Podcasts about internal auditors

All Things Internal Audit: Fraud Podcast"The Out of Control Controller" Listen to The IIA's new Fraud Podcast brought to you by All Things Internal Audit. This series provides fictionalized accounts of real-world frauds featured in Internal Auditor magazine's Fraud department. In this episode, Bruce Kraus investigates a shocking embezzlement case at Allied Engineering involving longtime controller Jane Simmons. With lax oversight and too much unchecked authority, Simmons executes 11 different schemes over five years. From gift card grifts, to a ghost payroll, and a company car gone rogue, this case shows how even trusted employees can exploit internal control gaps. IIA members can access the full article here. Interested in more fraud-related topics? Earn CPEs by registering for The IIA's Fraud Analytics for Internal Auditors Certificate, online and in-person. Chapters: Part 1: A Swipe Too Far (00:00:23) Part 2: A Wiped Drive and a Widening Scope (00:01:54) Part 3: A Pattern of Deception (00:03:14) Part 4: Aftermath and Lessons (00:05:49) Resources Mentioned: Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) Internal Auditor magazine (June Issue) Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple PodcastsSpotify Youtube LibsynDeezer

The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit Tech In this episode, Charles King talks with Debbie Lew about the transformative role of artificial intelligence in internal auditing. They discuss the integration of AI tools like Copilot, the importance of prompt writing, and how AI is enhancing audit processes. The conversation also covers training strategies, real-world applications, and the impact of AI on stakeholder engagement.   HOST:  Charles King, CIA, CPA, CFE, CIPP Partner, AI in Internal Controls Leader, KPMG US GUEST: Debbie Lew, CISA, CRISC, CHIAP Senior Vice President and Chief Audit Executive, Kaiser Permanente Key Points: Introduction [00:00-00:38] Inside Kaiser Permanente's Internal Audit Team [00:39-02:14] AI Adoption at Kaiser Permanente [02:15-03:21] Prompt Writing as a Core Skill [03:22-04:10] Guidance Manuals and Prompt Libraries [04:11-05:02] Building AI Agents to Support Audits [05:03-05:51] Training, Communication, and Driving Adoption [05:52-07:23] Innovative Applications of GenAI in Audit [07:24-08:28] Inspiring a Tech-Forward Culture [08:29-10:06] Final Thoughts [10:07-10:31]   IIA Related Content:  Interested in this topic? Visit the links below for more resources. 2025 International Conference Knowledge Centers: Artificial Intelligence Auditing the Cybersecurity Program Certificate Cybersecurity Topical Requirement “Undercover AI,” Internal Auditor Magazine  The IIA's Updated AI Auditing Framework   Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more.   Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple Podcasts Spotify Libsyn Deezer  

The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit  In this episode, The IIA's Lindsay Patterson talks with Anna Davis of Qualcomm about the crucial aspects of internal audit team formation and dynamics. They discuss hiring strategies in the current market, the importance of soft and hard skills, the challenges and benefits of remote and in-office work, and methods for fostering a strong team culture.  HOST:Lindsay Patterson, CIA, CPAExecutive Vice President , Membership, Marketing and Communications, The IIA GUEST:Anna Davis, CPAVice President, CAE, Qualcomm Key Points Introduction [00:00-00:22] Team Formation: Starting with Hiring [00:23-01:34] In-Office Work and Recruitment Challenges [01:35-04:13] Hard and Soft Skills and Business Acumen [04:14-06:00] Retention and Career Growth Opportunities [06:01-07:05] Team Size and Responsibilities [07:06-07:44] Building a Team Culture [07:45-10:32] The Value of Authentic Leadership [10:33-12:03] Advice for Aspiring Audit Leaders [12:04-13:44] Final Thoughts [13:45-14:44] The IIA Related Content  Interested in this topic? Visit the links below for more resources: 2025 AuditSphere Virtual Conference Tools for Audit Managers Course IIA Group Membership Group Training Solutions All Things Internal Audit Podcast: 'Mastering Soft Skills in Internal Auditing,' Building a Better Auditor: Optimizing Team Communication Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more. Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple PodcastsSpotify LibsynDeezer

The award-winning Compliance into the Weeds is the only weekly podcast that takes a deep dive into a compliance-related topic, literally going into the weeds to explore a subject more fully. Are you looking for some hard-hitting insights on compliance? Look no further than Compliance into the Weeds! In this episode of Compliance into the Weeds, Tom Fox and Matt Kelly take a deep dive into the settlement of charges by the OCC with two former top audit executives at Wells Fargo for their oversight failures during the bank's fake accounts scandal. The Wells Fargo banking scandal is a cautionary tale of unchecked corporate misconduct and the critical role of auditor accountability. This scandal, which erupted due to Wells Fargo's creation of fake accounts driven by unrealistic sales targets, exposed the bank's dysfunctional corporate culture and raised questions about the efficacy of internal audits and the broader implications of regulatory actions. They discuss the scandal as emblematic of the broader issues stemming from repealing the Glass-Steagall Act, which blurs the lines between investment and consumer banking, fostering an environment where misconduct could thrive. Kelly points to the enormity of banks' post-Glass-Steagall repeal as a breeding ground for potential misconduct and highlights the negligence of Wells Fargo's leadership in failing to curb unethical practices. Both Fox and Kelly underscore the necessity for a comprehensive reevaluation of compliance and audit roles to prevent future scandals of this magnitude. Key highlights: Settlement of OCC Charges in Wells Fargo Impact of Regulatory Actions on Auditors Unethical Sales Goals Impacting Corporate Culture Glass Steagall Act Repeal: Wells Fargo Impact Resources: Matt in Radical Compliance Tom Instagram Facebook YouTube Twitter LinkedIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit Tech In this episode, Andrew Guasp talks with Alex Gacheche about the importance of emotional intelligence (EQ) in the internal audit profession, especially in the context of AI advancements. They discuss how EQ can enhance internal audit effectiveness, the role of empathy and communication, and the impact of cultural differences on EQ. From active listening to handling difficult conversations, this episode unpacks the human side of internal auditing. HOST:Andrew Guasp, CIA Senior Manager, Standards & Professional Guidance, The IIA GUEST:Alex Gacheche, CISAHead of Internal Audit, Information Security, Technology Infrastructure, Emerging Technology, and AI, Meta   Key Points Introduction [00:00–00:01:16] What Is Emotional Intelligence? [00:01:17–00:03:34] Human Judgment with AI [00:03:35–00:05:01] Balancing Hard and Soft Skills [00:05:02–00:06:27] Developing EQ in Auditing [00:08:42–00:11:51] EQ in Communication and Reporting [00:11:52–00:13:16] Training for EQ Skills [00:13:17–00:14:31] Blending AI and EQ [00:14:32–00:15:49] Resources to Grow EQ [00:15:50–00:18:24] Using EQ in Remediation [00:18:25–00:21:42] EQ in Planning and Information Gathering [00:21:43–00:24:01] Cultural Sensitivity and Word Choice [00:24:02–00:26:32] Leading Multigenerational Teams [00:26:33–00:30:17] EQ's Role in the AI Era [00:30:18–00:32:25] Leadership, Retention, and EQ [00:32:26–00:35:02] EQ in Walkthroughs and Meetings [00:35:03–00:40:47] Final Thoughts [00:40:48–00:41:53] The IIA Related Content Interested in this topic? Visit the links below for more resources:  2025 AuditSphere Virtual Conference Building a Better Auditor: The Powerful Synergy of EQ and AI Knowledge Centers: Artificial Intelligence 'Mastering Soft Skills in Internal Auditing,' All Things Internal Audit Podcast The IIA's Updated AI Auditing Framework Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more. Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple PodcastsSpotify LibsynDeezer

The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit Tech In this episode, Charles King talks with Imraan Mulla about the transformative potential of AI in internal auditing. They discuss AI's evolution from basic automation to advanced applications, the challenges of adoption, and the future of AI in internal auditing. The conversation also covers continuous monitoring, risk assessment, and the role of human judgment in an AI-driven world. HOST:Charles King, CIA, CPA, CFE, CIPP, Partner, AI in Internal Controls Leader, KPMG LLP GUEST: Imrankhan (Imraan) Mulla, Vice president, Analytics and Innovation, Capital One Key Points Introduction [00:00-00:00:21] AI's Evolution in Internal Auditing [00:21-01:08] Challenges of AI Adoption [01:08-02:16] Driving AI Adoption and ROI [02:16-04:31] The Future of Internal Audit with AI [04:31-05:57] Prioritizing Investments in AI [05:57-08:10] Continuous Monitoring and Targeted Audits [08:10-11:05] Flexible Audit Plans and Risk-based Auditing [11:05-12:29] Analyzing Unstructured Data [12:29-14:14] Human Judgment and AI [14:14-16:06] Building a Culture of Innovation [16:06-18:11] Internal Audit as a Beacon for Innovation [18:11-20:48] Agentic AI and Its Applications [20:48-22:49] Final Thoughts [22:49-23:19] The IIA Related Content Interested in this topic? Visit the links below for more resources:  2025 AuditSphere Virtual Conference Knowledge Centers: Artificial Intelligence Auditing the Cybersecurity Program Certificate Implementing The IIA's New Cybersecurity Topical Requirement Cybersecurity Topical Requirement "Undercover AI," Internal Auditor magazine  The IIA's Updated AI Auditing Framework Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more. Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple PodcastsSpotify LibsynDeezer

The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit In this episode, Mike Jacka talks with Anne Millage about his decision to end the “Mind of Jacka” blog after 900 posts. Mike shares some favorite posts, the origins of his ideas, and the role humor plays in his writing. He looks back at his internal audit career and offers his thoughts on the evolution of the profession. Read Mike's 900th blog post:  Mind of Jacka: 900 Posts: Now What? Host:Anne Millage  Director of content, The IIA Guests: Mike Jacka, CIA, CPA, CPCU, CLU Chief creative pilot at Flying Pig Audit, Consulting and Training Solutions Key Points:  Introduction [00:00-00:33] Overview of Mike's contributions to the internal audit community through his writing. Mike's Journey [00:34-02:19] Discussion on Mike's career in internal auditing and his decision to start the blog. Insights into Mike's unique approach to writing and humor in the internal audit profession. Decision to End the Blog [02:20-04:07] Mike explains why he decided to end the blog after 900 posts. Reflection on the milestones and reasons behind his retirement. Challenges and Causes [04:08-05:36] The challenges Mike faced while writing the blog. Discussion on the evolving nature of internal auditing and the profession's biggest challenges. Popular Posts and Audience Engagement [05:37-07:54] Anne and Mike discuss some of the most popular and commented-on blog posts. Insights into why certain posts resonated with the audience and sparked discussions. Humor in Internal Auditing [07:55-09:35] Mike shares his experiences with incorporating humor into his writing. The importance of not taking the profession too seriously and the impact of humor. Remote Auditing and Modern Challenges [09:36-11:08] Discussion on the topic of remote auditing and its effectiveness. Mike's views on the current trends and challenges in the internal audit profession. Future Plans [11:09-13:08] Mike talks about his future plans post-retirement. His continued involvement in training, writing, and other passions. Final Thoughts [13:09-15:57] Mike's advice for other internal auditors on writing and following their passions. The IIA Related Content: Interested in this topic? Visit the links below for more resources: Mind of Jacka: 900 Posts: Now What? Jacka, Mika."Alice In Auditland" Internal Auditor, Dec. 2009, pp. 56 - 61.  Jacka, Mike. Auditing Humor and Other Oxymorons. FPACTS, 2016. Find more blogs and articles on Internal Auditor Magazine's website   Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more. Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple PodcastsSpotify LibsynDeezer

