What we do
We specialise in audit and risk function best practice, working with organisations through the whole life cycle to implement and optimise what’s right for them.
Who uses us
We work with around 10-20 organisations every year, ranging from the biggest listed companies to small but important not for profits. This allows us to understand what works in those contexts and why.
- Audit Committee chairs and CxOs get us in to form a view on how things are going, what is right for them and to take things to the next level.
- New audit executives use us to hone their craft, fast track their development and get greater certainty over what they’re doing.
- Seasoned audit executives use us as a sounding board to test their thinking and stay fresh.
When to use us
People normally get us in to address one of the following:
- Aspiration: They aspire do something but can’t get it happening or are not sure how.
- Concern: Concerns over what’s being missed or possibly missed.
- New requirements: A stakeholder or regulatory change has driven a new expectation that is not yet clear on what it is or how to meet it.
- Frustration: The risk team or process isn’t delivering what’s required and/or in a way that’s useful.
- Clarity: The way forward is not clear or agreed.
- Fresh eyes: Need for a fresh set of eyes on risk content, process, capability or all three.
- Coaching and capability build: The team has high potential but isn’t quite landing. They need senior vocational coaching or best practice advice to help them master their craft.
- Blind spots: The team knows what they know, but there are things happening outside their immediate circle that they’re unlikely to be across.
Where we fit in the market
Our model is deliberately client-side and independent. We do not deliver internal audit services and are arms-length from all service providers. Our aim is to help our clients buy and hire well but to be separate from audit execution.
How to get started
If you’ve got a brief please get in touch using the button below.
But if you don’t, don’t let that stop you.
The first step starts with a 25-minute discussion with Todd.
In many cases, people get us in when they haven’t fully defined what it is they’re trying to do or how to go about it.
Our first exploratory conversation is often where we add our greatest insights.
When in doubt, get us in early – either for an obligation free discussion or a scoping and planning session.
But before you book one, it’s good to get focused. We suggest the following:
- Print out this page and make yourself a cup of tea.
- Stop and review the When to use us section at the top of this page and then work your way down.
- Scribble a ton of notes.
- Book a 25 minute call with Todd to discuss those and see how we can help.
Our booking page will provide a few prompts to help focus the conversation.
Examples of our work
Some of the many examples of our work include.
Benchmarking and improving your audit function:
- Assurance excellence model and diagnostics
- Best practice benchmarking
- Transformation plans
- Transformation support
- Assurance effectiveness reviews
Getting focused on the right risks and leading from the Board down:
- Audit plan challenge sessions
- Audit project challenge sessions
- Risk and risk control advice
Technical reviews:
- Expert methodology reviews
- Expert file reviews
Delivering effectively:
- Audit executive coaching and mentoring
- Interim / fractional Chief Auditor
- Audit / risk committee member/chair/advisor
- Strategic sourcing
- Capability uplift
We look forward to you putting this to the test.
Hot right now
Before you go, in any given time horizon we’ve got particular offers that are particularly relevant right now.
If you don’t have these under control and want a quick place to start, these could be right for you.
Our current ones:
Emerging risk: A process to keep up with and triage latest developments, make sense of them and pull them into appropriate assurance response and decision making. This includes rapid assurance and in flight reviews.
Objective-centric audit options: An overhaul of audit methodologies and reports that gets executives and boards out of the “choose your own adventure” approach that many have become accustomed to.
Audit pack reviews: Desktop reviews to inform how well things are tracking and whether changes are required..
In the current COVID environment we’re geared up on these right now and able to support remotely. If you’d like to explore these please get in touch.
Either way, this is a critically important area and never more so than right now. We’re here to help, so please do get in touch.
Go well,
Todd