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10th March, 2027 | 09:00 - 12:30 CET
11th March, 2027 | 09:00 - 12:30 CET
Leverage neuroscience to enhance your strategic communication with senior management and the Board. Learn how to deliver audit insights that influence decision-making, manage high-stakes discussions, and drive organizational change at the executive level.
Suggested training duration: Two half‑day sessions (total 1 day)
Training Description
As audit executives, the ability to communicate effectively with senior leadership, the Board, and strategic stakeholders is a key driver of success. This training, based on the latest brain research, empowers audit leaders to refine their communication strategies for maximum impact. Understanding how the brain processes information, emotion, and decision-making will allow you to tailor your messages in ways that resonate with top-level decision-makers.
This course focuses on high-level communication techniques that enable audit management to present complex audit findings persuasively, manage conflicts with strategic finesse, and build stronger relationships with key stakeholders. You will learn how to shape discussions that lead to action, influence decision-making with precision, and foster an environment of trust and collaboration.
By the end of this training, you will have mastered the tools needed to elevate your leadership communication and align it with the cognitive processes of senior management, ensuring your insights drive meaningful change.
Learning Objectives:
1. Master executive-level communication techniques that align with how the brain processes information and decision-making.
2. Develop skills to present complex audit findings persuasively to senior management and the Board.
3. Learn to manage high-stakes conversations with key stakeholders using emotional intelligence and brain science.
4. Gain advanced conflict resolution skills to address disagreements and ensure audit recommendations are accepted.
5. Tailor your communication style to align with the leadership perspectives and strategic priorities of executive teams.
6. Use neuroscience-based techniques to influence Board-level decision-making and shape discussions that lead to action.
7. Build trust and credibility with senior leadership by demonstrating an understanding of their cognitive and emotional drivers.
8. Lead audit teams with enhanced communication strategies, ensuring alignment between executive priorities and audit deliverables.
Audit Training Agenda:
1. Understanding Executive-Level Communication and Brain Science
- How senior leaders process complex information and make decisions
- The role of emotional intelligence in executive communication
- Aligning audit messages with leadership priorities
2. Delivering Persuasive Audit Insights to the Board and Senior Management
- Structuring audit reports and presentations for executive consumption
- Strategies for influencing Board decisions using neuroscience-backed communication
- Engaging senior leaders with clarity and confidence
3. Managing Conflict and Strategic Negotiation at the Executive Level
- Advanced conflict resolution techniques for handling high-level disagreements
- Negotiation strategies that align with cognitive and emotional drivers
- Ensuring audit recommendations are accepted and acted upon
4. Building Strong Stakeholder Relationships Through Trust
- Fostering long-term relationships with senior leaders and Board members
- Using brain-based techniques to build rapport and trust
- Communicating in a way that resonates with strategic decision-makers
5. Adapting Communication to Leadership Styles
- Tailoring your communication to the different leadership styles of executives
- Understanding and addressing the cognitive biases of senior leaders
- Customizing your approach for maximum impact
6. Advanced Emotional Intelligence in Leadership Communication
- Leveraging emotional intelligence to lead effective discussions
- Recognizing and managing emotional triggers in high-stakes conversations
- Enhancing communication through self-awareness and empathy
7. Practical Case Studies and Applications for Audit Executives
- Real-world case studies of executive-level audit communication
- Hands-on exercises to refine communication strategies with senior stakeholders
- Feedback sessions to improve leadership-level communication skills
Trainer:
Dr. Dominik Foerschler, PhD, CIA, CRMA, MD Audit Research Center | ARC Institute
awarded by Richard Chambers as Internal Audit Beacon Award Winner and Top 10 Global Thought Leader for Internal Audit.
In over 30 years of professional experience at Deutsche Bank, Canadian Imperial Bank CIBC and BMW in responsible management positions, with international assignments in Toronto, Chicago, New York, Madrid and London, Dominik is today the author of numerous expert books and articles in the field of Internal Audit, GRC and human resources development in renowned professional journals as well as the editor of a book series.
After holding various management positions and working as executive assistant to the President of the University of Frankfurt am Main, Germany and faculty member of the Management Research Center; Dominik now heads the Audit Research Center | ARC Institute as Managing Director. As Chairman of the Digital Transformation Board, he is also responsible for the development of new learning methods such as Gamified Training or the developed AI Digital Transformation Audit Stress Test as an audit methodology concept.
