Ask almost any CAE if he or she has the full support of the audit committee, and the answer will usually be “yes.” But, in reality, that may not always be the case.
Audit committees typically have our back on the relatively easy stuff — for example, when we explain the need for more resources, or when we propose a change to the internal audit charter or schedule. But support may soften when a really difficult conversation needs to take place.
If I could ask a single question of every audit committee chair, it would be, “Do you think your organization’s chief audit executive would feel comfortable bringing an issue involving CEO compliance or ethics to your attention?”…