In “The Big Myth: Only Accountants Make Good Internal Auditors,” I challenged the outdated belief that an accounting background is the only path to success. Modern internal audit demands more. It demands critical thinkers, communicators, technologists, relationship builders, analysts, investigators, and problem solvers. That message supports the profession’s future. That message reinforces internal audit’s growing relevance.

Governance has been a constant theme in my writing. Some of my strongest words have been reserved for organizations that weakened their own oversight. In “FTX’s Lack of Governance and Internal Auditors Should Have Been Red Flags,” I pointed out how the absence of internal audit and governance controls contributed to one of the most notorious collapses in recent memory. My argument was simple. Strong internal audit could have made a difference. Weak governance ensured failure.

I have also written directly to boards. In “Dear Audit Committee, Guess Who Audits the Most Critical Risks?”, I underscored the fact that internal audit is the only function with both the mandate and the reach to examine the full spectrum of enterprise risks. Cyber. Culture. Third parties. Strategy. Regulatory compliance. Operational resilience. Internal auditors live in these spaces. They surface the issues that shape long term performance. They protect shareholders, employees, and customers. Audit committees need to understand that reality.

My advocacy for internal audit’s value has also extended to crisis contexts. In “Courageous Internal Auditors Are Storm Chasers,” I described how internal auditors lean into volatility. You run toward disruption. You investigate control failures. You assess the impact of change. You bring clarity to disorder. That is what storm chasers do. That is what courageous auditors do. And that is how organizations build resilience.

Trust is another theme I return to often. In “How Internal Auditors Quietly Foster Trust in Capital Markets,” I made the case that internal audit strengthens the foundation of modern economies. The public rarely sees internal auditors at work. Investors rarely know when an auditor prevented a breakdown. Markets rarely hear about the risks that never matured. Yet the absence of failure is often internal audit’s greatest contribution.

I also highlighted the danger of ignoring internal audit’s role. In “When There is No Internal Audit, Investors Should Run,” I was direct with my message. The absence of internal audit is a red flag. It signals a governance gap. It signals a cultural gap. It signals a risk management gap. Markets should pay attention. Leaders should pay attention. Stakeholders should pay attention.

Finally, I have addressed the profession’s core mission. In“Internal Audit Isn’t the Brakes, It’s Part of the Navigation System,”I countered the idea that internal audit slows organizations down. Strong internal audit accelerates success. You help leadership steer. You help them avoid obstacles. You help them navigate uncertainty. That is navigation. That is value.

And in “Strong and Effective Internal Audit Is Essential to Keeping Companies out of Trouble,” I summarized what I have long believed. Internal audit stands between organizations and preventable failure. The evidence supports that claim. Regulatory actions. Enforcement orders. Governance failures. Many share a common thread. Internal audit was missing. Internal audit was under-resourced. Internal audit was ignored.

So yes, I write about the hard truths. I write about the gaps. I write about the frustration that many auditors feel when they fall short of being seen as strategic partners. But my record shows that I have shouted internal audit’s strengths for decades. I have done it loudly. I have done it repeatedly. And I have done it because internal audit matters.

The profession deserves honesty. The profession deserves advocacy. The profession deserves someone who will challenge it when it must improve and defend it when its value is overlooked. I have always taken great pains to be objective. I always will. The future will be no different. I will continue to call it like I see it.