CEO’s and President’s blog August

Global affiliation means global connections and opportunities to prepare the profession for the future, write Anne Kiem, CEO and Arleen McGichen, President of the Chartered IIA. 

Strength lies in numbers as well as expertise – but to build this strength you need to seek out and make connections. As AI and tech collect ever more data, we need to embrace the inspiration that humans give each other and learn from others facing common challenges. 

It’s reassuring in times of upheaval that the global network of internal auditors is growing. And it has never been more needed (or valued). This also means that it has never offered professional internal auditors so much variety and so many opportunities. But there are also bumpy times ahead for those who do not continually learn and evolve. 

The IIA Global Assembly took place in Singapore in June and it was an amazing and inspiring opportunity to connect with leaders of other Institutes and internal audit professionals from across the world. There were 100 National Institutes at the Assembly and more than 2,500 people from countries as diverse as Mongolia, Venezuela, Paraguay, countries across Africa and Asia, as well as the US and Europe at the International Conference, which followed in the days after the Assembly.  

It was truly breathtaking. The inspiration you gain from being among this many people who are passionate about what internal audit can do for organisations and society cannot be understated. It was a place where a chance encounter opened up a world of ideas. 

Arleen was waiting for the shuttle to the conference venue and got talking to an attendee from Peru. The shuttle never turned up, so they got a taxi together and by the time they got out, she had agreed to talk (virtually) at his conference later this month. 

Meeting like-minded people, who are tackling the same and different challenges, creates links that you would never make otherwise. Technology is wonderful at helping you to renew and strengthen connections, but it doesn’t give you the same opportunities to make new ones.

Share and learn 

It also reminds us how much we can all learn from each other. The Chartered IIA is one of the oldest and largest affiliates in the IIA, but no one is too good to learn from what other people are doing.  

One important example of this is AI and technology. Everyone at the Assembly and International Conference was talking about it and many had exciting ideas to discuss and experiences to share. Anne was also interested to hear about how others are engaging with audit committee chairs and with universities. 
 
Arleen took a notebook to record ideas she could borrow on the spot. Within minutes of arriving, she was jotting down chance comments from attendees and quotes from the conference stage. 

One key message she brought back was from Global IIA’s Vision 2035 – “internal audit is indispensable to governance worldwide.” This is an essential baseline for those presenting a business case for internal audit to their organisation. 

Anthony Pugliese, President of IIA Global, said at the International Conference opening session: “The ability to work together makes us unstoppable.” He set out all the work that the Global IIA is currently doing to bring the profession forward and prepare it to face future needs.  

Most recently, it has published new position papers on the Three Lines Model and Enterprise Risk Management. More initiatives to move the profession forward are coming shortly, so watch this space. 

The Chartered IIA has always been at the forefront of internal audit developments, but we are not doing this alone – and the support of our global colleagues, and their input, is vital. We are truly stronger when we connect and work together.

Don’t miss out 

Not everyone can attend a conference in Singapore or travel extensively for work. However, the Chartered IIA’s Internal Audit Conference  in London is comparatively local and is an excellent opportunity to meet new friends while renewing old acquaintanceships. 

This year’s conference takes place on 29-30 September, and attendees will hear from speakers including Vishal Arora, Chief Audit Executive, Head Global Assurance, at ArcelorMittal in India. Other speakers, such as Saleena Sekhri, MD - Chief Internal Auditor for Corporate Functions, Barclays, and Ololade Adesanya, Managing Director and Global Head of Insurance & Asset Management Audit at HSBC, can draw on experiences working across Singapore, Australia and Africa. 

Such opportunities are one of the most valuable benefits of being part of the Chartered IIA – and the more people who attend, the better it is for everyone. Contacts make contacts, so the more people you meet, the more you are likely to meet.  

IIA Global’s Vision stresses the need for the internal audit profession to adapt continually. We can do this only if we constantly refresh our ideas and our exposure to other people’s experiences with a positive and curious attitude. 

What’s more, nominations for the Chartered IIA’s annual awards open at the conference, offering another opportunity to share good practices, as well as to raise your own profile among peers. At a time of so much change, many teams should have exciting stories to tell. 

When viewed like this, the key question should be: why wouldn’t you come to the Internal Audit Conference?