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Wednesday, 21st April | Thursday, 22nd April 2027

Leave us your contact information and be the first to know how the 2027 Audit Challenge Conference Agenda will look like.


Welcome to the Annual Audit Challenge Conference Series!

The “Audit Challenge Conference Series” is more than just a conference – it’s a call to action for internal auditors to embrace innovation, lead through uncertainty, and transform your audit organizations. Don’t miss out on this chance to be at the forefront of audit evolution.
For over 20 years, the Audit Research Center | ARC Institute, a renowned spin-off of the University of Frankfurt am Main, has served as a global pioneer and thought leader in audit methodology and emerging audit industry trends.
To celebrate our legacy of audit innovation we are set to redefine the professional landscape in 2027 with a continuous, 25-hour global live broadcast.

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2026 Audit Challenge Conference Series

Missed the live conference?

Visit our Smart Learning Portal, watch presentations and earn CPE points.

Visit now
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2025 Audit Challenge Conference Series

Missed the live conference?

Visit our Smart Learning Portal, watch presentations and earn CPE points.

Visit now
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2027 Audit Challenge Conference

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

Forge the Future at the 2027 Audit Challenge Conference Series

The profession of internal audit stands at a historic crossroads. As decision cycles accelerate and artificial intelligence moves from assisting work to autonomously executing it, the traditional model of retrospective assurance is no longer sufficient to meet the needs of modern leadership.
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.

Program Structure & Key Topics

The Four Pillars of Audit Transformation

Pillar 1: Pioneering AI & Intelligent Automation | The Agentic Shift

The first pillar focuses on a structural shift that is fundamentally changing the economics of internal audit. We have moved past the initial phase of Generative AI, where tools merely summarized documents or drafted reports. The 2027 Audit Challenge Conference Series explores the rise of...

Pillar 2: Strategic Repositioning – Moving from "Monday-Morning Quarterback" to Strategic Navigators

For decades, internal audit has built credibility by explaining what happened yesterday, acting as the organization's Post-Mortem Specialist. However, in a volatile global market, leadership needs more than hindsight; they require Decision Intelligence delivered before critical choices are made. This pillar outlines the mandate to transition from retrospective assurance to becoming an indispensable part of the enterprise navigation team. Navigators do not just tell you where...

Pillar 3: Talent Transformed | Cultivating Human Superpowers

As AI and intelligent automation absorb the routine and analytical tasks that once defined audit work, the differentiator for future audit professionals will be technology enabled human judgment. This pillar focuses on "Human Superpowers", competencies, capabilities that machines cannot replicate: critical thinking, ethical judgment, emotional intelligence, and the courage to challenge assumptions. The 2027 Audit Challenge Conference Series will explore how to...

Pillar 4: Modern Risk Coverage & Future-Proofing in a Volatile World

The final pillar addresses the "hard to audit" threats of 2027: cybersecurity, geopolitical disruption, and the ethical governance of AI itself. In a world characterized by hyper-volatility, traditional sample-based testing is becoming obsolete. We will explore the transition to full population reviews and near-time auditing enabled by advanced AI data analytics. This shift allows internal audit to demonstrate "reasonable assurance" with a depth and timeliness that was previously impossible. The 2027 Audit Challenge Conference Series will explore the...

Audit Challenge Conference Series Timeline

From 2006 up to today - see how the conference looked like over the years.

  • 2026 Audit Challenge Conference

A Global Journey: Navigating the Age of Competition from BANI Macro-Risks to Multi-Agent Solutions 

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  • 2025 Audit Challenge Conference

Building the Future: Transforming Internal Audit Strategies for a New Era

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  • 2024 Audit Challenge Conference

Beyond Audit Frontiers | The point of no return

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  • 2023 Audit Challenge Conference

Internal Audit in a new Risk World of BANI 

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  • 2022 Audit Challenge Conference

Cybersecurity Assurance & Cloud Providers too big to fail

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  • 2021 Audit Challenge Conference

Planet, People and Performance in Internal Audit

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  • 2020 Audit Challenge Conference

Agile Auditing Strategies & Technology Disruptions

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  • 2019 Audit Challenge Conference

The Future of Internal Audit – Meta-skills

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  • 2018 Audit Challenge Conference

Workplace of the Future – Digital Transformation

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  • 2017 Audit Challenge Conference

Board-Centric Audit Processes

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  • 2016 Audit Challenge Conference

Audit Team Transformation

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  • 2015 Audit Challenge Conference

Governance & Strategy Audit – the future core service of an audit function

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  • 2014 Audit Challenge Conference

From Good to Great – Transforming Internal Audit

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  • 2013 Audit Challenge Conference

Thought Leadership in Internal Audit

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  • 2012 Audit Challenge Conference

Digitalised Audit Knowledge & Audit Process Maturity Levels

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  • 2011 Audit Challenge Conference

Growth Areas for Internal Audit Service Portfolio

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  • 2010 Audit Challenge Conference

Internal Audit 3.0 | Risk Convergence Integrating Second Line Functions

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  • 2009 Audit Challenge Conference

Next-Level Auditing

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  • 2008 Audit Challenge Conference

Excellence in Internal Audit

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  • 2007 Audit Challenge Conference

Staying a Decisive Step Ahead Through Innovative Audit Methodologies

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  • 2006 Audit Challenge Conference

Challenges for the Audit Profession

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Why Join the 2027 Audit Challenge Conference Series?

1. Direct Insights from Global Thought Leaders:

Benefit from the combined expertise of industry pioneers and methodology specialists from leading global firms.

2. A Roadmap for Transformation:

Move beyond theory and gain actionable CMMI development steps to implement Agentic AI and reposition your function as a strategic navigator.

3. Future-Ready Networking:

Join a global community of CAEs and internal auditors who are actively reshaping the professional landscape, providing you with a network of peers to support your transformation journey.

4. Stay Ahead of the "Agentic Gap":

The distance between teams that leverage AI for workflow execution and those that use it only for summaries is widening every quarter. This conference gives you the tools to stay on the right side of that gap.

5. Reclaim Your Strategic Value:

Learn how to automate up 70% of your activities along the internal audit value chain, finally freeing your team to focus on the high-impact judgment and advisory work that Boards actually value.

Exclusive Insights from Industry Leaders

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Throughout the conference, experienced Chief Audit Executives will present real-world case studies on how they cope with emerging risks. These practical insights will be complemented by in-depth presentations from audit methodology specialists, offering attendees a comprehensive perspective on the latest trends and innovations in internal audit risk assessment.

Pioneering AI & Intelligent Automation

Discover actionable strategies to audit and implement cutting-edge tools like agentic AI, predictive data analytics, and intelligent automated reporting systems.

Modern Risk Coverage

Gain direct insights into auditing complex, modern threats including cybersecurity, ESG regulations, climate risks, and geopolitical disruptions.

Future-Proofing Techniques

Learn how to apply agile auditing methods and new frameworks like Positive BANI 3.0 to quickly adapt your audit plans to sudden market shocks.

Global Best Practices

Learn directly from international thought leaders who share real-world case studies and upcoming global standards.

When everything started

Learn more about what we do

Watch this video to learn more about the beginning of Audit Challenge Conference Series.