AUDIT 15 FUN

After nearly five years and over 200 episodes, I’m closing my podcast with a self-interview. The biggest lesson, the favorite guests, the ones who got away, the hard no's, and all the behind-the-scenes realities.

Alex Golbin, author of Governing AI Risk: The River Charter, explains why he wrote a futuristic novel instead of another handbook. From “risk debt” and a 2038 crisis to the cognitive handshake between humans and AI, he challenges the agent hype and asks: who’s auditing the human side?

Jason Mefford returns to talk about soft skills, ego, and the blind spots that get audit leaders in trouble. Why relationships beat reports, how negotiation actually works, and why the best leader is the humble leader.

Valentina Sabet and Alex Rusate reveal how a 2017 Young Professionals Task Force started the IIA Mentorship Program, from a 10-pair pilot to nearly 2,000 professionals today. Listen to the success stories and why every emerging auditor (and mentor) should apply.

Bill Engelhaupt returns to the podcast with his new book The Productive Auditor. Discover the 2-minute end-of-day shutdown that kills the Zeigarnik effect, and why systems (not being the "hero") separate high performers from burnout.

Free book. One of the Magnificent Seven already uses their AI. Alexey Zanin (ex-Meta compliance, co-founder of Bead AI) shares three no-nonsense moves to future-proof your internal audit career. Plus how to get his free book The Audit Leader’s Guide to AI for SOX Testing shipped straight to you.

Matthew Bisignano joins the podcast to share his unlikely path, from geography student to mapmaker to master deal-maker, and how that shaped his leadership style. Treat people like partners, recognize the first downs (not just touchdowns), lead each generation differently, and always be "all in." Plus the internal audit joke he couldn't resist.

What does it take to build a credible internal audit function when you're working with a small team? In this episode I sit down with Sandeep Das, Head of Internal Audit at Elysium Healthcare, and John Johnson, Partner at Core Audit Partners, for a panel discussion on the unique challenges small audit shops face: - Establishing influence without an implicit mandate - Winning hearts and minds, and -...

"The issue was never talent; it was exposure." IT auditor Arpna Aggarwal joins AUDIT 15 FUN to talk about building a community for women in audit and tech across Tanzania and beyond, and why AI governance conversations are missing African voices. Join me in the discussion as she lays out her call to action on the issue.

Meet the DTCC Hackathon silver medal team: Rich Penfield, Ashes Basnet, Jamie Ontiveros, Wesley Raider, and Marina Tieman (missed Kaine Kenerly). The team reveals why they joined the AI hackathon, how we built a powerful tool in days (no coding background needed), and the biggest takeaways: start small, don’t fear AI, and collaborate. Fast, fun, and an inspiration for auditors ready to innovate.

Tokenization. Context windows. Lost in the middle. Silent failures. RLHF. Anthropomorphism. Quantization. Top-P and Top-K. RAG. Deterministic checks. If you haven’t heard of some of these topics, this podcast episode is for you.

Former Secret Service agent Richard LaTulip joins the podcast to discuss cybercrime investigations, undercover operations, and the human factors that can derail even the biggest cases. He shares how a simple printer fix launched his cyber forensics career, the realities behind tracking global hackers, and lessons from Operation Carter Kaos, including a $75,000 undercover deal that nearly collapsed...

Small team? No problem. Sandeep Das explains how lean audit functions drive real impact, without more budget or headcount. 1) Scale smart (co-source, analytics, guest auditors) 2) Build systems to move faster 3) Build influence with leadership 4) Stop waiting. Start doing. Buy your copy here: www.routledge.com/Audit-Alchemy-Small-Teams-BIG-Impact---A-Guide-to-Internal-Audit-Excellence/Das/p/book/9...

A 24-hour global audit conference. No travel. No time zone excuses. The Audit Research Center is pushing the profession forward with a live, nonstop conference across every region. This episode breaks down what’s coming: 30+ sessions spanning macro risk to real AI use cases Practical applications: planning, fieldwork, reporting, and beyond If you want real use cases, not theory, this is it.

Former Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich shares how a suspicious claim turned into a multi-state investigation, exposing an insider who rigged the system. This episode goes beyond the headline: • The hot dog clue that cracked the case • How tiny red flags exposed a massive fraud • Why transparency increased trust and sales • The real-world power of auditors If you think controls are boring, this story w...

Most leaders hit a moment where they feel stuck. Dr. Benjamin Ritter works with CEOs and senior executives at those exact crossroads. In this episode, he shares what he’s learned about leadership growth, overcoming impostor syndrome, and why the best leaders focus on coaching, delegation, and honest feedback.

Busy does not equal better. In this episode, I sit down with Eduardo Briceno, author of The Performance Paradox, to explore why constant execution can actually hurt performance. We break down the performance zone vs. learning zone and what leaders can do to help teams stop grinding, and start improving. A must-listen for auditors and leaders who want smarter results, not just more work. Eduardo&#3...

Your first 100 days in Internal Audit can define your entire career. In this episode, internal audit storyteller Benjamin Moulder explains why early perception is everything, how “GPA starts at zero,” and what new auditors must do to build credibility and trust. Work ethic, communication, networking, and certifications, we covered it all.

Managing the hell out of your audit. Bill Englehaupt joins the podcast to break down why audits run long, how rework kills morale, and the practical fixes that actually improve audit execution. auditology.info

From Enron to Agile. Burke Willis quit Enron at the right time, and that experience helped shape a career grounded in integrity and change. He is now helping reshape how internal audit projects are done. We talk about why perfect audit plans don’t exist, how two-week cycles accelerate insight, why auditors should tell business stories (not just report numbers), and the power of defining “done” and...

In this episode, finance leader Brian Kenzie explores how the explosive rise of passive ownership has transformed capital markets, and what it means for internal audit and enterprise risk management. The Big Three may now influence internal audit more than the Big Four. If you don't know who the Big Three are then this episode is for you.

In this episode, I sat down with DJ Rossini, Managing Director at Grant Thornton and former FBI Chief Counsel and Compliance Officer. DJ brings a wealth of experience across healthcare fraud, counter-terrorism, money laundering, internal investigations, and corporate compliance. We go over what really works in fraud detection and prevention, including: How a “see something, say something” culture...

What, so what, now what? That’s the heart of data science. In this episode, I'm joined by Sai Popuri, a data science expert who explains the three pillars of analytics: Descriptive – What happened? Predictive – So what’s likely to happen next? Prescriptive – Now what should we do about it? We also talk about how internal auditors can play a powerful role in turning data into better business de...

In this episode, I welcome Tracie Marquardt, host of the Inspiring Women in Audit podcast. Tracie shares the story behind her mission to amplify women’s voices in internal audit and how she grew a global community from scratch. One movement. One mission.

Are certifications truly worth it? From real-world hiring scenarios to the career impact of credentials, Jas and Asim explore whether letters after your name matter more than results, how certifications build credibility, and why lifelong learning is key to staying relevant. They also gave their own ratings on how much certifications really matter...and let’s just say, the average might not be wha...