Strategic Audit Communication: Leading with Impact | Neuroscience-Driven Communication for Audit Executives

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.