The IIA President and CEO Anthony Pugliese reflects on five years of leadership and the progress shaping the global internal audit profession.

As AI adoption grows, internal auditors must challenge LLM use, ensuring quality, protecting data, and maintaining critical thinking and professional judgment.

In the public sector, recurrent audit findings often stem from cultural and behavioral factors that push teams to bypass controls under pressure.

2026 Pulse data shows internal audit teams facing budget and staffing cuts, highlighting the need for strategic alignment, agility, and value delivery.

By delegating stakeholder relationship responsibilities, CAEs can reduce bottlenecks, build leadership across the audit team, and strengthen trust throughout the organization.

Often, conflict between auditors and stakeholders isn’t about the audit opinion, but how it’s communicated. Tone and delivery play a critical role in how messages are received.