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   Justin and his guest, Jeff Strege, Senior Director for Risk Management at Academy Sports + Outdoors, explore what led Jeff to risk management, and the path that led to Academy Sports + Outdoors within the sporting goods and outdoor retail space. Jeff comments on his work building out the ERM framework at Academy to improve claims management, employee safety, and liability prevention. Jeff shares his approach to workers' compensation and Academy Sports + Outdoors's goal to help the workers recover and return to work. In addition to career insights, they discuss Jeff's upcoming panel participation in HUB's webinar on April 17th, “From Defense to Prevention: Strengthening Your Liability Risk Management Approach,” covering topics such as third-party litigation funding and its impact on the industry.   Listen to Jeff's wisdom, born from experience, on managing your risk career. Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:14] Registration is open for RISKWORLD 2025. Engage Today and Embrace Tomorrow with RIMS, from May 4th through May 7th in Chicago, Illinois. Register at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD. [:25] After you register, visit your App Store, search for RIMS Events, and download the RIMS Events App. Select RISKWORLD 2025, load the show onto your phone, and start building your RISKWORLD itinerary! [:41] About this episode of RIMScast. Our guest is former RIMS Houston Chapter President, Jeff Strege. We will talk about his career and how ERM continues to play a pivotal role today. [1:08] RIMS-CRMP Workshops! As part of RIMS's continuing strategic partnership with Purima, we have a two-day course coming up on April 22nd and 23rd. Links to these courses can be found through the Certification page of RIMS.org and this episode's show notes. [1:28] Virtual Workshops! On June 12th, Pat Saporito will host “Managing Data for ERM” and will return on June 26th to present the very popular new course, “Generative AI for Risk Management”. [1:45] A link to the full schedule of virtual workshops can be found on the RIMS.org/education and RIMS.org/education/online-learning pages. A link is also in this episode's show notes. [1:56] RISKWORLD registration is open. Engage Today and Embrace Tomorrow, from May 4th through 7th in Chicago. Register at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD. Also, remember that there will be lots of pre-conference workshops being held in Chicago just ahead of RISKWORLD. [2:14] These courses include “Applying and Integrating ERM,” “Captives as an Alternate Risk Financing Technique,” “Contractual Risk Transfer,” “Fundamentals of Insurance,” “Fundamentals of Risk Management,” RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep, and more! The links are in the show notes. [2:33] The Spencer Educational Foundation is having a Flash Sale for sponsorships at RISKWORLD! Sponsorship pricing has been reduced for the Spencer-CNA Pickleball Social on Saturday, May 3rd, and the Spencer-Gallagher Golf Tournament on Sunday, May 4th. [2:51] Sponsorships are still available for the Spencer-Sedgwick 5K Fun Run on Tuesday, May 6th. Visit Spencered.org/riskworld2025 to learn about these opportunities and more. Also, reach out to Spencer's Executive Director Megan Miller at MMiller@Spencered.org. [3:13] Our guest today is Jeff Strege. He is the Senior Director for Risk Management at Academy Sports + Outdoors. Academy is one of the U.S.'s largest sporting goods and outdoor stores with 301 locations across 21 states, as of March 2025. [3:33] Jeff is also a long-time RIMS member. He's the former president of the RIMS Houston Chapter and is a RIMS-CRMP holder. [3:41] In addition to his outstanding resume, Jeff will be lending his insight to the RIMS Webinar on April 17th, presented by HUB in their Ready for Tomorrow series. It's called “From Defense to Prevention: Strengthening Your Liability Risk Management Approach.” A link is in the notes. [4:01] In today's RIMScast interview, we will discuss how ERM has played a role in his career and how he manages risk in so many locations at the Academy. We will get a preview of his upcoming appearance on the Hub webinar and his thoughts on third-party litigation funding and its impact. [4:27] Interview! Jeff Strege, welcome to RIMScast! [4:45] As a Houstonian, Jeff grew up with Academy Sports + Outdoors. He's a long-term customer. In September 2020, Jeff promoted himself from customer to team member, although he still is an avid customer of Academy. [5:07] As the Academy brand is so well-known and beloved in Texas, Jeff has had the Risk Director role on his radar for many years. He had told his wife many times that if that role ever opened up at Academy, he would want to talk to them. In mid-2020, it did, and here he is! [5:29] Academy has 301 stores across 21 states as of March 7, 2025, and is headquartered in Katy, Texas, a Western suburb of Houston. Jeff graduated from Katy High School. [6:23] Academy Sports + Outdoors sells fun. They say “Have fun out there.” The items Academy sells are intended to help people be outdoors and active. Academy does a lot of work around product safety with manufacturers and suppliers, making sure they're sourcing safe products. [6:45] Academy Sports + Outdoors sells firearms and ammunition. Its goal is to be the most responsible retailer of those items in the country. [7:13] Academy Sports is responsible for following the laws of 21 states. Jeff has worked for national, multi-national, and global organizations, so he has worked with similar requirements. [7:48] Jeff worked for Sysco twice, first in the 90s and then in 2016 in a risk role similar to his current role at Academy Sports. Sysco went on a growth initiative while Jeff was there the second time and it was fun to be part of that but he couldn't pass up the opening at Academy. [8:23] Academy Sports + Outdoors has a risk department of 10 who report to Jeff. Jeff oversees the Enterprise Risk Management framework, the Insurance and Data Analytic functions, the Safety functions, and the Claim Management functions. [8:50] Jeff has three direct reports and they have functional contributors who are assigned to and report to them. Jeff's management style is to find the best possible people he can find. He's not a micro-manager. All of his staff are solid professionals who are good at what they do. [9:14] That allows Jeff to focus on strategy and executing strategic objectives while the staff keeps things working from day to day. Jeff reports to the General Counsel. In other companies, Jeff has reported to the General Counsel, HR, Treasury, or Finance. [9:42] Risk can logically report up a variety of chains to the leadership of an organization, as it touches so many aspects of the business. [10:22] Relative to firearms sales, Academy Sports has a compliance team to manage the process. They do an outstanding job. [10:39] When Jeff arrived at Academy Sports, one of his charges was to mature the ERM framework across the various organizational functions. Having the opportunity to work on that made Jeff a student of the business, which is one of the Academy's values. [11:09] Coming into the business, Jeff was fortunate to receive a safety culture already well-entrenched in the distribution centers. That team has been retooled over the years and continues to evolve as it trains and supports the operators in safe practices in their work. [11:45] Academy workers' compensation goal is to help team members recover so they can come back to work. They take a deliberate approach to working with them so they get the treatment they need, their benefits are paid timely, and their questions are answered. [12:11] Academy made a TPA change a couple of years ago that's given them more proactive tools. Both safety and claims are processes that Academy Sports continues to fine-tune. [12:25] The foundational strategy is “safety first.” If you're talking about managing claims but not about safety, there's a miss there, in terms of managing risk. [13:01] Plug Time! During this interview, we discuss the RIMS Texas Regional Conference 2025, held from August 4th through the 6th in San Antonio, Texas, at the Henry  B. Gonzalez Convention Center. That's where we held RISKWORLD 2018. [13:22] The day of this episode's release, April 15th, is the day registration opens for the RIMS Texas Regional Conference. You can get the Advance Rate from now through May 16th, 2025. A link is in this episode's show notes. You can also visit the events page of RIMS.org to register. [13:43] If you will be in the Dallas/Fort Worth area on April 17th, be sure to stop by Lonestar Park for DFW RIMS's 7th Annual Night at the Races. It will be a blast! Guest, Member, and Student tickets are available. Visit DFWRIMS.org and the link in this episode's show notes. [14:12] Let's Return to My Interview with Former RIMS Houston Chapter President Jeff Strege! [14:32] Jeff arrived at Academy Sports on Monday, September 28, 2020, and the company executed its Initial Public Offering on Friday, October 2nd, 2020. In preparing for the IPO, the company had built an ERM framework that helped inform the prospectus for investors. [14:59] When Jeff joined, he was charged with taking the framework foundation and building upon it to round out how Academy Sports views risk, scopes it, and manages it across the organization. It was a fascinating process. [15:21] He's gotten to know many good, smart people who are driving aspects of the business. [15:28] Every year, Academy Sports looks at ways to enhance the framework, to make sure it's as meaningful and informative to the leadership team and board as it can be. [15:54] The framework looks at ISO standards but most of it is inward-focused within the business of Academy Sports. What's going on in the world? How do we prevent or prepare for it? Should something occur, what strategies do we have to respond, react to, and recover from it? [16:39] Before the recent tariffs were passed, the risk team had discussed tariffs generically. Tariffs appear as subsidiary risks in a few places within the framework. Nobody in an organization can control what government leaders do. [17:22] In a way, sporting goods is a seasonal industry. Academy Sports + Outdoors sells a variety of different things and operates in a variety of climates. There's a holiday season and there are gift-giving holidays. The seasons for outdoor activities differ depending on location. [17:54] In Texas, Jeff grills and fishes year-round. It's different in a Northern climate with four distinct seasons. Hunting seasons are specifically defined. The things Academy Sports sells peak at different times of the year and the peaks sort of offset themselves. [18:25] The Academy Sports merchandising teams are diligent and deliberate in how they plan for cycling products for the seasons. [18:44] Holiday is the big season. In that, Academy Sports is like other retailers. Back-to-school time is also important. [18:57] The backyard grilling is Jeff's favorite section of the store. When he goes into the store with his wife he has to look at some grills. Jeff also works out and runs so there are several aspects of the store that he shops. [19:16] Academy sells location-specific licensed apparel. In Academy Sports + Outdoors in Houston, there is gear for the Astros, Texans, and Rockets. [19:49] From the standpoint of team member safety, Jeff refers to OSHA. Also, some states have more stringent safety requirements. Jeff's safety team drives consistency of practices and training across the footprint of the 21 states where Academy Sports + Outdoors operates. [20:36] Most of Jeff's work is done in Houston but his team gets out in the field periodically on a schedule. Jeff likes to go into the stores and distribution centers. That's where the business occurs. The work at Corporate supports the people who serve and interact with customers. [21:10] RIMS Webinars! Following the success of their recent webinar, HUB International returns for the next installment of their Ready for Tomorrow Series, “From Defense to Prevention: Strengthening Your Liability Risk Management Approach”. That session will be on April 17th. [21:29] Today's guest, Jeff Strege, is a panelist in that session! He's going to talk about it a little bit right after the break. [21:38] On April 24th, RiskConnect returns to deliver “Better Together: The Marriage of Insurable Risk and Business Continuity”. [21:45] Zurich's webinar, “Understanding Third Party Litigation Funding” was rescheduled to May 1st at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. If you were already registered for the original date, you are now registered for the May 1st session with Zurich. [22:09] On May 22nd, GRC, a TÜV SÜD Company, presents their newest session, “Asset Valuations in 2025: Managing Tariffs, Inflation, and Rising Insurance Scrutiny”. [22:22] More webinars will be announced soon and added to the RIMS.org/webinars page. Go there to register. Registration is complimentary for RIMS members. [22:33] Let's Return to my Interview with Jeff Strege! [22:46] Jeff will be joining RIMS on the HUB webinar about third-party litigation funding (TPLF) on April 17th, two days after the airing of this episode. Third-party litigation funding is a major issue for RIMS and the profession. [23:08] Academy Sports + Outdoors sees TPLF from time to time in litigated matters, but not often. The HUB webinar is largely focused on rising litigation costs and the rising value of litigated matters. Third-party funding is a driving force of that rise. [23:35] When there's a funding mechanism behind the damages claim by a plaintiff, there are interest obligations with that mechanism, which can be stiff. It does inflate the value of some matters. [24:13] Once Academy Sports + Outdoors learns third-party funding is present in a litigated matter, that's in the front of mind as they evaluate and proceed with trying to conclude the case. [24:32] In the HUB webinar on April 17th, Jeff will be discussing the client's experience, not only with TPFL but also around social engineering. There is a good panel put together for this discussion with varied perspectives that will offer a well-rounded conversation. [24:55] Panelist Bob Tyson of Tyson & Mendes, a defense lawyer in California, has creative approaches to managing and negotiating litigated cases. Panelist John Ferguson, Head of Excess Casualty at Zurich Insurance, brings an insurer's perspective to the webinar. [25:29] Panelist Carol Murphy of HUB is one of the best brokers Jeff has worked with. Jeff is looking forward to sharing the stage with this group, talking about managing claims litigation, prevention, and pre-litigation management. Safety is critical. Jeff will bring that up. [26:02] The link to the webinar is in the show notes. Register today! Registration is complimentary for RIMS members! You'll hear this webinar live with Jeff Strege of Academy Sports, Fred Ferguson of Zurich, Bob Tyson of Tyson & Mendes, and Carol Murphy of HUB. [26:34] Jeff has been involved with RIMS since the mid-1990s when he was with Sysco Foods for the first time and was elevated to the risk management role there. Starting with Houston, Jeff has been involved in various chapters in various capacities. [27:07] RIMS has been an important part of Jeff's career. He's gained solid relationships through RIMS that have yielded business relationships and relationships where he's been able to help others and be helped by them. RIMS will be very important to him as long as he works in risk. [27:51] Jeff was President of RIMS Houston for two years, until January of 2024. He serves on the board as Past President. [28:12] Having moved around the country and having held different roles, Jeff has met risk professionals from many areas. He says RIMS has high-quality chapters all over the country. The four Texas RIMS chapters have a lot of positive energy. [28:47] The chapters are working together with Justin's team in New York to host the first-ever Texas RIMS Regional Conference this August. Jeff is on the planning committee and he's excited about it. [29:04] The RIMS Texas Regional Conference will be held from August 4th through the 6th at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, on the River Walk, the site of RISKWORLD 2018. San Antonio is Jeff's favorite city in Texas. It's a wonderful host city. [29:30] There is a link in the show notes to the RIMS Texas Regional Conference 2025. Registration will open the week of the airing of this episode! [29:49] Jeff is a RIMS-CRMP holder. He earned that certification in November of 2019. He was excited to see RIMS introduce the certification. What he likes about CRMP is its governance focus. [30:23] Jeff had been doing risk management for a long time. The CRMP website has good sample test questions on it. He decided to work through the test questions several times. Then went and took the exam and scored pretty well, largely based on his experience. [30:48] Jeff says his ERM work over the years was helpful. The RIMS-CRMP is a good designation. Jeff appreciates that RIMS gives CRMP holders opportunities to network. He will continue to carry the designation as long as he is working. [31:09] Mos recertification points are CE-related. Jeff relies heavily on the Houston chapter's offerings and the sessions and seminars at RIMS functions. He appreciates the flexibility in terms of what qualifies, such as participation in broker-sponsored industry education. [31:50] Developing and delivering educational content is a favorite of Jeff's. He has served as Risk Manager in Residence (now Risk Manager on Campus). Jeff tells every risk manager it's amazing and they need to do it at least once. Jeff enjoys education and is always learning. [32:24] Jeff shares his advice for risk professionals. As Boomers in the industry start to retire, it's important to help the industry recruit, train, and young talent. It's a passion of Jeff's. [32:52] There are a few things Jeff would tell young professionals. One is you are the CEO of your career. Your career is your responsibility. Don't wait for a leader to bring opportunities or promotions to you. Be a student of your craft and trade. Set goals with plans to achieve them. [33:20] Jeff has managed his career that way by making strategic moves when it made sense for him to do so. He has no regrets. You're the CEO of your career, all in. Don't wait for others to act on your behalf. Whatever it is, be a student of your craft and seek opportunities to learn. [33:45] Grow your knowledge base, your experience, and your network. Jeff has benefited from RIMS in having a network of people who lean on each other and learn from each other. It's a wonderful thing! [33:58] Be a student of your business, wherever it is. Make connections within it. Seek out mentorships to learn on a broad basis what the business does and what its objectives are. You position yourself more visibly to add more value and to grow. [34:29] Jeff Strege, you have been such an inspiration today. I appreciate you so much for joining us here on RIMScast and being so giving with your time and wisdom! I look forward to seeing you at the first-ever Texas Regional 2025, August 4th through 6th in San Antonio! [34:48] Special thanks again to Jeff Strege for joining us here today on RIMScast! I look forward to seeing him at many RIMS events, including the first-ever RIMS Texas Regional Conference 2025, which will be held from August 4th through the 6th in San Antonio, Texas. [35:05] Register today through the link in this episode's show notes. [35:12] Plug Time! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in the show notes. [35:37] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact pd@rims.org for more information. [35:56] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [36:13] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [36:29] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [36:43] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at Content@RIMS.org. [36:50] Thank you all for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe!   Links: RISKWORLD 2025 — May 4‒7 | Register today! Download the RIMS Events app! Spencer's RISKWORLD Events — Register or Sponsor! RIMS Texas Regional 2025 – August 3‒5 | Advance registration rates are now open. DFW RIMS - 7th Annual Night at the Races / Lone Star Park – April 17, 2025 RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Risk Management magazine RIMS Now The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center Spencer Educational Foundation — General Grants 2026 — Application Dates Announcement: RIMS and The Institute for Internal Auditors' Strategic Alliance on Education Nominations for the Donald M. Stuart Award [Canada] RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars “Ready for Tomorrow? From Defense to Prevention: Strengthening Your Liability Risk Management Approach” | Sponsored by Hub International | April 17, 2025 “Better Together: The Marriage of Insurable Risk and Business Continuity” | Sponsored by Riskonnect | April 24, 2025 “Understanding Third Party Litigation Funding” | Sponsored by Zurich | May 1, 2025 “Asset Valuations in 2025: Managing Tariffs, Inflation, and Rising Insurance Scrutiny” | Sponsored by GRC, a TÜV SÜD Company | May 22, 2025   Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep with PARIMA | April 22‒23 Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule   Upcoming Virtual Workshops: “Managing Data for ERM” | June 12 | Instructor: Pat Saporito  “Generative AI for Risk Management” | June 26 | Instructor: Pat Saporito See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops   Related RIMScast Episodes: “Maintaining an Award-Winning ERM Program with Michael Zuraw” “Scenario Planning with the RIMS SERMC” “ERMotivation with Carrie Frandsen, RIMS-CRMP” “Risk Quantification Through Value-Based Frameworks” “Applying ERM Theory with Elise Farnham” “On Risk Appetite and Tolerance”   Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding” | Sponsored by Zurich (New!) “What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog (New!) “Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping” | Sponsored by Medcor “Risk Management in a Changing World: A Deep Dive into AXA's 2024 Future Risks Report” | Sponsored by AXA XL “How Insurance Builds Resilience Against An Active Assailant Attack” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog “Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips” | Sponsored by Alliant “RMIS Innovation with Archer” | Sponsored by Archer “Navigating Commercial Property Risks with Captives” | Sponsored by Zurich “Breaking Down Silos: AXA XL's New Approach to Casualty Insurance” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Weathering Today's Property Claims Management Challenges” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Storm Prep 2024: The Growing Impact of Convective Storms and Hail” | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company “Partnering Against Cyberrisk” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Harnessing the Power of Data and Analytics for Effective Risk Management” | Sponsored by Marsh “Accident Prevention — The Winning Formula For Construction and Insurance” | Sponsored by Otoos “Platinum Protection: Underwriting and Risk Engineering's Role in Protecting Commercial Properties” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Elevating RMIS — The Archer Way” | Sponsored by Archer   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Kristen Peed!   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model®   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest: Jeff Strege, MBA, ARM, RIMS-CRMP, Sr. Director, Risk Management, Academy Sports + Outdoors   Production and engineering provided by Podfly.  

