December 2019

December 30, 2019

Final Reflections on Internal Audit’s Decade of Progress

In the past 10 years, many significant events have occurred that have dramatically altered the risk landscape that internal auditors must navigate. From strict new post-financial crisis regulations, to an explosion of cyber attacks, to the emergence of risks related to artificial intelligence, data ethics, and privacy, the decade has reshaped the work of internal audit.

Many of these changes will have lasting and profound impacts on how the profession serves the public interest. They offer challenges that will test our ability to provide independent assurance and support sound corporate governance. They also offer great opportunities to position internal audit as a true partner to the board and executive management.…

December 23, 2019

10 Internal Audit Thought Leaders of the Decade

These last few weeks of the year, we are seeing a variety of Top 10 lists looking back over the decade. Not to be left out, I have one to share: My list of the Top 10 internal audit thought leaders of the decade.

As I started compiling this list a few days ago, I was struck by how many men and women were vocal and instructive in advancing the practice of internal audit around the world in the 2010s. The danger in compiling a list such as this is not in who gets included, but in offending an outstanding thought leader who might be left off.…

December 16, 2019

​From the Epicenter of Corporate Governance, Internal Audit Exposes Weaknesses

It is not often when a new report reveals information that is truly startling or exposes a previously unknown wrinkle to an area as well studied as corporate governance. But such was the case last week when The IIA published the American Corporate Governance Index (ACGI), in collaboration with the University of Tennessee’s Neel Corporate Governance Center.

The index assigned an unimpressive grade of C+ to corporate governance of publicly traded companies in the United States. At first, the grade may not seem upsetting or even shocking, but that assessment would be wrong. I believe it is indicative of one of the biggest threats to all organizations, not just publicly traded ones: a poor understanding of the value of strong governance.…

December 9, 2019

​My Top Internal Audit Blog Posts of 2019: Self-awareness and a Little Humor

For the past three years, I have reviewed my most-popular blog posts to seek insight into what appeals most to my readers. In 2019, with more than 400,000 viewers in multiple languages, I found that the value of internal auditor self-awareness and a little self-deprecating humor went a long way. 

In June, I resurrected four previously published posts that focused on internal auditors looking inward. I called it “Internal Auditor Self-awareness Month,” following the well-established “International Internal Audit Awareness Month” each May. Three of the four blog posts for June made their way onto this year’s list.

Another highly popular post was one that poked a little fun at the profession by using popular emojis to tell a little bit about the life of an internal auditor.…