3rd March, 2027 | 09:00 - 12:30 CET
4th March, 2027 | 09:00 - 12:30 CET
Unlocking Audit Excellence through Operation Audit Toolset
Suggested training duration: Two half‑day sessions (total 1 day)
Training Description
In The IIA’s Global Internal Audit Competency Framework, critical thinking is identified as one of the key required personal skills – an indispensable competence for internal auditors. Critical thinking leads to improved decision-making and better organizational performance. In this comprehensive ARC audit training, we will explore the vital role of critical thinking alongside root cause analysis in driving audit excellence.
Effective critical thinking involves collecting and analysing information, drawing compelling conclusions, and providing recommendations. It is essential for personal and organizational success, enabling auditors to better manage risk and create a sustainable control environment.
This ARC audit training course will demonstrate how critical thinking techniques can be integrated into key elements of the audit process, from risk assessments to reporting, enhancing audit effectiveness and delivering measurable value to stakeholders.
Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the fundamental principles of critical thinking and its significance in audit operations.
2. Develop an understanding of critical thinking principles, tools, and techniques.
3. Practice applying critical thinking skills in various scenarios encountered during internal audit engagements.
4. Learn about the purpose, importance, and key terms of critical thinking in the context of internal auditing.
5. Explore relevant Global Internal Audit Standards and guidelines for embedding critical thinking into audit documentation and reporting.
Agenda
Introduction to Critical Thinking
- Understanding the importance of critical thinking in internal audit
- Overview of key concepts and principles
The Role of Critical Thinking in Audit Preparation
- Integrating critical thinking into risk assessments and audit planning
- Critical Thinking in the Audit Process
Tools and Techniques for Critical Thinking
- Exploring practical tools and techniques for effective critical thinking
- Hands-on exercises and case studies
Applying practically Critical Thinking in Fieldwork
- Conducting effective process analysis of control designs
- Conducting interviews, testing, and analysis with a critical mindset
- Documenting processes and testing with an emphasis on critical analysis
- Hands-on exercises and case studies
- Presentation of results and common discussion for Best-Practices
Reporting and Communication
- Formulating impactful recommendations
- Embedding critical thinking into audit reports
Implementation and Continuous Improvement
- Leveraging critical thinking to drive organizational change and improvement
- Identifying opportunities for continuous enhancement of audit practices
Conclusion and Next Steps
- Recap of key learnings and takeaways
- Developing a roadmap for implementing critical thinking in audit practice
- Developing a personal action plan for applying critical thinking in audit practice
Trainer:
Dr. Dominik Foerschler, PhD, CIA, CRMA, MD Audit Research Center | ARC Institute
awarded by Richard Chambers as Internal Audit Beacon Award Winner and Top 10 Global Thought Leader for Internal Audit.
In over 30 years of professional experience at Deutsche Bank, Canadian Imperial Bank CIBC and BMW in responsible management positions, with international assignments in Toronto, Chicago, New York, Madrid and London, Dominik is today the author of numerous expert books and articles in the field of Internal Audit, GRC and human resources development in renowned professional journals as well as the editor of a book series.
After holding various management positions and working as executive assistant to the President of the University of Frankfurt am Main, Germany and faculty member of the Management Research Center; Dominik now heads the Audit Research Center | ARC Institute as Managing Director. As Chairman of the Digital Transformation Board, he is also responsible for the development of new learning methods such as Gamified Training or the developed AI Digital Transformation Audit Stress Test as an audit methodology concept.
24th November, 2026 | 09:00 - 12:30 CET
Objective
Most major governance failures are not caused by missing controls, but by how people behave under pressure, incentives, and organizational silence. This seminar introduces Behavioral Risk Analytics as a structured approach for making the human dimension of risk observable, measurable, and auditable. Participants will learn how behavioral drivers, leadership tone, psychological safety, and incentive systems influence decisions and control effectiveness. The seminar explains how Behavioral Risk Indicators can complement traditional Key Risk Indicators by identifying conditions for failure before an incident occurs. It also demonstrates how behavioral analysis can be integrated into audit planning, fieldwork, root cause analysis, and Board reporting. Practical cases and an implementation roadmap help participants transfer the approach to their own organizations.