CTL Script/ Top Stories of April 11th Publish Date: April 11th   Pre-Roll: From the Ingles Studio Welcome to the Award-Winning Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast  Today is Friday, April 11th and Happy Birthday to Ethel Kennedy ***04.11.25 - BIRTHDAY – ETHEL KENNEDY*** I’m Peyton Spurlock and here are the stories Cherokee is talking about, presented by Times Journal Lawmakers Pass Bill Establishing Internal Auditor for Cherokee Schools Reinhardt to Move Nursing School to Main Campus in Waleska Driver’s License Deadline Approaching Plus, Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on sugar free cakes We’ll have all this and more coming up on the Cherokee Tribune-Ledger Podcast, and if you’re looking for Community news, we encourage you to listen and subscribe!  Commercial: MILL ON ETOWAH REV GENERIC_FINAL STORY 1: Lawmakers Pass Bill Establishing Internal Auditor for Cherokee Schools A bill to establish an internal auditor for the Cherokee County Board of Education has passed the Georgia General Assembly and awaits Gov. Brian Kemp’s approval. Sponsored by Rep. Jordan Ridley, HB 845 aims to enhance transparency and accountability in school district budgets. The auditor, a certified professional with five years of experience, would conduct comprehensive audits, including financial and operational reviews. The bill follows recent school board actions to address financial concerns, including audits related to the state’s floating homestead property tax exemption, which could have cost the district $50 million over three years. STORY 2: Reinhardt to Move Nursing School to Main Campus in Waleska Reinhardt University is relocating its Dr. John A. Cauble School of Nursing and Health Sciences from Jasper to its main campus in Waleska by fall 2025. The move, funded by Dr. John A. Cauble and Sally Forest, aims to foster program growth, student engagement, and academic support. Established in 2017 and accredited in 2019, the nursing school has thrived, with its latest cohort achieving a 100% NCLEX pass rate for the third consecutive year. The relocation follows enrollment shifts and space reassessments, marking a new chapter for the program while maintaining ties to Pickens County. STORY 3: Driver’s License Deadline Approaching Starting May 7, U.S. travelers will need a REAL ID or another acceptable form of identification to board domestic flights. Georgia began issuing REAL ID-compliant licenses in 2012, but those who recently moved or haven’t renewed their license should check for a gold or black star in the upper right corner of their ID. If it’s missing, schedule an appointment with the Department of Driver Services to avoid long lines as the deadline approaches. The REAL ID Act, passed in 2005, aims to enhance security and reduce identity fraud. Visit a state-approved office to apply if needed. We have opportunities for sponsors to get great engagement on these shows. Call 770.874.3200 for more info.    Break: STORY 4: Two to Serve 25 Years in Prison for Cherokee County Home Invasion Kaiden Pridgen, 19, and Cibias Vieira, 23, pled guilty to charges from a 2022 Cherokee County home invasion and attempted armed robbery, receiving 35-year sentences with 25 years in prison. The masked defendants, armed with a pistol, assaulted and held victims at gunpoint while searching for cash. Evidence from surveillance, geofence data, and social media linked them to the crime. Pridgen, 16 at the time, was tried as an adult due to the crime's severity. A third accomplice, David Kelley, who acted as the driver, received a 20-year sentence with five years in prison. The case highlights the lasting trauma of home invasions. STORY 5: Woodstock's Transport Solutions of America Celebrates 20 Years Transport Solutions of America (TSOA), a Woodstock-based fleet logistics company, celebrated its 20th anniversary in March. Founded in 2005 by Tim Williamson, TSOA began by transporting heavy-duty assets and has since grown into a leading provider for all vehicle classes across North America. The company also launched TSOA Fleet in Canada, headquartered in Mississauga, to support Canadian fleet operations. TSOA credits its success to dedicated employees and loyal customers. Recently, it introduced an upgraded client portal for improved vehicle tracking and reporting. TSOA remains committed to exceptional customer service as it looks to the future. Commercial: And now here is Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on sugar free cakes *** INGLES ASK LEAH (SUGAR FREE CAKES)*** We’ll have closing comments after this.   COMMERCIAL: Ingles Markets 1   SIGN OFF –   Thanks again for hanging out with us on today’s Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast. If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast, the Marietta Daily Journal, or the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties. Read more about all our stories and get other great content at www.tribuneledgernews.com Did you know over 50% of Americans listen to podcasts weekly? Giving you important news about our community and telling great stories are what we do. Make sure you join us for our next episode and be sure to share this podcast on social media with your friends and family. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home Briefing and be sure to like, follow, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Produced by the BG Podcast Network Show Sponsors: www.ingles-markets.com Etowah Mill #NewsPodcast #CurrentEvents #TopHeadlines #BreakingNews #PodcastDiscussion #PodcastNews #InDepthAnalysis #NewsAnalysis #PodcastTrending #WorldNews #LocalNews #GlobalNews #PodcastInsights #NewsBrief #PodcastUpdate #NewsRoundup #WeeklyNews #DailyNews #PodcastInterviews #HotTopics #PodcastOpinions #InvestigativeJournalism #BehindTheHeadlines #PodcastMedia #NewsStories #PodcastReports #JournalismMatters #PodcastPerspectives #NewsCommentary #PodcastListeners #NewsPodcastCommunity #NewsSource #PodcastCuration #WorldAffairs #PodcastUpdates #AudioNews #PodcastJournalism #EmergingStories #NewsFlash #PodcastConversations See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   Justin and his guests, Denise Sobczak and Michael Zuraw, introduce the new RIMS paper: “The Pre-Mortem Method: Learning From Failure Without Actually Failing”. Unlike post-mortem analysis, a pre-mortem risk assessment attempts to learn from failure before a project even begins. This report highlights the advantages of implementing a pre-mortem risk assessment approach to strategic projects. Download the report to learn about the three steps to activate a pre-mortem assessment that fosters a better understanding of a project's overall objectives, and ultimately improves transparency, communication, and business outcomes. Justin, Michael, and Denise discuss implementation steps and frequency of pre-mortems in an organization. They cover ways of documentation and tracking insights from pre-mortem exercises, and tools for structuring an effective pre-mortem session. They explore how to involve participants and how to flip the script from naysaying to contributing insights. They consider the collateral benefits of involving your organization in a pre-mortem analysis. They share examples of how the pre-mortem works in their organizations.   Listen to gain insight into this innovative risk management tool to build upon the successes and achievements of your organization. Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:17] About this episode of RIMScast. Our topic is pre-mortem analysis, which we will explore with past and present members of the RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Management Council. [:42] RIMS-CRMP Workshops! As part of RIMS's continuing strategic partnership with Purima, we have a two-day course coming up on April 22nd and 23rd. Links to these courses can be found through the Certification page of RIMS.org and this episode's show notes. [1:01] Virtual Workshops! On April 16th and 17th, Chris Hansen will lead “Managing Worker Compensation, Employer's Liability, and Employment Practices in the U.S.” [1:14] On June 12th, Pat Saporito will host “Managing Data for ERM” and will return on June 26th to present the very popular new course, “Generative AI for Risk Management”. [1:30] A link to the full schedule of virtual workshops can be found on the RIMS.org/education and RIMS.org/education/online-learning pages. A link is also in this episode's show notes. [1:41] RISKWORLD registration is open. Engage Today and Embrace Tomorrow, May 4th through 7th in Chicago. Register at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD. Also, remember that there will be lots of pre-conference workshops being held in Chicago just ahead of RISKWORLD. [1:59] These courses include “Applying and Integrating ERM,” “Captives as an Alternate Risk Financing Technique,” “Contractual Risk Transfer,” “Fundamentals of Insurance,” “Fundamentals of Risk Management,” RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep, and more! The links are in the show notes. [2:18] In March, RIMS released a new professional report called “The Pre-Mortem Method: Learning from Failure Without Actually Failing.” The two authors of this report are joining me here today! They have both been RIMScast guests. [2:39] Denise Sobczak is the Director of Group Risk Management at the BIC Group and Michael Zuraw is the Senior Director of Global Enterprise Risk Management for Onsemi. [2:52] Denise is a former member and Michael is a current member of the RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Management Council. Their paper, “The Pre-Mortem Method,” is available through the Risk Knowledge page of RIMS.org. Tap on the White Paper button on that page. [3:10] We're going to hear how Denise and Michael have used the pre-mortem method at their respective companies. We're going to give you tips on how to lead pre-mortem analysis discussions at your organizations whether for a big merger or unveiling a new product. [3:32] This conversation will continue on May 7th at RISKWORLD when Denise hosts “Pre-Mortem or Post-Mortem: If You Were a Patient, What Would Choose?” That session will be held in Room BC185. [3:47] Interview! Michael Zuraw and Denise Sobczak, welcome back to RIMScast! [3:55] Denise and Michael's paper is “The Pre-Mortem Method: Learning from Failure Without Actually Failing.” Pre-mortem analysis is a risk assessment approach that you apply to strategic projects. [4:13] The concept is simple. You assume that an initiative fails. Then you identify triggers of that failure and develop plans to avoid and mitigate them to achieve success. It was developed by Gary Klein and has been widely applied in the business world. [4:39] Michael says the approach was discovered by cognitive psychologists. It releases folks from some of the biases, such as groupthink and confirmation bias, that will muck up decisions. This approach encourages participation and takes risk identification to the next level. [5:07] Justin calls the paper an easy read that people can keep returning to. [5:22] The Strategic & ERM Council decided to do a track on scenario planning. One of their first shareouts was a paper on scenario planning with a segue on pre-mortem risk assessment on how to draw those scenarios. [5:44] Many things are going on, with a level of uncertainty in the external environment that drives uncertainty in the internal environment. As a risk practitioner, it's very important to have these tools. [5:59] Michael joined the Strategic & ERM Council a little over a year ago after they had started the scenario planning. He had already read the SERM Council paper on scenario planning with great interest. Michael is a fan of Gary Klein's and had used pre-mortems. [6:24] When Denise and others mentioned they were going to take the next step in their series of scenario planning to include a pre-mortem discussion, Michael immediately volunteered to be part of it. It was a topic he was familiar with and he had done some sessions on it already. [7:05] Denise explains a pre-mortem is one of many risk assessment tools available. There's no set number for how often an organization should perform one. The main attraction of this tool is its use when you are short on time and have few resources and you want a high-value output. [7:53] It's good to use a pre-mortem when there are a lot of cross-functional initiatives with interdependencies that create complexity and generate risks. [8:07] Michael thinks that for major strategic decisions, a pre-mortem should almost always be used. As you use it, you find out that it's very efficient and not complicated. You can learn from it to include contrarians in discussions to question all assumptions. It changes your risk culture. [8:52] Pieces of the pre-mortem method find their way into the way people approach everyday decisions, even without doing a formal pre-mortem analysis. A pre-mortem analysis is not difficult or expensive to do. As often as you think it provides value, have at it! [9:20] The primary thing a pre-mortem does is open the door to legitimizing doubt. It allows the group decision process to stay in inquiry not to be sucked into advocacy before all the risks are discussed and mitigated. [9:44] Michael notes that as the pre-mortem opens up concerns, they can be put on the table and discussed. The key is you have to take the next step which is to consider what you can change and improve your plan to prepare for the possibility of that risk and mitigate it. [10:08] The goal is to take what you've learned, feed it back into the decision process, and come out with a better plan than you had going in. [10:16] It's very key to get the insights and embed them into the company's core processes versus having a stand-alone tracker for the pre-mortem that you've done. If you've done a pre-mortem for a strategic initiative, integrate it into the status update reports for that initiative. [10:34] If the pre-mortem is related to an event, integrate it into regular management reviews, operating reviews, or even risk governance. Integrate insights that will help you into your core processes. [10:49] Denise and Justin discuss recording remote pre-mortem sessions on Zoom and transcribing them. Justin suggests recording even in-person sessions on Zoom for a transcript. [11:40] Michael says having a transcript of a pre-mortem helps because you want people to focus attention on the conversation and not on note-taking. Sometimes you want to go back and get some context. In-person meetings also allow seeing body language. [12:11] The point of this is to get it out there and talk about it. It's very interactive. [13:19] Pre-mortems are structured to picture a failure six months into the future. Then set a two-minute timer and ask everyone to write down what went wrong. Each one comes up with ideas without the group's influence and writes down key failure points that caused this outcome. [14:04] As a result, things that were just below the surface come out first. Even the staunchest advocate of the plan has to come up with something. The creativity of what could have gone wrong becomes an asset, not a detriment. [14:31] You're not a naysayer, you're an identifier. The basic premises of ERM are risk identification, risk prioritization, and risk response. A pre-mortem creates a more robust identification. You're a contributor. You've discussed something that you hadn't before. [14:54] Denise explains that a pre-mortem is a paradise for the naysayers because they don't have the burden to say it failed. We give that to them. It's not about being skeptical or negative but identifying the contributors that could have caused the failure and being part of the solution. [15:18] Plug Time! RIMS Webinars! On April 10th, Audit Board will present “What CISOs Want Risk Executives to Know About Cyber Risk in 2025”. [15:30] Following the success of their recent webinar, HUB International returns for the next installment of their Ready for Tomorrow Series, “From Defense to Prevention: Strengthening Your Liability Risk Management Approach”. That session will be on April 17th. [15:45] On April 24th, RiskConnect returns to deliver “Better Together: The Marriage of Insurable Risk and Business Continuity”. [15:54] More webinars will be announced soon and added to the RIMS.org/webinars page. Go there to register. Registration is complimentary for RIMS members. [16:05] Important Announcement! RIMS and the Institute of Internal Auditors have entered into an agreement to deliver a selection of the other group's educational programming to their members. Twenty-nine shared courses will be available to both association's members. [16:23] RIMS members can explore the IIA courses that are now available to them at See Courses Here. To access RIMS's complete selection of workshops, webinars, and courses, visit RIMS.org/Education. [16:42] Let's Get Back to our Discussion about Pre-Mortem Analysis with Michael Zurow and Denise Sobczak! [17:09] Denise says individuals who have had experience with failures can tap into that experience in new situations. Newcomers can offer a fresh perspective. The key is diversity of thought and experience. Make participants comfortable to express their opinions. [17:38] Watch out for those who would take over. As you facilitate the pre-mortem, make sure that you're engaging and that it's a responsive type of facilitation. There's no right or wrong answer when you're looking for triggers. Later on, you will prioritize. [18:22] Michael has been at Onsemi for 20 years with broad exposure in product line management and supply chain. Four and a half years ago, Onsemi had a new CO and much of the top management changed. The question was what did the stakeholders want from ERM. [18:44] There was some change in how they approached it. He did pre-mortems before and he has done them since. The key is broad participation of the players, broad perspectives, and leading it to say that we want to know what you think. We want to question our assumptions. [19:08] That basic approach is to try to make the plan better, not bring it down, trying to improve the likelihood of success. That plays through all types of corporate change. [19:35] Participants should not be in the top tier of leaders, but in middle management with some boots on the ground. The middle management group forms the culture and they know enough key details about what the planners are thinking and to ask, what if they're wrong? [20:14] Denise expects the participants to be the people who are knee-deep in the initiative and are the subject matter experts. You can also invite folks who are not in the initiative but who have a say from the legal, financial, and business support perspectives. [20:42] The number of participants depends on the setting. An in-person setting can accommodate 10 or 15. In a virtual setting, you can have eight to 10. You need to make sure that everyone can participate. [21:14] More RIMS Plugs! The Spencer Educational Foundation's goal to help build a talent pipeline of risk management and insurance professionals is achieved in part by its collaboration with risk management and insurance educators across the U.S. and Canada. [21:33] Since 2010, Spencer has awarded over $3.3 million in general grants to support over 130 student-centered experiential learning initiatives at universities and RMI non-profits. [21:46] Spencer's 2026 application process will open on May 1st, 2025, and close on July 30th, 2025. General Grant awardees are typically notified at the end of October. Learn more about Spencer's General Grants through the Programs tab of SpencerEd.org. [22:06] Spencer has several events lined up before and during RISKWORLD 2025. On May 3rd, there's the Spencer-CNA Pickle Ball Social, on May 4th, the Spencer-Gallagher Golf Tournament, on May 5th, the Spencer Soiree, and on May 6th, the Spencer-Sedgwick 5K Fun Run. [22:25] You can register for or sponsor any of these through the links on this page or by visiting SpencerEd.org/riskworld2025. [22:35] The call for submissions for the RIMS Canada Conference, which will be held in Calgary from September 14th through the 17th, 2025, is now open. We want to hear from you! We are looking for dynamic, insightful presentations on key industry topics. [22:49] Topics may include are but not limited to alternative risk transfer, insurance, legal and regulatory, risk modification and loss control, the DEI Studio, the Thought Leader Stage, corporate sustainability, ESG, and more. [23:03] Submit your proposal by the submission deadline, Wednesday, April 16th at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Visit RIMSCanadaConference.ca and the link in this episode's notes for information. [23:17] If you will be in the Dallas/Fort Worth area on April 17th, be sure to stop by Lone Star Park for DFW RIMS's 7th Annual Night at the Races. It's going to be a blast! Guest, member, and student tickets are available. Visit DFWRIMS.org and the link in this episode's show notes. [23:41] Let's Return to our Discussion about Pre-Mortem Analysis with Denise Sobczak and Michael Zurow! [24:02] Denise mentions different ways to measure the ROI of a pre-mortem, in the light of inherited risk impact before mitigation versus residual risk, post-mitigation. [24:16] For a consumer goods company like BIC, Denise says it is more sensible to tie the effectiveness of the pre-mortem exercise with the overall achievement of the strategic goals or the operating targets because you are changing as you go. [24:38] Michael says it's tough to measure the effectiveness of a pre-mortem. You're asking a team that has already been assembled to spend half a day looking at the plan and, at the end, asking if they learned something that helped improve the plan. [25:30] Is the plan or decision better the day after the pre-mortem than it was the day before? Was it worth the four hours? Would you suggest doing this again? Would you recommend it to your peer? Advocating for a pre-mortem indicates its value, way beyond the cost of doing it. [26:16] Denise stresses the collateral benefits of a pre-mortem. If you are facilitating this type of risk assessment, you will reach a lot of folks in the organization and help them think differently. They will think of the risk management department or the ERM practitioner as a resource to use. [26:37] There is some amplification from a showcase of value to the organization from your function. Denise says a pre-mortem never took a day for her. Once she applied a pre-mortem in a 20-minute phone call with all the constituents. They came up with 15 reasons it could fail. [27:02] A pre-mortem can be formal or informal. The informal pre-mortem is as efficient and it is quicker. You need to understand what the culture of your organization is. If it is very formal, adapt to that. Denise tends to work in more agile organizations. [27:36] Michael works for a company that is heavy in engineering. A pre-mortem takes about two hours there. Engineers want to solve problems and tell you why their solution to the problem is awesome! They want data and rationalization justification. [28:15] Part of it is the moderation. Say the goal of this meeting is to get the concerns and issues out on the table. Afterward, we'll do a quick prioritization so we can assign owners to address the next step of how this feeds back into improving the plan. [28:32] As everybody took two minutes to write down the issues, get them out on the table and rotate through the biggest issue from each person as quickly as you can, one at a time, so no one gets into a laundry list of items. Keep the discussion moving across all the participants. [28:55] What you get is honest dialog and everyone participates. If you do that, you'll avoid overcomplicating it. It can be very simple. It's structured to help you manage that. As long as you keep it moving, it will be fine. [29:12] On 1:45 p.m., on May 7th, at RISKWORLD, in Room 185BC. Denise will be presenting “Pre-Mortem or Post-Mortem: If You Were Patient, Which One Would You Choose?” Denise will be extending the dialog from the paper and this episode. [29:37] Denise will miss Michael on stage. They had a successful session together at the RIMS ERM Fall Conference. Now that the paper is published, the presentation will be more robust. [29:55] The presentation will cover what pre-mortem risk assessment entails. You basically assume the strategic project has failed. Then you identify the triggers of that failure and develop plans to avoid and mitigate them to achieve success. Then you monitor. [30:25] Once Denise goes through the fundamentals, she will take you through a hands-on exercise of applying this technique. She will give a business case and have the audience start solving it and finding triggers. It's very easy. It will give a sense of what this is all about. [30:52] Denise's aim is that the participants, with the presentation and the white paper, will have another skillset to apply and bring value to their organization. There will be audience participation to close out the last day of the education track at RISKWORLD. [31:20] Denise will have a full hour and then there will be more audience participation when the Second City takes the stage for the Conference Finale. [31:34] Justin recommends attendees check out Denise's solid one-hour presentation. She assures you there will be no coasting in her session! [31:59] It has been such a pleasure to see you both. I appreciate you taking the time. You wrote a wonderful paper. The link is in this episode's notes. Go to RIMS.org/riskknowledge to check it out. Press the White Paper button and it will pop right up. Thank you both so much! [32:18] Special thanks again to Michael Zuraw and Denise Sobczak for joining us here on RIMScast. A link to their paper, “The Pre-Mortem Method: Learning from Failure Without Actually Failing” is available through the Risk Knowledge of RIMS.org. A link is in this episode's notes. [32:35] Beyond the pages and this episode, Denise will be extending the dialog at RISKWORLD on May 7th at 1:45 p.m. local time. She will deliver “Pre-Mortem or Post-Mortem: If You Were a Patient, Which Would You Choose?” That session will be held in room 185BC. [32:52] Register in advance through the RIMS Events App. [32:55] Plug Time! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in the show notes. [33:24] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact pd@rims.org for more information. [33:41] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [33:59] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [34:16] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [34:30] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at Content@RIMS.org. [34:37] Thank you all for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe!   Links: Presented by the RIMS SERMC: “The Pre-Mortem Method: Learning From Failure Without Actually Failing” RISKWORLD 2025 — May 4‒7 | Register today! Spencer Educational Foundation — General Grants 2026 — Application Dates Spencer's RISKWORLD Events — Register or Sponsor! RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Risk Management magazine RIMS Now Announcement: RIMS and The Institute for Internal Auditors' Strategic Alliance on Education RIMS Canada Conference 2025 | September 14‒17 | Calgary | Submit a session by April 16. DFW RIMS — 7th Annual Night at the Races / Lone Star Park – April 17, 2025 Nominations for the Donald M. Stuart Award [Canada] The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center “Truly Long-Term Strategic Risk Management in Focus” — RIMS Q&A with Michael Zuraw (2019) RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars “What CISOs Want Risk Executives to Know About Cyber Risk in 2025” | Sponsored by Auditboard | April 10, 2025 “Ready for Tomorrow? From Defense to Prevention: Strengthening Your Liability Risk Management Approach” | Sponsored by Hub International | April 17, 2025 “Better Together: The Marriage of Insurable Risk and Business Continuity” | Sponsored by Riskonnect | April 24, 2025 “Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding: Its Importance and How You Can Contribute” | Sponsored by Zurich | May 1, 2025   Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep with PARIMA | April 22‒23 Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule   Upcoming Virtual Workshops: “Managing Worker Compensation, Employer's Liability and Employment Practices in the U.S.” | April 16‒17 | Instructor: Chris Hansen “Managing Data for ERM” | June 12 | Instructor: Pat Saporito  “Generative AI for Risk Management” | June 26 | Instructor: Pat Saporito See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops   Related RIMScast Episodes: “Maintaining an Award-Winning ERM Program with Michael Zuraw” “Scenario Planning with the RIMS SERMC” “Q1 2025 Risks with Morgan O'Rourke” “ERMotivation with Carrie Frandsen, RIMS-CRMP” “Risk Quantification Through Value-Based Frameworks” “Applying ERM Theory with Elise Farnham” “On Risk Appetite and Tolerance”   Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding” | Sponsored by Zurich (New!) “What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog (New!) “Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping” | Sponsored by Medcor “Risk Management in a Changing World: A Deep Dive into AXA's 2024 Future Risks Report” | Sponsored by AXA XL “How Insurance Builds Resilience Against An Active Assailant Attack” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog “Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips” | Sponsored by Alliant “RMIS Innovation with Archer” | Sponsored by Archer “Navigating Commercial Property Risks with Captives” | Sponsored by Zurich “Breaking Down Silos: AXA XL's New Approach to Casualty Insurance” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Weathering Today's Property Claims Management Challenges” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Storm Prep 2024: The Growing Impact of Convective Storms and Hail” | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company “Partnering Against Cyberrisk” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Harnessing the Power of Data and Analytics for Effective Risk Management” | Sponsored by Marsh “Accident Prevention — The Winning Formula For Construction and Insurance” | Sponsored by Otoos “Platinum Protection: Underwriting and Risk Engineering's Role in Protecting Commercial Properties” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Elevating RMIS — The Archer Way” | Sponsored by Archer   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring Walmart ERM Director Michelle Black!   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model®   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guests: Denise Sobczak, Director of Group Risk Management at the BIC Group Michael Zuraw, Senior Director of Global Enterprize Risk Management for Onsemi   Production and engineering provided by Podfly.  

