Author: Joseph McCafferty

Whistleblowing on the Rise; But so Too Is Retaliation

Reporting of suspected wrongdoing in organizations has reached a historic high in the United States, but so too have instances of retaliation against those who report violations. Meanwhile, only one in five employees say their company has a strong ethical culture. The percentage of employees who say they have reported Read More

Internal Audit Has a Job to Do to Assure Customer Trust

As we contemplate trust and transparency in business against the backdrop of unethical sales practices events over the last year—think Wells Fargo—and the need to prioritize customers’ needs and expectations over the sales journey, the various customer touch points along the value chain come to mind. For many companies, moments Read More

SEC Whistleblower program

SEC to Pay Record-High Whistleblower Awards

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced its Largest-ever Dodd-Frank whistleblower awards, with two whistleblowers sharing nearly $50 million award and a third whistleblower receiving more than $33 million. The previous high was $30 million, which the securities regulator awarded in 2014. “These awards demonstrate that whistleblowers can provide the SEC Read More

Don’t Shirk Internal Audit’s Core Responsibilities

Internal audit can add value in non-traditional areas, but fundamentals must take priority. It’s true that most internal audit shops have embraced some profound changes in the past few years. The biggest transition has been, of course, to turn internal audit’s powerful ability to assess processes and evaluate controls on Read More

kpmg cheating scandal

Six Charged in KPMG Audit Inspection Cheating Scam

The Securities and Exchange Commission filed charges against six certified public accountants—including former staffers at the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) and former senior officials at KPMG—arising from their participation in a scheme to use confidential information on PCAOB’s planned inspections of KPMG audits. One SEC official charged that Read More

Time to Put Global Trade Protectionism on Your Risk Radar

President Donald Trump’s announcement that his administration plans to impose tariffs on foreign-imported steel and aluminum threatens to land the United States and its trading partners into a global trade war. That prospect raises serious risks for U.S. companies in several industries that internal audit leaders and risk managers may Read More

Collapse of U.K. Firm Raises Questions on Role of Internal Audit

After the collapse in January of U.K. construction company, Carillion, one U.K . internal audit leader is calling on members of the internal audit profession to do some soul searching, reflect on the primary role of internal audit, and spend more time considering “big picture” issues. Others are criticizing the Read More