October 2021

October 22, 2021

​​​​​​​​Five Leadership Lessons Colin Powell Taught Me

Like much of the world, I was deeply saddened by the recent death of former United States Secretary of State Colin Powell. He was a man of immense character, whose legacy of public service leaves us all indebted. It was a testament to his unwavering courage and integrity that a bi-partisan wave of public sentiment accompanied the sad news of his passing.

As I reflect on General Powell’s life, I can’t help but recall my personal connection with him early on in my career. To me, he was more than a public figure. He was my boss and a mentor who taught me important lessons in leadership.…

October 11, 2021

One Company – Two Chief Audit Executives: Twice as Effective or Double Trouble?

A recent headline from Reuters caught my eye: “Scandal-hit Credit Suisse names new interim heads of internal audit – memo.” According to Reuters:

“Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) has appointed company veterans Nitesh Patel and Roger Senteler as interim co-heads of group internal audit, Switzerland’s second-biggest bank told employees as it tries to recover from grave risk-management lapses.”

I don’t know either of these gentlemen, and certainly have no reason to question whether the arrangement will work out – especially on an interim basis. However, the more I thought about the development, the more I asked myself: Can a company have two chief audit executives at the same time?…