In this episode of The Jane Anderson Show, we dive into the world of ISO systems and quality management with Jackie Stapleton—an inspiring force in ISO training, auditing, and professional development. With more than 25 years of experience, Jackie is a trusted mentor who empowers ISO professionals to elevate their impact and lead with confidence. Meet Jackie Stapleton As the founder and director of Auditor Training Online, Jackie has helped hundreds of professionals across industries—from telecommunications and education to trades and government—build meaningful careers. With a grounded, no-nonsense style shaped by real-world experience, she’s walked the path from Internal Auditor to Quality Manager to triple-certified contract auditor and successful entrepreneur. Her training programs are designed to turn complexity into clarity, making ISO standards accessible, actionable, and empowering. From Technical to Transformational Jackie is passionate about helping ISO professionals step beyond the tick-box mindset to become influential leaders. Her belief? That quality systems should serve the business—not the other way around. She’s on a mission to bring humanity into management systems and make them work smarter, not harder. Whether she’s mentoring emerging auditors or training seasoned consultants, Jackie leads with clarity, strategy, and a whole lot of heart. Tune in as Jackie shares her inspiring journey—from those first audits to building a thriving global training business. You’ll discover fresh insights on the future of ISO, why development never stops, and how technical experts can lead meaningful change with confidence and purpose.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   Crystal Trout is a director with Baker Tilly's Risk Advisory practice. Justin and Crystal discuss her career in anti-money laundering compliance, and what brought her to consulting. They discuss the elements of AML compliance and how the need for it stretches beyond financial institutions to any sector that involves large transactions, including virtual digital assets and investing. They talk about the $3 billion settlement TD Bank entered into with regulators in October of 2024 and the messages that sends both to financial institutions and money criminals. Listen to Crystal's advice to risk professionals who may oversee large transactions. Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:15] Public registration is open for RISKWORLD 2025! Engage Today and Embrace Tomorrow with RIMS at RISKWORLD from May 4th through May 7th in Chicago, Illinois. Register at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD. [:31] About this episode of RIMScast. Crystal Trout of Baker Tilly and I will discuss how Anti-Money Laundering regulations are impacting the risk profession. [:56] RIMS-CRMP Workshops! As part of RIMS's continuing strategic partnership with Purima, we have a two-day course coming up on April 22nd and 23rd. Links to these courses can be found through the Certification page of RIMS.org and this episode's show notes. [1:15] Virtual Workshops! On April 16th and 17th, Chris Hansen will lead “Managing Worker Compensation, Employer's Liability, and Employment Practices in the U.S.” [1:29] On June 12th, Pat Saporito will host “Managing Data for ERM” and will return on June 26th to present the very popular new course, “Generative AI for Risk Management”. [1:44] A link to the full schedule of virtual workshops can be found on the RIMS.org/education and RIMS.org/education/online-learning pages. A link is also in this episode's show notes. [1:55] RISKWORLD registration is open. Engage Today and Embrace Tomorrow, May 4th through 7th in Chicago. Register at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD. Also, remember that there will be lots of pre-conference workshops being held in Chicago just ahead of RISKWORLD. [2:14] These courses include “Applying and Integrating ERM,” “Captives as an Alternate Risk Financing Technique,” “Contractual Risk Transfer,” “Fundamentals of Insurance,” “Fundamentals of Risk Management,” RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep, and more! The links are in the show notes. [2:38] Money laundering should be one of the top risks on your risk radar, especially in 2025 as new regulations are added or rolled back. Some high-profile resolutions have made recent headlines. [2:51] To help me make sense of it all for the RIMScast audience, here is the Director of Baker Tilly's Risk Advisory Practice, Crystal Trout. Crystal has more than 23 years of experience working with financial institutions with a focus on financial crimes compliance. [3:08] We're going to talk about anti-money laundering (AML) programs and get some best practices for implementation and reporting. [3:18] Interview! Crystal Trout, welcome to RIMScast! [3:33] Crystal Trout is a director with Baker Tilly's Risk Advisory Group. She joined Baker Tilly after having worked in financial crimes risk for over 23 years. Previously, she was in the financial institution space. [3:51] Crystal switched to consulting to help other financial institutions build out their AML compliance programs and ensure that they're in a good spot for regulatory exams. [4:19] Crystal tells how she was drawn to anti-money laundering. In high school, she had an internship with a financial institution, and it was robbed. [4:37] When the FBI was doing their investigation, Crystal was trying to understand what they were doing and how they were going to catch the robber. She was so fascinated by the process that she changed what she went to school for and altered her career path.  [5:09] Crystal's interest in understanding how fraudsters and money launderers act led her to use her banking career to work in the back office and investigation space. [5:38] Crystal says the institution used dispensers that limited cash, and the robbers only got $500. Because of the weapon they used, the robbers got a massive sentence at trial. [6:38] Crystal explains the current AML environment. Baker Tilly is staying close to any regulatory changes. The complexity of regulations is extensive. It's critical that professionals in this space stay close to the challenges that extend even beyond the regulatory requirements. [6:59] We're seeing more changes in regulations than we have historically had, Crystal observes. It's a matter of understanding the landscape, staying close to the changes, and trying to predict which direction they may go and plan for either direction. The key is planning and not waiting. [7:32] Crystal suggests you should hope for the best and plan for the worst. Make sure that you're prepared to go in either direction, whether regulations are rolled back or strengthened. [7:57] Justin recalls that TD Bank reached a $3 billion settlement with U.S. regulators in October 2024, pleading guilty to failing to maintain an adequate AML program, which unfortunately led to the facilitation of money laundering activities. That's a huge penalty, Crystal points out. [8:37] This event provides valuable insight for risk professionals regarding regulatory expectations and also the consequences of inadequacies in their programs. [8:49] People need to understand that they can't be lackadaisical in their compliance program. They need to be ahead of it. It's all about preparation and planning.  [9:03] In the TD Bank case, regulators had identified substantial weaknesses in the overall transaction monitoring system and due diligence procedures. [9:17] TD Bank had allegedly failed to allocate the resources needed to operate their AML program, but they continued to have significant growth within their higher-risk customer segment and geographical region. [9:35] TD Bank wasn't staying ahead and keeping current with its customer base and the risks that were taking place. Beyond the penalty, TD Bank has expenses for remediation efforts, enhanced compliance infrastructure, and independent monitoring. All of these are added costs. [9:57] Financial institutions may fail to realize the costs that happen beyond the penalty. They may say it costs too much to add the staffing or build the correct tools, not realizing it will cost them more when the regulators find these faults and weaknesses within their program. [10:18] A key lesson to learn is that compliance programs must be able to scale appropriately with the institution's business growth and evolving risk profiles. [10:30] Regulators focus on the overall program effectiveness rather than mere technical compliance, particularly regarding the quality of suspicious activity identification and reporting. [10:41] It's important for institutions that have to comply with these programs to be proactive and make sure they have the correct resource allocation. Those things are key when it comes to ensuring that AML compliance programs operate effectively. [11:11] There are five key pillars involved in an AML compliance program, including a designated compliance officer and following customer due diligence. You build an AML Bible, with paperwork that documents the steps you're going to take to be in compliance. [11:39] It allows your people to understand the risk that the institution is willing to take, and what it's not willing to accept. You document everything as evidence base for regulators, as having the correct tools and technology to support the program's overall risk tolerance. [12:33] Justin and Crystal address the reputational risk to an institution that may come from a regulatory settlement. Crystal states that these settlements signal to the bad guys that they are going to be caught and they're not going to be able to continue to act at that institution. [13:14] Crystal tells about the bank robber. For prevention, when someone comes into the bank, make eye contact, talk to them, and acknowledge them. If they're scouting it out, there's a lot less chance they'll come back to that bank because they are being noticed. [13:37] A criminal may not physically be in the bank, but if you do due diligence up front when they open an account, asking the right questions, and looking for red flags, they may realize that you have a very strong AML program in place and they'll go elsewhere. [14:07] Plug Time! RIMS Webinars! On April 3rd, join Zurich for “Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding”. On April 10th, Audit Board will present “What CISOs Want Risk Executives to Know About Cyber Risk in 2025”. [14:24] Following the success of their recent webinar, HUB International returns for the next installment of their Ready for Tomorrow Series, “From Defense to Prevention: Strengthening Your Liability Risk Management Approach”. That session will be on April 17th. [14:40] On April 24th, RiskConnect returns to deliver “Better Together: The Marriage of Insurable Risk and Business Continuity”. [14:48] More webinars will be announced soon and added to the RIMS.org/webinars page. Go there to register. Registration is complimentary for RIMS members. [14:59] Important Announcement! RIMS and the Institute of Internal Auditors have entered into an agreement to deliver a selection of the other group's educational programming to their members. Twenty-nine shared courses will be available to both association's members. [15:17] RIMS members can explore the IIA courses that are now available to them at See Courses Here. To access RIMS's complete selection of workshops, webinars, and courses, visit RIMS.org/Education. [15:35] Let's Return to my Interview with Crystal Trout! [15:50] Are risk professionals who are not at financial institutions at risk of inadvertently being caught up in a money laundering crime? Crystal says this question is in the back of the mind of any risk professional. She remembers that running an AML compliance program is stressful. [16:22] There's always the risk that a chief compliance manager could be cited for a failure and have to pay a significant, hefty fine. A risk manager should be aware of this when they're performing any form of transaction. Listen to your gut if something seems off. Don't ignore it. [17:26] Is paying in cryptocurrency a red flag? Navigating AML compliance specifically regarding cryptocurrency is new for a lot of professionals. There are risks and benefits to digital assets concerning AML compliance. [17:54] With any evolving form of payment, if risk professionals aren't staying ahead, truly understanding and navigating how it works, it's going to make it difficult for them to understand red flags and risks that might come, as well. [18:13] There is sometimes a natural fear in risk professionals that because they're not comfortable with cryptocurrency, they're not able to address any legitimate concerns or concerns that may be their internal fear due to the lack of knowledge. [18:45] Is it too risky for a company to announce the voluntary departure of a Chief Compliance Officer? Crystal says the company should already have a plan for somebody to temporarily step in and continue to operate so it doesn't leave a gap or exposure in the organization. [19:22] It's an opportunity for a risk professional to go into a financial institution and make a mark for themselves by helping the institution strengthen its overall compliance program. [19:49] It's a good practice for a company to announce the replacement chief compliance officer at the same time as the announcement of the leaving chief compliance officer. It's part of succession planning. [20:47] The money laundering risk landscape is expanding significantly. Industries outside of finance and banking face substantial financial crime risk and corresponding regulatory scrutiny. They have less mature compliance infrastructure than their banking counterparts. [21:07] Crystal mentions the real estate sector as a potential vehicle for money laundering due to the high-value transactions, price stability, and the lack of historical regulatory oversight. [21:19] Digital asset providers, cryptocurrency exchanges, wallet providers, and any type of virtual asset service providers face intensifying regulatory scrutiny because the platforms can facilitate anonymous transactions. [21:35] The Financial Action Task Force has established clear expectations for virtual asset service providers to implement robust AML controls. Gaming and gambling services present money laundering risk. [21:53] There are other high-risk sectors that money laundering risk could expand to. FinCEN recently required registered investment advisors and exempt reporting advisors who have not been required to have an AML compliance program to have one in place by January 2026. [22:22] We're seeing AML compliance extend beyond traditional banking. [22:34] There are very few industries that, in some form or fashion, could not be a victim of a bad actor performing money laundering. It's just a matter of the bad guy finding a way to do it. [23:09] What steps should a company take when money laundering by an employee is discovered? The appropriate officer needs to start an internal investigation. That's a lengthy process. Make sure the “i”s are dotted and the “t”s are crossed within the investigation. [23:47] Make sure all the evidence and documentation are aligned. Involve HR and the appropriate supervisor authority. If it's shown to be true, interview the individual. It could lead to termination. The investigative process could take months. The authorities may be alerted. [24:39] The company may not want it out in public knowledge and may not file a police report. It can damage a company's reputation. [25:00] Crystal explains her passion for AML compliance and why she became a compliance consultant to help more institutions. The downstream impact is so significant. She wants to make sure the bad apples don't have the opportunity to launder funds. [25:54] Special thanks again to Crystal Trout for joining us here on RIMScast. I've got links to more RIMS coverage of fraud, compliance, financial risk management, and anti-money laundering in this episode's show notes. [26:09] Plug Time! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in the show notes. [26:38] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact pd@rims.org for more information. [26:55] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [27:13] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [27:30] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [27:44] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at Content@RIMS.org. [27:51] Thank you all for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe!   Links: RISKWORLD 2025 — May 4‒7 | Register today! Nominations for the Donald M. Stuart Award [Canada] Spencer Educational Foundation — General Grants 2026 — Application Dates Spencer's RISKWORLD Events — Register or Sponsor! RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Risk Management magazine RIMS Now Announcement: RIMS and The Institute for Internal Auditors' Strategic Alliance on Education RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars “Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding” | Sponsored by Zurich | April 3, 2025 “What CISOs Want Risk Executives to Know About Cyber Risk in 2025” | Sponsored by Auditboard | April 10, 2025 “Ready for Tomorrow? From Defense to Prevention: Strengthening Your Liability Risk Management Approach” | Sponsored by Hub International | April 17, 2025 “Better Together: The Marriage of Insurable Risk and Business Continuity” | Sponsored by Riskonnect | April 24, 2025   Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep with PARIMA | April 22‒23 Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule   Upcoming Virtual Workshops: “Managing Worker Compensation, Employer's Liability and Employment Practices in the U.S.” | April 16‒17 | Instructor: Chris Hansen “Managing Data for ERM” | June 12 | Instructor: Pat Saporito  “Generative AI for Risk Management” | June 26 | Instructor: Pat Saporito See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops   Related RIMScast Episodes: “RIMS Legislative Priorities in 2025 with Mark Prysock” “AI and Regulatory Risk Trends with Caroline Shleifer” “Financial Risk Management with Chris Willey of American Eagle FCU” “Maintaining an Award-Winning ERM Program with Michael Zuraw” “ERM in Banking & Finance with Eleni Willis”   Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding” | Sponsored by Zurich (New!) “What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog (New!) “Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping” | Sponsored by Medcor “Risk Management in a Changing World: A Deep Dive into AXA's 2024 Future Risks Report” | Sponsored by AXA XL “How Insurance Builds Resilience Against An Active Assailant Attack” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog “Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips” | Sponsored by Alliant “RMIS Innovation with Archer” | Sponsored by Archer “Navigating Commercial Property Risks with Captives” | Sponsored by Zurich “Breaking Down Silos: AXA XL's New Approach to Casualty Insurance” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Weathering Today's Property Claims Management Challenges” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Storm Prep 2024: The Growing Impact of Convective Storms and Hail” | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company “Partnering Against Cyberrisk” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Harnessing the Power of Data and Analytics for Effective Risk Management” | Sponsored by Marsh “Accident Prevention — The Winning Formula For Construction and Insurance” | Sponsored by Otoos “Platinum Protection: Underwriting and Risk Engineering's Role in Protecting Commercial Properties” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Elevating RMIS — The Archer Way” | Sponsored by Archer   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring Walmart ERM Director Michelle Black!   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model®   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest: Crystal Trout, Director, Risk Services Advisory Group at Baker Tilly   Production and engineering provided by Podfly.  