Agenda
• Why traditional control testing often fails to identify behavioral risk
• Behavioral Risk Analytics, Behavioral Risk Indicators, and maturity models
• Integrating behavioral analysis across the Internal Audit lifecycle
• Lessons from major international corporate failures
• Behavioral Risk Dashboards, AI, and practical implementation
Trainer
Torben Hilbertz is an international Board Member, Chair of several Audit Committees, and an experienced Governance, Risk, Finance, and Internal Audit leader with close to 30 years of international experience across Europe and the Middle East.
He currently serves as a Board Member and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of a publicly listed healthcare group, chairs the Audit Committees of two leading FinTech entities, and is an Audit Committee Member of a growing airline.
Previously, Torben held senior Internal Audit leadership positions at SWISS International Air Lines, Abu Dhabi Airports, and Abu Dhabi Health Services Company. He has built and transformed Internal Audit, governance, and risk management functions across aviation, healthcare, financial services, logistics, and international corporate groups.
He began his career with Arthur Andersen and combines extensive Board and executive experience with deep expertise in Corporate Governance, Behavioral Risk Management, data analytics, and the future development of Internal Audit. Torben holds the CIA, CFE, and CC professional certifications.
10th November, 2026 | 09:00 - 12:30 CET
Objective
Internal Audit should not be viewed merely as a cost center, but as a Confidence Center for the Board and the organization. Based on the Global Internal Audit Standards 2024, this seminar explains how Internal Audit strengthens confidence in governance, risk management, decision making, and organizational oversight. Participants will examine how purpose, integrity, professional courage, independence, and strategic alignment create the institutional foundations for reliable assurance. The seminar also demonstrates how disciplined, evidence based audit work turns findings into insight, foresight, and sustainable improvement. Particular attention is given to what Boards and Audit Committees genuinely expect from a modern Internal Audit function. Participants will learn how to articulate and demonstrate the value of Internal Audit as a source of justified organizational confidence.
Agenda
• From Cost Center to Confidence Center
• Purpose, integrity, objectivity, and professional courage
• Independence, mandate, and Board oversight
• Strategic planning and evidence based audit execution
• How Internal Audit creates justified confidence and sustainable impact
Trainer
Torben Hilbertz is an international Board Member, Chair of several Audit Committees, and an experienced Governance, Risk, Finance, and Internal Audit leader with close to 30 years of international experience across Europe and the Middle East.
He currently serves as a Board Member and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of a publicly listed healthcare group, chairs the Audit Committees of two leading FinTech entities, and is an Audit Committee Member of a growing airline.
Previously, Torben held senior Internal Audit leadership positions at SWISS International Air Lines, Abu Dhabi Airports, and Abu Dhabi Health Services Company. He has built and transformed Internal Audit, governance, and risk management functions across aviation, healthcare, financial services, logistics, and international corporate groups.
He began his career with Arthur Andersen and combines extensive Board and executive experience with deep expertise in Corporate Governance, Behavioral Risk Management, data analytics, and the future development of Internal Audit. Torben holds the CIA, CFE, and CC professional certifications.
The Agentic Revolution & Human Superpowers in an AI World
Redefining the Internal Audit Operating Model for a Hyper-Volatile Decade
Moving from Manual Execution to Governing Autonomous Audit Ecosystems
The 2027 Audit Challenge Conference Series is your definitive call to action to move beyond being a “Monday-Morning Quarterback” and become a strategic “Navigator” of the future. This is not just a conference; it is a collaborative laboratory for internal audit leaders and professionals to redefine their value proposition through technology-enabled human judgment.
Join us to bridge the gap between legacy thinking and future-state reality, ensuring your audit function delivers foresight and decision intelligence at the speed of business. Don’t wait for the future to be decided for you!
Help lead it.
Save-the-date: Wed. 21st / Thu. 22nd April 2027
The Agentic Revolution & Human Superpowers in an AI World
Redefining the Internal Audit Operating Model for a Hyper-Volatile Decade
Moving from Manual Execution to Governing Autonomous Audit Ecosystems
The 2027 Audit Challenge Conference Series is your definitive call to action to move beyond being a “Monday-Morning Quarterback” and become a strategic “Navigator” of the future. This is not just a conference; it is a collaborative laboratory for internal audit leaders and professionals to redefine their value proposition through technology-enabled human judgment.
Join us to bridge the gap between legacy thinking and future-state reality, ensuring your audit function delivers foresight and decision intelligence at the speed of business. Don’t wait for the future to be decided for you!
Help lead it.
Save-the-date: Wed. 21st / Thu. 22nd April 2027