December 2022
2022 Internal Audit Beacon Awards
In 2019, I shared a list of the internal audit thought leaders of the decade. The list alerted internal auditors around the world about outstanding men and women in our field who worked tirelessly to elevate and promote the internal audit profession through writing, speaking, use of social media and networking. The blog was so popular that I crafted a new list at the end of 2020 to recognize the ten thought leaders of the year.
After stepping down from The IIA in 2021, I promised to continue recognizing the internal audit thought leaders around the world who make a difference in our profession through annual “Internal Audit Beacon Awards.”…
Earlier this week, I posted a blog about recent fines levied against two former Wells Fargo internal auditors. The blog was a call to action for internal audit executives and governments around the world. I called on CAEs to consider in the factors that led to the Wells Fargo fines when setting and reviewing their own quality assurance and improvement programs. I also called on governments to legislate safeguards and protections for internal auditors who find they “are handcuffed when it comes to executing their roles free of restrictions and interference.” I noted that if governments are determined “to call “balls and strikes” on how internal audit executes its role, then they should provide safeguards that will enable internal auditors to swing the bat when needed.”…
With greater scrutiny should come greater protections
Not much surprises me these days, but recent actions by an administrative law judge for the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) are shocking. The judge recommended stiff penalties against three former Wells Fargo executives – the chief risk officer, the chief audit executive (CAE) and an internal audit director – over sales misconduct at the bank, according to a recent article in American Banker, a financial services trade publication. A combined $8.5 million in “civil money penalties” against the two internal audit executives is virtually unprecedented in my memory – particularly when examining the grounds upon which the fines were leveled.…
Each year about this time, I reflect back on the year and the blogs I have written. Having authored almost 600 blog posts over the past 14 years, I have come to believe their readership is a good litmus test for what’s on internal auditors’ minds. So, as I have done over the years, I have identified the 10 most-read blogs in 2022 to re-share with you – in case you missed some.
The 50 blogs I authored in 2022 have been read more than 150,000 times by readers in over 180 countries around the world. When I review the 10 most read blogs of 2022, three key themes emerge: (1) internal auditors are anxious for solutions to strategic risks facing their departments; (2) they are vitally interested in strategies to win and sustain audit committee support for internal audit; and (3) they are constantly seeking ways to improve processes and achieve agility in a period of uncertainty.…
Each year, there are a handful of survey-based research reports that are highly anticipated for those of us who like to peer toward the risk horizon. I recently shared insights on AuditBoard’s 2023 Focus on the Future Report, which surveyed American chief audit executives on vulnerabilities facing their organizations in the year ahead. In September, I shared a similar report by The ECIIA on the perspectives of European CAEs. The blogs, which were posted the same day the reports were released, continue to generate readership around the world.
This week, another highly anticipated report is being released. The 11th annual Executive Perspectives on Top Risks for 2023 and 2032 is a joint undertaking by North Carolina State University’s ERM Initiative and Protiviti.…
Regular readers of my blogs will know that I frequently share highlights from new research or thought leadership that sheds light on the trends and outlook for internal audit. In addition to sharing reports by others, I also work with AuditBoard to articulate our perspectives on the ongoing challenges and opportunities facing the internal audit profession.
This week, we released our latest report: 2023 Focus on the Future – Internal Audit Must Accelerate its Response in Addressing Key Risks. The report is based on a survey of audit leaders conducted in September and October 2022, and reveals a lack of alignment between top risks facing businesses and the level of effort internal audit is putting toward those vulnerabilities.…