All Things Internal Audit: Fraud Podcast"Too Close to the Sun" Listen to The IIA's new Fraud Podcast brought to you by All Things Internal Audit. The Fraud Podcast provides fictionalized accounts of real-world frauds featured in Internal Auditor magazine's Fraud department. In this episode, Chief Audit Executive Robert Soar investigates Summit HVAC's disastrous acquisition of Tan Solar. Rushed due diligence had missed unpermitted installations, deceptive sales tactics, and mounting legal troubles. Soar uncovers critical oversights, highlighting internal auditors' role in preventing costly missteps.  IIA members can access the full article here. Interested in more fraud-related topics? Earn CPEs by registering for The IIA's Fraud Analytics for Internal Auditors Certificate, online and in-person. Chapters: Introduction to the Case (00:00:01) Part 1: Setting the World on Fire (00:00:23) Part 2: Burning Money (00:01:57) Part 3: Going Down in Flames (00:04:08) Resources Mentioned:   Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple PodcastsSpotify Youtube LibsynDeezer

The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit Tech In this episode, Warren Stippich speaks with Ethan Rojhani about the evolving role of agentic artificial intelligence in internal auditing. They discuss how agentic AI differs from traditional AI, its impact on risk assessment, and the skills internal auditors will need to adapt. They talk about the ethical considerations, automation of controls testing, and the future of AI-driven audit execution. Host:  Warren Stippich, CIA, CRMA, CPA, national managing principal — Advisory Services Quality and Risk, Grant Thornton  Guest:  Ethan Rojhani, CPA, CFE, principal, Grant Thornton   Key Points Introduction [00:00-00:00:06] What is Agentic AI? [00:07-01:34] Key Differences Between Traditional AI and Agentic AI [01:35-05:45] The Future of Agentic AI in Internal Auditing [05:46-09:51] Real-world Applications of Agentic AI in Internal Audit [09:52-12:25] Shifting from Compliance to Advisory Roles [12:26-19:13] Ethical and Risk Considerations [19:14-25:51] The Future of Internal Auditors in an AI-driven World [25:52-30:34] Advice for Auditors on Adopting AI [30:35-33:02] Final Thoughts [33:03-36:04] The IIA Related Content Interested in this topic? Visit the links below for more resources:  The IIA's 2025 Analytics, Automation and AI Virtual Conference The IIA's Vision 2035 Report Knowledge Centers: Artificial Intelligence Auditing the Cybersecurity Program Certificate Implementing The IIA's New Cybersecurity Topical Requirement Cybersecurity Topical Requirement "Undercover AI," Internal Auditor magazine  The IIA's Updated AI Auditing Framework Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more. Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple PodcastsSpotify LibsynDeezer

The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit In this episode, Mike Levy talks with Mike Jacka about the growing role of advisory services in internal auditing. They discuss how today's internal auditors are offering strategic insights that go beyond assurance work. They also cover how to balance objectivity with advisory work, how to fit advisory into audit planning, and how to show the value of these services. Host: Mike Levy, CIA, CRMA, chief executive officer and managing principal, Cherry Hill Advisory  Guests: Mike Jacka, CIA, CPA, CPCU, CLU, chief creative pilot at Flying Pig Audit, Consulting and Training Solutions  Key Points:  Introduction [00:00-00:06] The role of advisory services in internal audit [00:07-00:27] Balancing objectivity with advisory work [00:28-02:06] Early engagement and its impact on risk management [02:07-04:49] Real-world example: social media consulting [04:50-05:56] Advisory services in small vs. large internal audit functions [05:57-07:06] Pre-implementation reviews as a key advisory opportunity [07:07-09:32] Addressing the fear of losing objectivity in advisory work [09:33-10:45] Demonstrating advisory value to audit committees [10:46-14:08] Using assurance work to identify advisory opportunities [14:09-17:02] Developing skill sets for effective advisory work [17:03-19:03] The impact of strong relationships and trust in internal audit [19:04-22:41] How the Global Internal Audit Standards support advisory services [22:42-26:06] Fostering an advisory mindset within audit teams [26:07-28:18] Strategies for internal auditors to enhance their influence [28:19-30:37] Final thoughts and advice for internal auditors [30:38-32:00] The IIA Related Content: Interested in this topic? Visit the links below for more resources: Learning Solutions: The Advisory Engagement Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more. Resources Mentioned: The IIA's Complete Global Internal Audit Standards The IIA's Cybersecurity Topical Requirement The IIA's External Quality Assessment (EQA) The IIA's Emerging Leaders Mentoring Program Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple PodcastsSpotify LibsynDeezer

The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit Tech In this episode, Ernest Anunciacion and Tom Keaton discuss the evolving role of fraud analytics in internal auditing. They cover how data analytics and AI can improve fraud detection and prevention, along with the challenges and practical strategies for success. Host:  Ernest Anunciacion, CIA, head of product marketing, MindBridge Guest:  Tom Keaton, CIA, CRMA, CFE, CISA, director of Internal Audit, Crown Castle Key Points Introduction [00:00-00:00:06] Ernest's background [00:00:07-00:00:54] Tom's background [00:00:55-00:01:50] Impact of data analytics and AI on fraud detection [00:01:51-00:04:27] Challenges in implementing data analytics in internal audit [00:04:28-00:07:06] Using data analytics for fraud investigation [00:07:07-00:09:32] Predictive analytics and identifying fraud trends [00:09:33-00:12:06] Continuous monitoring vs. early warning dashboards [00:12:07-00:15:45] Skills required for fraud analytics [00:15:46-00:19:03] Role of AI in fraud investigations [00:19:04-00:24:04] Future of AI in internal audit [00:24:05-00:25:27] Interesting fraud investigation stories [00:25:28-00:29:00] Closing remarks [00:29:01-00:30:03] The IIA Related Content Interested in this topic? Visit the links below for more resources: Fraud Analytics for Internal Auditors Certificate Targeting Fraud With Data Analytics Global Knowledge Brief: Data Analytics: Part 2: Gathering, Understanding, and Visualizing Data Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more. Resources Mentioned The IIA's Updated AI Auditing Framework 2025 Fraud Virtual Conference Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple PodcastsSpotify LibsynDeezer

All Things Internal Audit: Fraud Podcast"Frankenstein's Roadster" Listen to The IIA's new Fraud Podcast brought to you by All Things Internal Audit. The Fraud Podcast provides fictionalized accounts of real-world frauds featured in Internal Auditor magazine's Fraud department. In this episode, Chief Audit Executive Frank Harley investigates a sophisticated synthetic fraud scheme at Speed Bird Automotive. The fraudster, posing as Sheila Jackson, exploited weak identity verification controls to purchase a luxury Mercedes SL Roadster. Harley's investigation reveals the dealership's vulnerabilities and highlights the critical role of internal auditors in detecting and preventing such fraud. Don't miss "Frankenstein's Roadster." IIA members can access the full article and bonus content here. Interested in more fraud-related topics? Earn 6.6 CPEs by registering for The IIA's 2025 Fraud Virtual Conference, scheduled for February 20, 2025. Chapters: Introduction to the Case (00:00:01) Part 1: The Mysterious Customer (00:00:22) Part 2: Cracks in the Controls (00:02:02) Part 3: Fortifying the System (00:04:08 Resources Mentioned: 2025 Fraud Virtual Conference Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple PodcastsSpotify Youtube LibsynDeezer

The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit Tech In this episode, Dana Lawrence and Dhayalaruban Thangaraja discuss the complexities of auditing cryptocurrency and blockchain. They explore the unique challenges these technologies offer and share practical guidance for navigating this evolving landscape. Host: Dana Lawrence, senior director of fintech compliance, Pacific West Bank Guests: Dhayalaruban Thangaraja, internal audit director, BDO Malta Key Points:  Introduction [00:00-00:00:07] Ruban's background [00:00:08-00:00:33] Unique challenges in auditing cryptocurrency [00:00:34-00:03:26] Cybersecurity risks and best practices [00:03:27-00:05:06] Overview of regulatory frameworks and MiCA [00:05:07-00:07:06] Preparing for regulatory compliance [00:07:07-00:09:32] Advocating for governance enhancement [00:09:33-00:11:55] Building technical knowledge for internal auditors [00:11:56-00:14:16] Emerging trends in digital assets [00:14:17-00:17:48] Practical steps for auditing cryptocurrency adoption [00:17:49-00:20:29] Final tips for internal auditors [00:20:30-00:22:41] Closing remarks [00:22:42-00:33:25] The IIA Related Content: Interested in this topic? Visit the links below for more resources: Blockchain and IT Governance Online Exclusive: Setting the Standard for Crypto Global Knowledge Brief: Fraud Part I: Fraud in the Cryptosphere Privacy and Data Proection: Part 3 The IIA's Proposed Letter to Congress for Enhancing Corporate Governance at Cryptocurrency Exchanges Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more. Resources Mentioned: European crypto-assets regulation (MiCA) Dhayalaruban Thangaraja (2024, August 27). Decoding Digital Assets: Challenges for Internal Auditors in the Crypto World The IIA's Fraud Part I: Fraud in the Cryptosphere The IIA's Proposed Letter to Congress for Enhancing Corporate Governance at Cryptocurrency Exchanges Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple PodcastsSpotify LibsynDeezer

Soft Skills The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit In this episode, Mike Jacka joins Mike Levy to discuss the importance of soft skills in internal auditing. They explore how emotional intelligence, communication, and relationship-building are crucial for auditors to drive change and add value to their organizations. Host: Mike Levy, CEO of Cherry Hill Advisory  Guest: Mike Jacka, chief creative pilot at Flying Pig Audit, Consulting and Training Solutions Key Points:  Introduction and Episode Overview [00:00:02] The Importance of Soft Skills [00:00:26] Evolution of Auditing and Soft Skills [00:01:43] Recruiting for Success [00:02:51] Driving Change Through Influence [00:04:48] Training and Development [00:06:12] Emerging Risks and Asking the Right Questions [00:08:18] Advisory vs. Assurance Roles [00:09:06] Adapting to Technology [00:10:16] Diverse Hiring Practices [00:13:32] Risks of Overreliance on Technology [00:16:33] Future-proofing Internal Audit [00:20:11] Key Takeaways for CAEs [00:24:27] Closing Remarks [00:27:31] The IIA Related Content: Interested in this topic? Visit the links below for more resources: Communication Skills for Auditors: Interviewing and Negotiating Course Talent Management: Recruiting, Developing, Motivating, and Retaining Great Team Members Practice Guide IIA's Internal Audit Competency Framework Internal Auditor Magazine Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more. Resources Mentioned: J. Michael Jacka and Bryant Richards, "Stepping Into The Future," Internal Auditor magazine, April 2024 Vision 2035 Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple PodcastsSpotify LibsynDeezer

Welcome to the Financial Freedom & Wealth Trailblazers Podcast! In this episode,  we'll uncover the simple but powerful changes that can elevate your business! In the realm of finance and business, Mary Nicks stands out not just for her impressive credentials—a Master of Business Administration, certifications as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Internal Control Auditor, and memberships in prestigious organizations like the Institute of Internal Auditors and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners—but for the remarkable journey that led her to these accomplishments. Mary's story is one of resilience, determination, and a deep-seated commitment to overcoming adversity. At the tender age of eight, her life took a sudden turn when her father passed away unexpectedly from a major heart attack. Left to navigate the complexities of life without her father's guidance, Mary found herself thrust into a role far beyond her years. Today, Mary serves as a Money Mindset Coach, drawing upon her wealth of life experience to guide others on their journey toward financial freedom. For Mary, financial coaching is more than just a job—it's a calling, a ministry rooted in her deeply-held belief that everyone deserves a chance to thrive. In a world where financial literacy is often overlooked, Mary Nicks stands as a beacon of hope, offering a guiding light to those seeking to chart a course toward financial independence. Let Mary be your ally in the pursuit of prosperity, and together, you can turn life's challenges into triumphs. Connect with Mary here:  https://www.facebook.com/share/14es5P7gEB/?mibextid=LQQJ4d https://www.instagram.com/nicksmary75/profilecard/?igsh=cmFtMXB1Y3owYWw2 https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-nicks-543b6325?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app https://www.mnconsultingms.com/ Grab the freebie here:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW1B4SL4; https://form.jotform.com/243446625431152 =================================== If you enjoyed this episode, remember to hit the like button and subscribe. Then share this episode with your friends. Thanks for watching the Financial Freedom & Wealth Trailblazers Podcast. This podcast is part of the Digital Trailblazer family of podcasts. To learn more about Digital Trailblazer and what we do to help entrepreneurs, go to DigitalTrailblazer.com. Are you a coach, consultant, expert, or online course creator? Then we'd love to invite you to our FREE Facebook Group where you can learn the best strategies to land more high-ticket clients and customers.  QUICK LINKS:  APPLY TO BE FEATURED: https://app.digitaltrailblazer.com/podcast-guest-application DIGITAL TRAILBLAZER: https://digitaltrailblazer.com/

Been There, Done That, Seen It All The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit In this episode, Jeffrey Ridley reflects on his decades-long career and helping to shape the internal audit profession. He discusses the evolution of corporate governance, the challenges posed by emerging technologies like AI, and the vital role of sustainability in auditing. With personal insights and practical advice for the next generation of auditors, Ridley inspires listeners to embrace imagination, curiosity, and professionalism to drive meaningful change in the world of internal auditing. Host: Catherine Brown, associate manager producer, Content Development, The IIA Guest: Jeffrey Ridley, visiting professor, University of Lincoln, IIA Member since 1966 Key Points:  Introduction and Episode Overview (00:00:02) Jeffrey Ridley's Internal Audit Journey (00:00:40) Challenges and Milestones (00:03:08) Sustainability and ESG Auditing (00:06:01) Evolution of Internal Audit Standards (00:08:30) Collaboration and Professionalism (00:11:36) Impact on Business and Public Sectors (00:13:17) Personal Interests and Hobbies (00:15:03) Advice for Future Internal Auditors (00:18:24) Closing Thoughts (00:22:12) The IIA Related Content: Interested in this topic? Visit the links below for more resources: IIA's Certified Internal Auditor Certification IAm Jeffrey Ridley Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more. Resources Mentioned: IIA's Code of Ethics Global Internal Audit Standards OECD Corporate Governance Principles UN's Sustainable Development Goals Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple PodcastsSpotify LibsynDeezer

Salaries in Ireland are projected to remain high in 2025, according to Matrix Recruitment. The recruitment agency, which has just published its Salary Guide for 2025, predicts that salary bands will remain steady compared to 2024 wages in the year ahead. However, roles that are difficult to fill are expected to see rises in salary scales as companies compete to attract and retain top talent. Speaking about the 2025 jobs market, Kieran McKeown, MD of Matrix Recruitment, said: "The unemployment rate in Ireland is expected to remain low throughout 2025, creating a strong labour market and a stable base for economic growth in the year ahead. While this is positive, it does come with challenges for employers, particularly in sectors that are crying out for skilled talent. "In terms of salaries, we predict that wages will be in line with 2024, which saw increases due to the continued cost of living. With inflation on the way down, this should mean more money in people's pockets. In areas where there are talent gaps, the competition to entice candidates will lead employers to increase the salaries on offer. The skills shortage will be particularly acute in the Financial Services, Accountancy, and Environmental Sustainability sectors." For job roles that are in high demand, the Matrix Recruitment Salary Guide predicts an average salary increase of 10 - 11%. Financial Services In 2024, the Financial Services industry faced an unprecedented surge in regulatory scrutiny, driving a sharp increase in demand for professionals specialising in regulatory compliance and risk management. As a result, Compliance Officers at all levels of experience should see salary increases of 7% -13% next year, particularly in the Dublin region. Entry-level wages are also expected to jump as companies aim to attract more finance professionals into this area. Salaries for risk management roles will also rise, with increases of 11% - 22%. As Dublin is a financial hub for many global companies, the demand for talent will be particularly acute in the capital. Continued digital transformation in the finance sector will place an emphasis on recruitment for professionals skilled in AI, data analysis, cybersecurity, and FinTech in 2025, with talent shortages leading to longer hiring timelines. Accountancy Professionals in tax, data analytics, and consultancy are in short supply heading into 2025. The integration of AI in routine tasks is elevating the need for advisory and strategic professionals, pushing salaries higher in this area in particular. Financial Controllers will see starting salaries rise by up to 10% in Dublin, while outside Dublin, experienced professionals may see increases of up to 13%. Internal Auditors are also expected to see wage rises of 12% - 22% in Dublin. In regional areas of the Midlands, West, and South, salary bands for experienced Internal Auditors may increase by up to 7%. Engineering Professionals with expertise in renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, and AI integration will be critical in 2025 as the industry undergoes significant advancements. Automation Engineers will be in high demand, with maximum salaries for experienced professionals predicted to increase by up to 12%. Project Managers outside Dublin are also in line for salary increases, with baseline salaries expected to rise by up to 7% regionally. Supply Chain Geopolitical tensions and fluctuating markets are driving a surge in demand for analytics professionals within the Supply Chain sector, particularly those skilled in AI-driven logistics. This trend is set to continue, with experienced Procurement Specialists outside Dublin expected to see the greatest increase in salary expectations, with maximum salaries rising by up to 17%. In Dublin, professionals can expect a more modest 7% increase. Project Managers should also see salary increases of 6% - 9% next year as recruitment ramps up in key areas in 2025. There will also be a significant focus on recruiting Supply ...

All Things Internal Audit: Fraud Podcast "Uncontrolled Substances" Listen to The IIA's new Fraud Podcast brought to you by All Things Internal Audit. The Fraud Podcast provides fictionalized accounts of real-world frauds featured in Internal Auditor magazine's Fraud department. In this episode, Chief Audit Executive Trevor Smith uncovers a two-year scheme at Berkshire Healthcare where hospital director Chris Basil exploited weak controls to steal pain medications. The case highlights the vital role of internal auditors in tackling non-financial fraud. Don't miss  "Uncontrolled Substances"  IIA members can access the full article and bonus content here. Interested in more fraud-related topics? Earn 6.6 CPEs by registering for The IIA's 2025 Fraud Virtual Conference, scheduled for February 20, 2025. Chapters: Introduction to the Case (00:00:01) Part 1: The Bitter Pill (00:00:26) Part 2: Prescription for Disaster (00:01:19) Part 3: A Hard Pill to Swallow (00:02:14) Part 4: A Dose of Reality (00:03:15) Resources Mentioned: 2025 Fraud Virtual Conference Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple PodcastsSpotify Youtube LibsynDeezer

All Things Internal Audit: Filling the Internal Audit Talent Gap (Bonus Content) In this episode, Amanda Jo Erven talks with Desiree Rivera about developing the next generation of internal auditors. They discuss attracting new talent and the power of mentorship and community. In bonus content, Jerick Mediavilla joins Robert Perez to discuss the challenges of keeping content fresh and relevant for a global audience. Guests:Amanda Jo Erven, lecturer and director of Internal Audit Education, MSU Denver Host:Desiree Rivera, IIA Academic Relations manager Key Points:  Introduction and Episode Overview (00:00:02) Amanda's Journey in Internal Audit (00:00:28) Challenges in the Internal Audit Talent Pipeline (00:02:59) Creative Recruitment Strategies (00:04:38) Essential Skills for Internal Auditors (00:07:22) Mentorship and Community Engagement (00:12:15) Advice for Young Professionals (00:18:24) Introduction to Bonus Content (00:20:48) Collaboration with Subject Matter Experts (00:23:08) Challenges in Content Development (00:24:27) Feedback and Continuous Improvement (00:26:38) Ensuring Compliance (00:26:38) BONUS CONTENT HOST: Robert Pérez, owner, Pérez Communication Solutions GUEST:Jerick Mediavilla, IIA curriculum quality specialist The IIA Related Content: Interested in this topic? Visit the links below: Internal Auditing Education Partnership (IAEP) Program Internal Audit Competency Framework IIA Learning and Development IIA's Learning Center Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more. Resources Mentioned: Internal Auditing Education Partnership (IAEP) Program MSU Denver's Risk Assurance & Advisory (Internal Audit) Program MSU Denver Accounting Student Organization (ASO) NASBA (National Association of State Boards of Accountancy) Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple PodcastsSpotify LibsynDeezer

All Things Internal Audit Tech: Leveraging Data Analytics    In this episode, Robert Findlay talks with Lynn Moehl about the evolving role of data analytics and AI in internal auditing. Findlay shares strategies for overcoming challenges, best practices for integrating data analytics, use cases, and the importance of clear communication with stakeholders. They discuss the differences between basic data analytics and AI, the skills required for each, and how advanced tools can enhance audit processes. Guests:Robert Findlay, global head of IT Audit, Glanbia Host:Lynn Moehl, IIA director of Internal Audit and CAE Key Points:  Introduction to Data Analytics and AI in Internal Auditing (00:00:02) Differences Between Basic Data Analytics and AI (00:00:34) Skills Required for Data Analytics vs. AI (00:01:21) Effective Tools for Specific Audit Scenarios (00:02:17) Access to Data and Organizational Policies (00:04:07) Criteria for Choosing the Right Tool (00:05:02) Challenging Audit Scenarios and Data Analytics Solutions (00:05:35) Surprising Insights from Data Analytics (00:06:43) Pitfalls and Mitigation Strategies in Data Analytics (00:08:13) Communicating the Benefits of Data Analytics (00:10:08) Best Practices for Integrating Data Analytics (00:11:11) Measuring Success of Data Analytics Initiatives (00:12:19) Guidance for Using AI in Analytics (00:13:15) The IIA Related Content: Interested in this topic? Visit the links below for more resources:   Data Literacy Certificate: A Journey to Data Analytics Data Analytics: Part 3, Developing a Resilient Data Analytics Strategy Microsoft® Excel: Data Analytics Descriptive statistics Getting Started With: Data Analytics Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more. Resources Mentioned: Excel ACL: Galvanize ACL Python scripts Tableau QlikView SAP Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple PodcastsSpotify LibsynDeezer

Sanjay shares how to run a successful franchise by following brand processes and adjusting to the shift towards digital, loyalty-driven operations. He also discusses the value of enterprise risk management, compliance, and consistency. Welcome to Elevating Brick and Mortar. A podcast about how operations and facilities drive brand performance.On today's episode, we talk with Sanjay Jain, the Chairman of the National DCP Board of Directors and independent franchise business owner. NDCP brings global expertise in strategic sourcing, distribution, restaurant solutions, business services, and supply chain to serve Dunkin', one of the world's leading restaurant brands.Guest Bio:Sanjay Jain serves as the Chairman of the National DCP Board of Directors. He brings 35 years of Accounting, Finance, and Information Technology experience with Fortune 500 companies to the supply chain management cooperative.Jain joined the NDCP Board in 2016, representing Series C. Prior to becoming Board Chairman, Jain served as the Treasurer, co-chaired the Sourcing Committee, and spearheaded the Internal Audit function at NDCP through his role on the Finance/Audit Committee. He currently owns a large network of Dunkin'/Baskin Robbins stores in Queens and Long Island, New York. As an elected District Advisory Co-Chair franchisee from Queens, he is actively involved with the Development Committee, Compliance, NY Sales Taxes and the Wage Group. In his capacity as a member of Dunkin's Brand Advisory Committee, he works with the Menu Management and Development Advisory Sub-Committees.Jain's work as a financial executive and certified public accountant in the retail, food and supply chain industry has included an emphasis on internal controls, financial reporting, tax, and risk management. As the Executive Vice President and Chief Internal Auditor of Abovenet Inc., Jain helped turn the Company from bankruptcy into a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange by working closely with the Audit Committee and the Board of Directors. He developed their annual strategy, conducted risk analysis, and developed corporate plans for both domestic and foreign entities.He also has ten years of public accounting and consulting experience. In his role as Audit Director at Ernst & Young and BDO Seidman in the Metro New York area, Jain helped clients streamline both their operations and control processes, managing and leading groups of professional auditors worldwide that saved his clients millions of dollars. He has been actively involved as a Board member with the Institute of Internal Auditors and has presented at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants forum.Jain has a Management Information Systems degree from the University of Hartford, a Master of Business Administration degree from Dallas Baptist University and a Master of Commerce degree from the University of Rajasthan in India. Timestamps:13:45 - About NDCP05:17 - Sanjay's venture into franchise ownership08:53 - Following brand guidelines10:24 - Handling consumer expectations20:31 - How do you ensure consistency? 28:35 - Dealing with scarce human capital33:49 - The consumer of the future39:35 - Advice for franchisees41:13 - Where to find SanjaySPONSOR:ServiceChannel brings you peace of mind through peak facilities performance.Rest easy knowing your locations are:Offering the best possible guest experienceLiving up to brand standardsOperating with minimal downtimeServiceChannel partners with more than 500 leading brands globally to provide visibility across operations, the flexibility to grow and adapt to consumer expectations, and accelerated performance from their asset fleet and service providers.Links:Connect with Sanjay on LinkedInConnect with Sid Shetty on LinkedinCheck out the ServiceChannel Website

All Things Internal Audit: The IIA's Updated Quality Assessment Manual The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit In this episode, Dirk Debruyne and Marthin Grobler discuss The IIA's recently released Quality Assessment Manual, 2024 Edition, with David Petrisky. They share their personal experiences with quality assessments and the development of the updated manual, including how it aligns with the new Global Internal Audit Standards.   In bonus content, The IIA's Deborah Poulalion joins Robert Perez to discuss the 2024 North American Pulse of Internal Audit Report. Guests: Dirk Debruyne, managing director, D2 CAE Solutions Marthin Grobler, CAE and owner, IA Professionals Host:David Petrisky, director, Professional Standards, The IIA Key Points:  Introduction to the episode and guests [00:00:02]  Importance of quality assessments and ISB's role [00:00:30] Marthin Grobler on his project involvement [00:01:10] Dirk Debruyne's background and contributions [00:02:16] Task force responsibilities and challenges [00:03:16] Focus on ethics in Domain 2 [00:04:24] Comparison with previous QA Manual versions [00:05:50] Alignment with new standards and assessment impact [00:07:26] Use of manual for internal and external assessments [00:09:00] Challenges in assessing conformance methodology [00:10:00] Governance's impact on audit quality [00:12:23] Introduction of the maturity model [00:14:39] Adding maturity assessments [00:16:00] Templates and tools in the manual [00:17:16] Benefits of the four-point conclusion scale [00:18:49] Performance outcomes in assessments [00:21:01] Guidance on self-assessment with validation [00:22:38] Board and CAE expectations for assessments [00:24:14] QA Manual's role in meeting expectations [00:26:07] Future innovations and tech in assessments [00:27:42] Value of external quality assessments [00:30:54] Final thoughts for the internal audit community [00:32:23] Bonus content [00:38:20] BONUS CONTENT HOST: Robert Pérez, owner, Pérez Communication Solutions GUEST:Deborah Poulalion, IIA senior data analyst, The IIA The IIA Related Content: Interested in this topic? Visit the links below: Quality Services Webinar: Introducing the New Quality Assessment Manual: Aligned with the Global Internal Audit Standards Quality Insights: Implementing an Internal Audit Strategic Plan Webinar: Quality Assessment Challenges and Opportunities 2025 and Beyond Participate in the 2025 North American Pulse Survey Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more. Resources Mentioned: Quality Assessment Manual, 2024 Edition International Internal Audit Standards Board North American Pulse of Internal Audit Risk in Focus Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple PodcastsSpotify LibsynDeezer

In this episode of Risk Management Show, we delve into the future of risk with our guest Richard Chambers. As a Senior Advisor on Risk and Audit at AuditBoard, Richard brings decades of experience, having been the global President and CEO of the Institute of Internal Auditors. We discussed how traditional risk management approaches fall short in today's volatile environment and explored insights from Richard's new book, "Connected Risk: Conquering the Perilous Risk Exposure Gap." Discover how effective risk management impacts organizational health and performance, and learn about emerging trends like AI in the field. Here is the link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Connected-Risk-Conquering-Perilous-Exposure-ebook/dp/B0DDVB46YF/ If you want to be our guest or suggest someone, send your email to info@globalriskconsult.com with the subject line "Podcast Guest Suggestion." Join us as we connect with experts to bring valuable content on Risk Management, Cyber Security, Sustainability, and more to our audience.

All Things Internal Audit: Fraud Podcast "School of Fraud" Listen to The IIA's new Fraud Podcast brought to you by All Things Internal Audit. The Fraud Podcast provides fictionalized accounts of real-world frauds featured in Internal Auditor magazine's Fraud department. In the latest episode, an organization's chief audit executive investigates a suspicious tuition reimbursement during the pandemic, uncovering a web of deceit involving an employee. Listen to “School Of Fraud.” IIA members can access bonus content in the form of lessons learned by reading the full Fraud article. Chapters: Introduction to the Case (00:00:01) Part 1: A Walk Interrupted (00:00:22) Part 2: Cash for Classes (00:01:23) Part 3: A Closer Look (00:03:21) Part 4: The Confession (00:05:38) Resources Mentioned: Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple PodcastsSpotify Youtube LibsynDeezer  

All Things Internal Audit: Key to Conformance The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit In this episode, Liz Sandwith, talks with Lauressa Nelson about the changes in The IIA's new Global Internal Audit Standards. They discuss how internal auditors can prepare for these changes, the challenges they may face, and practical strategies to ensure conformance by Jan. 9, 2025. Guests: Liz Sandwith, CFIIA, managing partner, Sandwith Internal Audit Services and a former member of the International Internal Audit Standards Board Host  Lauressa Nelson, senior manager, Professional Standards, The IIA Key Points: Introduction to the New Standards (00:00:02 - 00:00:23) Current State of Readiness (00:00:31 - 00:01:29) Challenges in Conformance (00:01:29 - 00:02:24) Strategies for Preparation (00:02:24 - 00:03:37) Behavioral Standards and Evidence (00:06:03 - 00:07:19) Purpose and Domain 1 (00:08:30 - 00:10:04) Governing the Internal Audit Function (Domain 3) (00:11:36 - 00:13:17) Internal Audit Strategy (Domain 4) (00:17:44 - 00:19:02) Quality Assurance and Improvement Program (QAIP) (00:25:04 - 00:26:57) Coordination and Reliance (Domain 5) (00:27:12 - 00:28:41) The IIA Related Content: Interested in this topic? Find more articles and resources to support internal auditors conforming to the new standards below: Ethically Mastering the Global Internal Audit Standards Navigating the Global Internal Audi Standards Check out the October issue of Internal Auditor magazine for Liz Sandwith's article, “Ready to Conform,” packed with practical advice for meeting the new standards by January 2025.   Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more. Resources Mentioned: The IIA's Two-Way Mapping Document Conformance Readiness Assessment Tool The IIA's New Global Internal Audit Standards Liz Sandwith, “Ready to Conform,” Internal Auditor magazine, October 2024 Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple Podcasts Spotify Libsyn Deezer  

Internal auditors are in a key position to both benefit from and promote psychological safety at work. But what does having psychological safety at work mean? Ignatia Mannoe and Manja Knevelbaard—two of the co-authors of the new “Psychological Safety Tools for Internal Audit” IIA Netherlands publication—join us to discuss it all in this episode, recorded at the IIA International Conference.

Barney Brenner and Chris on several news items. Crime against Tucson businesses TUSD administration vs TUSD's Internal Auditor

All Things Internal Audit: Elevating Data Security In this episode, Terry Ray, a top expert in data security, talks with David Pretrisky, director of Professional Standards at The IIA, about why asking the right questions is key to boosting data security and compliance in organizations. They'll dive into how internal auditors can strengthen their organization's security, the hurdles they encounter, and practical strategies for success. Guests: Terry Ray, senior vice president, data security GTM, field CTO, and fellow at Imperva Host: David Petrisky, director, Professional Standards, The IIA Key Points:  Introduction to Data Security and Compliance (00:00:02 - 00:00:22) Breaking Down Data Defense (00:00:31 - 00:02:45) Prioritizing Security Controls (00:02:52 - 00:04:24) Key Frameworks for Security (00:04:58 - 00:06:22) Common Vulnerabilities and Breaches (00:06:22 - 00:08:25) Advice for Internal Auditors (00:08:25 - 00:11:10) Compliance and Regulatory Frameworks (00:11:15 - 00:14:05) Internal Auditors' Role in Security (00:14:05 - 00:17:11) Final Advice for Internal Auditors (00:17:11 - 00:17:32) The IIA Related Content: Interested in this topic? Find more articles and resources to support internal auditors in protecting data here. Elevate your internal auditing skills and enroll in The IIA's 2024 Cybersecurity Virtual Conference.   Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more. Resources Mentioned: NIST Cybersecurity Framework General Data Protection Regulation PCI Data Security Standard  Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple PodcastsSpotify LibsynDeezer

All Things Internal Audit: Unmasking Greenwashing In this episode, David Petrisky, director of professional standards at the IIA, as he dives into the hot topic of greenwashing with Edith Wong, managing director at FTI Consulting, and Brian Wilmot, attorney at Paul Hastings. They unpack the challenges of navigating environmental claims, share eye-opening cases, and offer practical tips for auditors tackling greenwashing and other ESG-related risks. Guests:Edith Wong, Forensic Accountant in Investigations and Compliance, FTI Consulting Brian Wilmot, Compliance and Regulatory Counseling and Investigations and White Collar Defense Practices Attorney, Paul Hastings LLP Host: David Petrisky, Dir. Professional Standards, The IIA Key Points:  Introduction to Greenwashing (00:00:02 - 00:00:42) Definition and Legal Context of Greenwashing (00:00:42 - 00:01:20) Examples and Cases of Greenwashing (00:02:23 - 00:03:30) Challenges in Environmental Claims and Reporting (00:01:45 - 00:02:23, 00:03:38 - 00:04:50) Regulatory and Litigation Activity (00:01:45 - 00:02:23, 00:05:09 - 00:06:27) Non-Financial Reporting and Corporate Communications (00:06:27 - 00:07:19) Global Frameworks and Standards (00:09:07 - 00:11:02) Role of Internal Auditors in Addressing Greenwashing (00:11:07 - 00:12:32, 00:17:07 - 00:18:47) Preventative Practices and Governance Structures (00:13:06 - 00:15:09) Industry-Specific Concerns and Risks (00:15:21 - 00:16:55) The IIA Related Content: Interested in this topic? Find more articles and resources to support internal auditors in the field of ESG auditing here.   Elevate your internal auditing skills and enroll in The IIA's ESG Certificate Program.   Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more.   Resources Mentioned: TerraChoice's Seven Sins of Greenwashing Federal Trade Commission's Green Guides Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB)

All Things Internal Audit: Fraud Podcast "Playing the Fraud Card" Listen to The IIA's new Fraud Podcast brought to you by All Things Internal Audit. The Fraud Podcast provides fictionalized accounts of real-world frauds featured in Internal Auditor magazine's Fraud department. In the latest episode, City Auditor Michelle Martinez uncovers a gift card scam orchestrated by Jonathan Erick, a former City of Sommerville employee, using city funds. Martinez's keen auditing skills reveal Erick's misuse of purchase cards, leading to his arrest and highlighting the importance of robust internal controls. Listen to “Playing the Fraud Card.”IIA members can access bonus content in the form of lessons learned by reading the full Fraud article. Available now on all major podcast platforms and our Youtube channel.

All Things Internal Audit: Fraud Podcast "The Language of Fraud" Listen to The IIA's new Fraud Podcast brought to you by All Things Internal Audit. The Fraud Podcast provides fictionalized accounts of real-world frauds featured in Internal Auditor magazine's Fraud department. In the latest episode, a company receives a whistleblower complaint against one of its new acquisitions, Slate. An investigation of the communications between Slate executives and a vendor reveals key words of corruption. Listen to “The Language of Fraud.” IIA members can access bonus content in the form of lessons learned by reading the full Fraud article. Available now on all major podcast platforms and our Youtube channel.  

All Things Internal Audit: Exploring IPPF Topical Requirements  In this episode, George Barham, director of Standards and Professional Guidance for Technology at The IIA, discusses the Topical Requirements component of the International Professional Practices Framework. This conversation covers:   -Purpose and importance of Topical Requirements in the IPPF -Background and development of Topical Requirements -Explanation of Topical Requirements' structure and components -Quality assessment of Topical Requirements -Focus on draft Cybersecurity Topical Requirement -Public comment period and practitioner feedback opportunity -Enhancing relevance and value of internal audit services Get the full episode wherever you get your podcasts or YouTube.

This week, Richard Chambers, former president and CEO of the IIA and Senior Advisor, Risk and Audit at AuditBoard, joins the show.  In this episode, Richard shares the integration of strategic planning into the latest IIA Standards. He provides valuable insights on crafting a strategic plan, the importance of a strategic vision, and techniques for implementing tactical accountability.   Be sure to connect with Richard on LinkedIn.   Also, be sure to follow us on our new social media accounts on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok.   Also be sure to sign up for The Audit Podcast newsletter and to check the full video interview on The Audit Podcast YouTube channel.   Timecodes: 3:05 - ChatGPT 6:33 - Strategy Being Integrated into the New Standards 9:31 - Developing Strategies for Internal Audit 11:30 - Blueprint for Developing a Strategic Plan 15:37 - The Purpose of a Strategic Vision 19:05 - Tactical Accountability 21:36 - Internal Auditors in the Era of Permacrisis 24:00 - Critical Success Factors vs. KPIs 25:34 - Advice for Internal Auditors on Creating Strategies 27:55 - Final Thoughts   *   This podcast is brought to you by Greenskies Analytics, the services firm that helps auditors leap-frog up the analytics maturity model. Their approach for launching audit analytics programs with a series of proven quick-win analytics will guarantee the results worthy of the analytics hype.  Whether your audit team needs a data strategy, methodology, governance, literacy, or anything else related to audit and analytics, schedule time with Greenskies Analytics.

All Things Internal Audit: The Data Dilemma   In this episode, Jim Pelletier, Senior Product Manager at Wolters Kluwer TeamMate, discusses how internal auditors can position themselves to provide assurance on all aspects of data within their organizations, particularly as new technologies and regulations will increasingly rely on data. Key to sound data governance is ensuring that data is accurate, complete, reliable, and relevant. This conversation covers:   -Critical importance of data quality in internal audit-Challenges to maintaining data quality-Internal audit's role in assessing and validating data quality -Risk assessment processes integration -Strategies for audit leaders to engage with stakeholders -Data governance issues -Artificial intelligence and ESG reporting on data quality This episode brought to listeners from The IIA and Wolters Kluwer.   Get the full episode wherever you get your podcasts or YouTube.

Today's episode with Dan Ramey is about how to sell to clients - specifically attorneys. In this episode, Dan and Leah discuss: Types of services that fall under forensic accountingHow to sell forensic accounting service to attorneysHow to avoid the sales-y feelingConsiderations when starting a forensic accounting practice as a solo practitioner or within a public accounting or consulting firmIn this season of the Data Sleuth Podcast, join Leah Wietholter as she discusses the business of forensic accounting with successful professionals who have done just that! As part of this series, Workman Forensics and podcast guests are providing free resources and tools to accompany each episode to help you with your practice whether you're just starting out or wanting to take it to the next level. Make sure to listen to the end of the episode to find out how to download! Lastly, during the last episode of the season, we are going to answer all of your questions - so if you have any questions about the business of forensic accounting, send them to Leah via YouTube, LinkedIn, or by emailing us at podcast@workmanforensics.com.GUEST BIODan is the Founder and President of Houston Financial Forensics, LLC, and Dan T. Ramey, CPA, LLC.  His professional certifications include CPA/CFF/CITP/ABV, CFE, CVA, CIA/CRMA, CISA/CISM, and CMA.  He is a past President of the Houston Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors and formerly a member of the Board of Governors.  Dan previously served as Chairman of the Houston CPA Society's Forensic and Valuation Committee and served two terms as the Treasurer of the Houston Chapter of InfraGard.  Dan is also an adjunct professor at the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University – Accounting and Business Law Department and the C. T. Bauer School of Business – Accounting Department at the University of Houston, where he currently teaches Forensic Accounting and previously taught Enterprise Risk Management. Both courses are graduate level in the Masters of Accountancy programs.Dan graduated from Baylor University with a BBA in Accounting and from Houston Christian University with an Executive MBA. Dan was awarded the Certified Fraud Examiner of the Year award by the ACFE Houston Area Chapter in December 2019.  In 2020, Dan was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the ACFE Houston Area Chapter.  In 2018, he was recognized by the ACFE at their Global Annual Conference in Las Vegas as Educator of the Year.Houston Financial Forensics, LLC is a professional services provider in the areas of fraud investigation, cyber security / cyber fraud risk assessment, forensic accounting, and litigation support.Email: dan@houstonfinancialforensics.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danramey/RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODETo access the downloads discussed in this episode, visit: www.datasleuthpodcast.comTo learn more about the Investigation Game Education Edition, visit: workmanforensics.com/tig-educatorsOrder your copy of Leah's book, Data Sleuth: Using Data in Forensic Accounting and Fraud Investigations today on Amazon!CONNECT WITH WORKMAN FORENSICSYoutube: @WorkmanForensicsFacebook: @wforensicsTwitter: @wforensicsInstagram: @wforensicsLinkedIn: @workmanforensicsSubscribe and listen to this and more episodes of The Data Sleuth® Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Android, or anywhere you listen.

Hey there, Carlsbad community and beyond! Are you ready to dive into the stories of local leaders and game-changers? This is your host, Bret Schanzenbach, and you're tuning into episode 111 of "Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact." Today, we're unpacking the journey of a true entrepreneurial force, Ken Aurigemma, founder and owner of Strategic Business Alliance.Ever wonder what fuels the fire of a successful entrepreneur? Or how someone transitions from serving as a Coast Guard aviation navigator to becoming the CFO of a skyrocketing company like No Fear? Well, buckle up because Ken is here to share his incredible voyage from the East Coast to the heart of Carlsbad, where his passion for helping small businesses shines bright.We're talking big leaps, the power of family legacy, and the seismic shifts in the world of accounting where AI and advisory roles are changing the game. Plus, Ken will spill the beans on how he helped a solar company soar from $1.6 million to a jaw-dropping $188 million in sales! If you're curious about the future of small businesses, the impact of technology on traditional roles, or just love a good success story, this episode is for you. Don't forget, you can reach out to Ken for a strategic alliance that could revolutionize your business. Just visit strategic-ba.com or dial 760-573-1038 to start your journey.So, are you ready to be inspired and informed? Tune in now to "Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact" where local stories meet global insights. Ken's Bio:Ken Aurigemma is the founder and owner of Strategic Business Alliance, LLC, which serves small business owners in Southern California and across the U.S. Services include outsourced/interim controller/CFO services, Accounting services, (including bookkeeping and payroll), and consulting services for QuickBooks® and Xero.Ken understands the many demands that business owners face each and every day. He leverages his years of knowledge and CFO-level experience to provide these business owners with the necessary tools for managing and growing their companies, while also working closely with them to find solutions that save time and money on their accounting and operational needs.As a Certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor and Xero Certified Advisor, Ken provides setup, training, troubleshooting, and support services for QuickBooks and Xero. He has technical expertise and experience in the entire line of Intuit products including QuickBooks® Online, QuickBooks® Enterprise Solutions, QuickBooks® Point of Sale, Merchant Services, Payroll, and many more.Ken offers accounting solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of each client. He listens carefully to his client's needs and designs customized solutions while guiding his clients through the financial systems and management processes with patience and encouragement.Ken has over 35 years of professional accounting, auditing, and management experience. He graduated from Pennsylvania State University with his B.S. in Accounting after spending 4 years with the Coast Guard. Following graduation, Ken was employed by the military retailer Navy Exchange Service Command, where he held several positions: Internal Auditor from 1987 to 1990; Senior Accountant from 1990 to 1993; and Accounting Manager from 1993 to 2000. He later became a Controller for LEGO Brand Retail, Inc., the retail division of the LEGO Group, from 2000 to 2004. From 2004 to 2012, Ken served as Chief Financial Officer of No Fear, Inc. and its subsidiaries FMF, No Fear Retail and No Fear Racing. After leaving No Fear, Ken became the Director of Finance at Novasyte, LLC before he decided to part ways and create Strategic Business Alliance in 2014.When Ken is not working, he enjoys cycling, working out at the gym, walking on the beach, reading, travelling and supporting his wife, Christy, when she competes in Ironman triathlon events. He also enjoys sampling the local craft beers and travelling to Napa Valley and Paso Robles for wine tastings. He values his family time and looks forward to spending time with Christy and their dog, Holly, as well as their two older daughters, Nicole and Kirsten. Ken is an avid sports fan, favoring the Padres baseball team as well as the Penn State Nittany Lions football team. Each year, Ken returns to his alma mater to attend the Penn State Dance Marathon (THON), massive student-run philanthropy that raises funds and awareness for pediatric cancer, in support of his sister and her family.All the links you need:Ken's website: Strategic Business Alliance LLCFacebookLinkedIn Did this episode have a special impact on you? Share how it impacted youCarlsbad Podcast Social Links:LinkedInInstagramFacebookXYouTubeSponsor: This show is sponsored and produced by DifMix Productions. To learn more about starting your own podcast, visit www.DifMix.com/podcasting

Join us on our eighth episode with Dan Ramey, a distinguished financial fraud investigator and forensics accountant. Ramey is the Founder and President of Houston Financial Forensics, LLC, a past President of of the Houston Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors, and previously served as Chairman of the Houston CPA Society's Forensic and Valuation Committee. He is currently an adjunct professor at the C. T. Bauer School of Business at the University of Houston, where he teaches Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination and Enterprise Risk Management courses. Join us as we discuss financial fraud cases Ramey has worked on, and some of the investigative services he has provided.

Dating Help for Shy and Introverted People - Interview with Jon PethkeToday, our guest is Jon Pethke, a United States Air Force Veteran out of Appleton, Wisconsin with a Bachelor Degree in Organizational Leadership who has developed a dating app specifically for shy and introverted people. Jon started development of the app in 2022 when he founded Introwoo LLC and partnered with CodeGlo Technologies. Together, they developed CoyAmore, the dating app for shy and introverted people. Join us as we talk with Jon about what inspired him to develop CoyAmore, how he developed the app, and how to use it. We will also take a tour of the app and his website to give the audience an idea of how it works. As an introvert himself, Jon will offer some dating advice to those who are shy or introverted and offer tips and tools to use in the dating world. Jon is currently working on his Masters in Science Degree in Sustainable Management at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. He currently works as an Internal Auditor for American Family Insurance while also working part time as an instructor for Fox Valley Technical College teaching veterans about small business development. Key points and Timestamps:2:02: Jon explains why he developed CoyAmore“Developing an App wasn't easy at all” It took a year to develop CoyAmore, and it was released in May of 2023.A lot of time and patience went into developing CoyAmore.5:46 Jon explains how he developed the questions on CoyAmore specifically for shy and introverted people. • Based around the 5 universal love languages and paired with people who best fit your love languages• CoyAmore is different, and hopefully will help to create a community that helps shy and introverted people more comfortably engage with one another• The hope is to create more features (like a “Blind Date” Option) which is a second layer of matching that takes the fear of asking someone out on a date.8:45: Jon Explains how the App works, starting with the login process, and the intention of meeting up in person eventually. Tracy goes over the questions that CoyAmore asks when creating dating preferences. Smoking, drinking, political affiliations, height, Astrology, Love Languages, children, pets and movie genresFor example: “What do you think about Astrology?” or “Cats or Dogs for Pets”14:05: More information about Jon and the work he is currently doing while going to Graduate School15:12: How did you come up with the name “CoyAmore” (or “ShyLove”)17:10 CoyAmore Website Tour and CoyAmore won the 2023 May Award for Best Mobile App!21:32: Tips for helping people feel more comfortable developing a dating profile• “Get support and talking with someone to help” to be as comfortable as possible reaching out“At the end of the day, to meet someone in any capacity you need to take a step out.” More people have problems getting a conversation going to figure out if they want to go out on a dateCheck out Jon's blog at https://coyamore.com/blog/• Make a dating profile with support from others• Encouage yourself with positive suggestions• Like yourself and you can't go wrong• Positive self-talk 25:38: CoyAmore is in the first year of development so there is a small pool of people on it now. Be patient! And stay on as it continues to grow.Resources: Download CoyAmore at the following links:Apple Devices: https://apps.apple.com/in/app/coyamore-dating-for-introverts/id1661401116Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.codeglo.coyamore&pli=1Best Mobile App Award of May 2023! https://bestmobileappawards.com/app-submission/coyamoreJon's Website: www.coyamore.comCheck out Jon's Blog! He posts every week:...

This week, Amanda “Jo” Erven, the Director of Internal Audit Education at MSU of Denver, joins the show. With a focus on ethics and fraud training, Jo brings a wealth of experience to the table. This week, Amanda “Jo” Erven, the Director of Internal Audit Education at MSU of Denver, joins the show. With a focus on ethics and fraud training, Jo brings a wealth of experience to the table. In this episode, Jo talks about her role at MSU of Denver and focuses on her work developing a program to boost involvement in the audit field. She discusses ways to attract more students, help them land internal audit positions, and provides helpful tips for similar initiatives.   Be sure to connect with Jo on LinkedIn.   Jo's upcoming Fraud Retreat   Desireé Rivera's LinkedIn   Also, be sure to follow us on our new social media accounts on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok. Also be sure to sign up for The Audit Podcast newsletter and to check the full video interview on The Audit Podcast YouTube channel. * This podcast is brought to you by Greenskies Analytics, the services firm that helps auditors leap-frog up the analytics maturity model. Their approach for launching audit analytics programs with a series of proven quick-win analytics will guarantee the results worthy of the analytics hype.  Whether your audit team needs a data strategy, methodology, governance, literacy, or anything else related to audit and analytics, schedule time with Greenskies Analytics.

Internal Auditors do not have business acumen. That is a common complaint about the profession. So, what steps are you taking to bridge this gap within your team? How do you plan to enhance your business acumen through training? Join Sowmya Krishnan and Shagen Ganason for an insightful conversation on this topic.

Listen to The IIA's new Fraud Podcast brought to you by All Things Internal Audit. The Fraud Podcast provides fictionalized accounts of real-world frauds featured in Internal Auditor magazine's Fraud department. In the latest podcast, discovery of a forged signature leads to the reveal of a much bigger scheme to defraud the company. Listen to “Small Signs of Big Problems.”  IIA members can access bonus content in the form of lessons learned by reading the full Fraud article.

Welcome to Count Me In, with your host, Adam Larson. In this episode, Adam is joined by Tim Hedley, the Executive in Residence at Fordham University and Shari Littan, Director, Corporate Reporting Research & Thought Leadership at IMA.  Join this thought-provoking discussion as they delve into the importance of internal controls, the evolving landscape of sustainability reporting, and the challenges and benefits organizations face in adopting sustainable business practices.Discover how the COSO framework, the gold standard for reliable reporting, has been adapted to include non-financial reporting objectives, aligning with the rise of sustainability and ESG reporting. Explore critical trends in the world of ESG reporting, from increasing regulations to stakeholder engagement and supply chain transparency.Learn from Tim and Shari as they share their insights on the challenges organizations face in implementing sustainable practices and balancing short-term profits with long-term sustainability goals. Understand the significance of internal controls in providing a basis for external assurance and building stakeholder trust in reported information.Join Tim and Shari for a live event Nov 30 - Dec 1 in NYC. Register todayFull Episode Transcript:< Intro > Adam:            Welcome to another episode of Count Me In. In today's episode, joining us are two guest experts. Tim Hedley, who is Executive-in-Residence at Fordham University, and Shari Littan, Director, Corporate Reporting, Research and Thought Leadership at IMA. Our discussion revolves around the importance of internal controls and sustainability reporting. And how they enhance trust, accountability, and reliability of the reported information.  Tim and Shari share insights from the COSO framework. Which was developed to help improve confidence in all types of data and information. The landscape of sustainability reporting is constantly evolving, with shifting regulatory requirements and increased stakeholder expectations. We explore crucial trends; such as the focus on materiality and risk assessments, stakeholder engagement, supply chain transparency, and evolving reporting metrics. Let's get started, with this enlightening conversation.  < Music > Adam:            Shari, Tim, thank you so much for coming on the podcast. We're really excited to be talking about COSO, internal control, and everything in that whole ESG world. But just for our listeners, who may be unfamiliar, you could've, probably, have heard the term COSO, or ICSR, and those things before, but maybe you're not familiar with those terms. Maybe, Shari, you could take a little bit of time and define, maybe, a high-level overview of what COSO is, the significant, internal control framework, and the purpose of the new documents. Shari:             I'd be happy to, thanks, Adam, it's great to be here. So COSO stands for Committee of Sponsoring Organizations and it came about in the late 1980s. It is a collaboration of five accountancy and auditing organizations. There's the American Accounting Association, which is an academic organization, primarily. AICPA, everyone is familiar. IMA, where we sit, and we primarily focus on the accountants and finance professionals in business, the in-house folks are ours. Institute of Internal Auditors, and FEI, Financial Executives International. So those five organizations make up COSO. COSO came about in the late 1980s, amid what was then the savings and loans crisis, and there was concern that the profession needed to do better. That we were starting to see major accounting failures, disclosure, litigation, regulation, questions. Are we doing the right things in the profession?" So the five accountancy organizations got together, and they said, "How are we going to resolve this? How are we going to promote trust and accountability in what we do, as a profession?" The focus became on this concept of internal controls, which we'll get to.  So in '92, after that, the COSO, as an organization, produced its first internal control framework. And then we can move forward to 1990s, late 1990s, 2000, the Enron, WorldCom's era, which led to Sarbanes-Oxley. And Sarbanes-Oxley, rather than looking at the substance of what a company needs to disclose, again, looked at the idea of governance process, auditing, and said, "In order to produce financial reports to the markets, you need to focus on your systems and your controls. You need management to speak to it, in your reporting system. You need auditors to address controls." We had the PCAOP. So we have this Sarbanes-Oxley, which created this idea of internal controls over financial reporting. And, although, Sarbanes Oxley didn't specifically say, "You must use the COSO framework." It was considered the best thing around, and it's become the gold standard in how to produce reliable financial or corporate reporting in more general. Now, in 2013, the framework was refreshed, we got a new internal control framework. And what it did, in the 2013 refresh, is it added the idea of non-financial reporting objectives. That was around the same time, about 10 years ago, when we started to see all kinds of sustainability integrated, ESG, reporting frameworks. And, so, though not express, what the framework did, in its refresh, was say "Yes, this is completely applicable to these types of activities and reporting." And, so, that leads us to where we are, today. Where, earlier, in 2023 we issued the internal control over sustainability reporting publication. And what the authors did, in that publication, was we looked at the existing internal control framework and said, "Okay, now we're seeing an acceleration of ESG or sustainability reporting and activities, performance and activities.  And that means we need good information, and that means we need quality information and transparency. Let's look at the COSO Internal Control Framework, and see how we can interpret it and apply it to these new forms of reporting. Adam:            Shari, I think that's a great overview. And, as you mentioned, there's the ever evolving nature of this new type of non-financial reporting, ESG reporting. There are shifts in regulatory compliance. We were just speaking before we started recording how this could change, or that could change, or this regulatory body can make a statement, at this moment, at this time, how this is constantly changing.  And, Tim, maybe, I'll ask you, how do you see this landscape changing? And what should organizations be, particularly, aware of, especially, with the ever evolving nature and things constantly moving? Tim:               Well, Adam, thank you, and thank you for having me here. The sustainability reporting landscape has rapidly changed, particularly, recently, to meet stakeholder expectation, and government regulations. And, Adam, your question could be an entire podcast, or a big section of this podcast if we had that kind of time, but I do see some critical trends, just some of the ones, from my perspective.  I mean, many people are out there, I'm sure Shari's got all kinds of ideas of what those trends might be. But there are some that just come to mind, for me. I think the biggest one that I think about a lot, and certainly what I experience in the classroom, and then talking to people who are in the field of sustainability reporting, some of the people I work with in different contexts, I think the first one is increasing regulation.Regulatory bodies, worldwide, are increasing their focus on sustainability reporting. And, personally, I think we should expect ever more stringent reporting requirements. And an interesting case in point, I think, is under the new California Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act. U.S. companies with annual revenues of $1 billion or more, in the State of California, for report both their direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions, in the next few years. I think that's a huge change and really indicative of the kinds of things that we can expect going forward.  I think next is, probably, increased investor pressure, I have no doubt about that. Institutional investors are placing more emphasis on sustainability factors, while making investment decisions. And, actually, I just saw an actual run of this, recently, last month, actually, they are employing very structured analysis using very detailed sustainability factors. So I think there's going to be more and more demand for increased disclosures, and that's not going to go away anytime soon. I think we're going to see more focus on meaningful materiality and risk assessments. People are paying a lot of attention to ensuring there are robust materiality and risk assessments, that identify and prioritize issues that are most relevant to businesses and to stakeholders. Stakeholder engagement will increasingly be more important.  Engaging with stakeholders now is critical, but, I think, it's only going to become ever more so, as we move through this process. There appears to be a much keener focus on greenwashing, and I, personally, think this is a huge problem for us. I think it's actually gotten to the point, where it seems that the perception of greenwashing is causing some pushback in this space and, actually, almost threatening the integrity of the effort. I think we're going to have to think a lot more about honest transparency, in this process. Do we want people to actually buy into this and trust the process, and the kinds of things, this year, I was just talking about? I think I'm leaning directly toward that notion of more honest transparency. I think there's going to be a greater focus on supply chain transparency. Particularly around human rights, DEI, environmental impact, all these kinds of things. I think we've only seen the tip of the iceberg in this space. I think reporting, metrics will continue to change. The metrics that investors and stakeholders focus on are changing really fast. We are seeing a great deal of movement in the EU, in particular. For example, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, which went into effect this past January, it's extending the requirement to report on sustainability management from a select number of companies in the EU to nearly all companies in the EU. Except these little micro companies, I guess. So, again, a lot of movement here, a lot of stuff is changing. My bottom line, I mean, I could keep listing these things. But my bottom line is that sustainable reporting is dynamic, it's always changing, and, as professionals, we must stay informed about changes in regulations, investor perceptions, and societal expectations.Shari:             Can I add just one thing to what Tim said, and that is we tend to focus, or we have tended to focus, when we think about corporate reporting on public companies. Because naturally there are securities regulations both in the U.S. and in various jurisdictions around the world. But one thing that we are seeing in the world of sustainability, or ESG information, is that it is going to affect small and medium-sized companies. Maybe not direct corporate disclosure, but to their commercial customers into supply chain. We're actually seeing where a large public company, for example, has made net-zero commitments or other kind of commitments. And they talk about that in their public materials, and it goes into their ratings, et cetera. Well, they turn around and turn to their suppliers and say, "If you want to sell to us, we want your carbon footprint data. We want your modern slavery DE&I data. And we're seeing, in a positive way, in certain places, where the large commercial buyer is working along with the smaller suppliers. The component, the agricultural companies, to say, "Let's find ways that we can work together."  And it has become a competitive advantage for non-public companies to be able to say, "Not only can I deliver your components, but I can deliver your components along with quality information." We're seeing supplier audits in this area starting to come up, or industry collaborations where they're setting standards. So it's not only public companies to think about. Tim:               It's not just the public companies, because I've had conversations with a lot of organizations, they're asking for my help in responding to their customers. And if they're part of the supply chain, they will, certainly, have to disclose Scope 1, 2, & 3 emissions. Shari:             Exactly. Tim:               And one of the problems they have is they have no clue, what in the world that company is talking about. They don't even know what the starting point is. We're talking about internal controls over sustainability reporting, this is wonderful stuff. But if you're a small organization, that's never even heard of this space, that has no idea how to report. A lot more education is going to be necessary for that upstream and downstream indirect emissions providers. I've had people call me up and say, "They're asking, now, my employees, how far do they drive to work? What kind of a car do they drive?" And all of these kinds of things, and it's very confusing for, in particular Scope 1, Scope 3, emissions information providers. Like "How in the world do I capture this stuff?" And, Shari, you're absolutely right, large organizations can't get where they want to get to with their reporting, unless the entire value chain comes on board. Adam:            That makes a lot of sense, and there's going to be so much pressure from the consumers and regulatory bodies. And I can imagine it's overwhelming for any organization. Maybe somebody is listening to this and saying, "I know I need to do something." And, so, maybe, we can define what some of the benefits are to organizations and some advantages, if they can apply the sustainability business, the internal control integrated framework, to their organization.Shari:             Well, I will say that, first of all, one of the great benefits of looking to the COSO framework, or ICSR as we're referring to it in shorthand, is that we already know how to do a lot of this. We have the ability to leverage what we already know about building good governance systems, and controls, and processes, and oversight into our company systems, and looking at the information flow. We can train, think about training our board, and our members, but we already have a lot of the tools, and the know-how to address the concerns. It's not as esoteric or new, it really can be rooted in what we already do. Second, another great benefit is that, although, we think about COSO Internal Control with respect to external financial reporting. When you actually get into the framework, it is enterprise wide, it is holistic.  If you want good reporting, well, then, you need good information, and that means you are tracking your activities, and what your company is doing. And if the company is taking steps to actually become more sustainable in their performance. Of how they source energy, and how they human resources, and take care of waste, and all of those things. So it runs throughout an entire organization.  And the thing that I find is that when you think about it holistically, you start with the concept of purpose. So if you look at the publication, you look at the framework, you look at principle one, a commitment to ethical behavior, of being a good corporate citizen. And what is your purpose?  Why does your company or organization exist in the world?  What are you aiming to achieve? Why should all of your investors, and stakeholders, and employees, stay with you?  What are they going to get out of this; with respect to performance, and activities, and returns? So it leverages a reexamination, it leads to a reexamination, I should say. Why does our organization exist?  What are we doing, and are we doing these things efficiently? Are we doing them effectively? When I first started writing this publication, when I was tapped to become part of the authorship team. I said, "Internal controls and sustainability, well, that feels a little apples and oranges, to me." But, in fact, it's really about focusing on goals. It's focusing on purpose, and objectives, and how the company achieves those, and the information that it uses to decide how it's going to use these resources. Tim:               And I think I'll add something because I thought that was a great explanation by Shari. The bottom line is, from my perspective, I think the framework we're dancing or advocating and what has been put together with respect to internal control and sustainable reporting, it's comprehensive. It has widespread acceptance, it focuses correctly, in my belief, on risk management. It's very adaptable. When I read the publication that Shari co-authored, it's absolutely adaptable. We had with the internal control, the Internal Control Integrated Framework, absolutely adaptable, and it works perfectly here. And, really, most importantly, it has absolute global applicability Shari:             Yes, when I hear Tim say that global applicability is that there are so many regulators, and policymakers, and standard setters, and all sorts of organizations that are saying, "Here's what you need to report." It's a lot on the what to report, but this gives a framework of method of how. Tim:               Yes, and it does a good job with that. Adam:            I think you've given a great explanation about all the advantages and how it benefits. But I can't imagine that it's an easy process, and there are got to be challenges that people can encounter along the way. Maybe we can discuss a few of those challenges, to help people feel at ease. Tim:               When I was thinking through this, you can talk about some of the challenges. But, I think, it might make sense to talk about what some of the benefits are before we got to the challenges, perhaps, because I found that significant. I think the first, at least, from my perspective, the first benefit is enhanced reputation. A commitment to a purpose-driven business can enhance an organization's reputation, there's very little doubt about that. And there's a fair amount to thought leadership research, and surveys, and what have you, that support what I just said. If you look at GM, you look at Procter & Gamble, those are great examples of companies, in their sustainability report that have detailed their corporate purpose in very explicit ways, and easy to read, and make a lot of sense. And really I tell you in this space, there's been a paradigm shift. From just being a shareholder-first mentality, to say, "Hey, well, you know what, there are a lot of stakeholders." I think through this process you can gain a competitive advantage. Gain business practices, it can help recruit, and retain talent, just for one example. They can foster innovation. They can lead to development of new products and services. Think about electric vehicles, think about solar, think about power storage. These are all kinds of industries that we were not even really thinking much about not that many years ago, at least, not in a serious way. They can provide access to new markets and opportunities. And one thing I found very important, certainly, as my work over the last 25 years in the governance space and what have you, I can go a long way to increasing stakeholder trust and engagements. It can also have significant cost savings. Case in point is 3M's, 3Ps-Pollution Prevention Pays.And if you look at a sustainability report you'll see that, "Hey, this has saved billions of dollars since its inception." And they do a good job now of highlighting it, even though this was before we were really talking about sustainability, and ESG, and these things, and they were on top of some of the stuff. Risk mitigation, sustainable practice if well executed, it can mitigate environmental, social, and governance risk, ESG risks. It can help avoid costly reputational damage, integrity breakdowns, governmental scrutiny, fines and penalties, all kinds of benefits. Help provide access to capital, companies that demonstrate strong sustainable performance. Can often find it easier to access capital from socially responsible investors and from institutions that prioritize sustainable investments. Can lead to long-term value creation by producing a more stable and sustainable business model, less risk, and what I would say are higher valuations. And I think that's the greatest selling point for, actually, doing this stuff in a very serious way. It really is all about long-term value creation. And, of course, finally, I would say it can differentiate your brand. If you embrace sustainability and corporate purpose, you can distinguish yourself from competitors and build a brand that resonates with your consumers. Remember, it's all about the consumers in the end. There are some challenges which you had mentioned earlier, when we talked about it earlier. I think one of the biggest ones, the initial investment costs for sustainable products and efforts can be very expensive. Perhaps beyond the grasp of some, but well worth the investment for many. Understanding shifting consumer preferences is not always straightforward. Encouraging consumers to choose sustainable options over conventional ones can be slow and a challenging journey. Sometimes these sustainable options are perceived, sometimes, as being more expensive. Regulatory compliance can be demanding. It may require continuous adjustments to business operations. Clients with changing environmental regulations and standards can require continuous adjustments to your business operations. Which may pose significant operational challenges. Another big one is balancing short-term and long-term objectives it's often tricky. Organizations may, counter a lot of pressure to prioritize immediate profits over long-term sustainability, creating both internal and external pressure. And some may, I'm afraid, think you have to sacrifice one for the other. And, Adam, I don't buy into that, I don't believe that. But a lot of people do believe that, it's an either/or kind of thing. There are significant resource limitations above and beyond the budget I mentioned earlier. Things like renewable energy sources, sometimes, are hard to find. Sourcing sustainable materials can be really difficult, not to mention human resources and talent acquisition can be very difficult. Complex global operations are challenging. Multinationals might face headwinds in implementing uniform sustainability standards across diverse regulatory environments, cultural norms, socio-economic situations. Further global supply chains are incredibly complex. Much more so than domestic organizations, and requires a great deal of collaboration to make this work. And, then, finally, in this area, I would say the greenwashing concerns, we kind of touched upon it earlier. But with the focus on sustainability, there is a risk of an organization engaging in greenwashing. Where they make misleading claims about the environmental benefits of their products or operations. Such practices can lead to reputational damage and loss of trust among stakeholders.  I know I've talked twice about greenwashing, but it is a huge problem. And it really is undermining a lot of the good efforts taking place in this area. So to help ensure long-term viability and success, I think it's important to develop a comprehensive strategy that aligns sustainability goals with the overall corporate purpose. Shari:             Listening to Tim, I'm reminded of a story that was shared with me a few years ago, now. It was my colleague in an agricultural company. And, of course, the questions came to them about carbon footprint, "Are you measuring greenhouse gases, et cetera?"  And, so, they started to do that measurement, the inventory, instituting their processes. And in doing that what they discovered is a huge waste of water because they were looking at how they produce and operate in a more holistic, as you say, totality.  And, so, in trying to quantify and measure their carbon footprint they ended up changing their entire system of water and reduced it by a lot. So they ended up having gains, by extension, to new streams of information, that they hadn't been looking at before. Tim:               It really is an exercise in navel-gazing, looking deep inside yourself, to actually do this stuff. And it's not an easy process, but that's a great example of where there are all kinds of benefits, well, and it's unintended benefits, from actually going through this process, and a lot of discovery takes place. You learn a lot about yourself. Adam:            It really sounds like you can learn a lot. And I think you've kind of illustrated, my last question was going to be around, how does this framework play a crucial role in ensuring effective governance, and rules, and internal control systems. Especially, concerning sustainable business practices, and what you just displayed there, Shari, for us, was a great example of that. And if there are any other examples you guys can share, I think that would be really helpful, and encouraging as people are thinking about this and looking at it. Because it's inevitable that it will be affecting every organization. Shari:             Yes, here's another example that I thought of, when you're getting more into the risk and the overall reasons, to think about sustainable business. But I do remember if you drive along highways now, how often do you see charging stations. In fact, I saw, not far from where I live, a former gas station had completely changed into an electric vehicle station. And I thought somebody else in that supply chain, if you create fuel pumps, you might want to think about changing that business model, and that's what the information can bring forward. Tim:               Yes, earlier I had mentioned that notion of a robust, risk, and materiality assessment. And just adding on to what Shari was saying, I had a conversation not long ago with a tire manufacturer. So they were doing deep dives and taking it very seriously. But they started understanding things that were hugely important and material, they'd never thought about before. For example, when you drive down the road, your tread wears out of your tire. You don't think about, "Where does that rubber go?" Maybe it goes in the atmosphere, it goes on the street, it goes on the side of the road. And suddenly, wow, they're materiality mapping and that process is hugely dynamic. The risk assessment is dynamic, and I think people are looking for that dynamic approach to these kinds of things. You can be an energy company just delivering electricity for a municipality, and suddenly you start getting into solar panels. And, suddenly, "Wow, we got new risk, where are they sourced? Where is this stuff coming from? What does that supply chain look like?" So a lot of interesting things that actually pop out of going through this process. And a lot of it leads to much better decisions and also uncovering important things and cost savings, it's all there. Adam:            Tim, Shari, do you have any final thoughts for our audience? Shari:             Well, as we wrap up, I want to just bring it back to why the internal control, and the COSO framework, and that publication, in thinking about all these new types of activities and new types of information, that has risk associated with it. And there are business risks, but there are also risks in the information. For example, we talk about supply chain, so in order to account for Scope 1, not Scope 1 because that's your data. But Scope 2 and Scope 3, you, by definition, need to get information that doesn't come from your system that you're responsible for, it has to come from a third party. So there's risk in that information. So we need to think about other controls. We need to think about affiliates, or other investees, or companies that we outsource to, that we used to consider immaterial for financial reporting purposes, but now we need their information. Green Bonds, is another, where we're affirming to our lender that we are in compliance with certain ESG metrics and then they lower our interest rate, that's informational risk.  We also have the risk of estimation and expectations, and how we measure prospective assumptions and leads to that kind of reporting. I think that's really huge because so much of sustainability reporting, including some of the mandatory disclosure requirements coming out of Europe, double materiality, impact accounting, it means estimating the future. That's what sustainability is all about. Do we have the resources made available to us in the future? Can we count on that?  Are stakeholders willing to make those available? So, anyway, it goes to the question of estimating the future, which makes many, in traditional accounting, uncomfortable. They don't like to disclose and report on the future and our assumptions. But that's a necessary part of creating the measurement techniques in order to effectuate all these new demands, for reporting all these new KPIs. What I'm saying is that by following what we already know how to do, By leveraging the frameworks that we already have, it can highlight and help direct us address the innovative areas, the information, the use of digital technology, perhaps, to bring this about in a reliable way, and avoid the greenwashing that Tim has highlighted for us. Tim:               Yes, I think the things that you talked about resonate with a lot of things we talked about earlier. Those things are all about long-term value creation. Shari:             Agreed, absolutely. Tim:               You got to be thinking about the future. And, also, one of the things that I see from the work you've done here and the internal controls of sustainability reporting. I think it's going to go a long way to helping with the notion of external assurance of this information. Because now we'll have internal controls in place that make some sense, that can be tested in and of themselves, it gives a lot more confidence in what's being reported. Because stakeholders are going to take some of this stuff with a grain of salt. Unless someone actually opines it, "Hey, wow, you know what they're telling you it seems accurate enough. It's doing what it's supposed to do."  I think that's going to be a huge underpinning for the document we've been discussing here. Because I think it's going to go a long way to enabling that. And unless you have that third-party attestation, the trust may not be there until we get to that point. I don't know, that's just my prediction. Adam:            Well, I appreciate you guys sharing your final thoughts and sharing all your insights with our audience, today. And thanks so much, again, for coming on the podcast. Shari:             Thanks so much, Adam. Tim, it's been a pleasure.  < Outro > Announcer:    This has been Count Me In, IMA's podcast, providing you with the latest perspectives of thought leaders, from the accounting and finance profession. If you like what you heard and you'd like to be counted in for more relevant accounting in finance education, visit IMA's website at www.imainet.org.

Should we outsource Internal Audit? That was the crux of the debate between Alex Sidorenko and Doug Anderson. The only thing they agreed on was that Internal Auditors need more business acumen. What are your thoughts? Should it be outsourced?

The results from this year's Global Technology Audit Risks Survey, conducted by Protiviti and The Institute of Internal Auditors, reveal a complex and multifaceted landscape of technology risks. Cybersecurity is the top priority and by a wide margin. AI is an emerging risk with gaps in organizational preparedness and audit proficiency. The talent gap in IT is a growing concern and data privacy is a growing regulatory challenge.Protiviti and The IIA recently published a research report on the results of this survey, Navigating a Technology Risk Filled Horizon. For this episode, we talk with Protiviti Managing Directors Lindsay Gleeson and Angelo Poulikakos about the results of the survey and their insights about the findings and the trends they reveal.Angelo is global leader of Protiviti's Technology Audit and Advisory practice. His specific areas of concentration include technology risk management, cybersecurity, IT compliance, internal audit and automation. Angelo has more than 18 years of experience in all facets of internal controls and frequently works with CIOs, CISOs, CAEs and other leaders to mature their technology risk management and audit capabilities.Lindsay is a leader in Protiviti's IT, internal audit and financial advisory practice. She has over 16 years of extensive experience with a focus in audit consulting and project management. She has managed and executed numerous projects related to internal controls and rationalizations; Sarbanes-Oxley, SOC2, NIST and HIPAA regulatory compliance pre-implementation reviews; and automation and information security governance assessments.For more information, read Navigating a Technology Risk Filled Horizon.Contact Angelo at angelo.poulikakos@protiviti.com.Contact Lindsay at lindsay.gleeson@protiviti.com.To request a transcript of this episode, contact kevin.donahue@protiviti.com.

Get ready to discover the secret to building a successful company! It all starts with core values - the foundation upon which every great company is built. In this episode, we sit down with Scott McKay, the Manager of Asset Protection at Lennox, to learn more about how preventive measures can help businesses stay true to their mission and goals. Scott has an incredible journey to share, having transitioned from an internal auditor to an ethics and compliance officer. He explains that his role is not just about catching someone doing something wrong, but also about training people to avoid such situations in the first place. Learn the best practices for creating a work culture of excellence where people are motivated to contribute at their highest level. Don't miss this engaging conversation about the power of core values in business success.On Air is a Lennox Learning Solutions Production