The Change Agent: Transforming an Underperforming Internal Audit Department

John Taylor has been hired to transform the underperforming internal audit unit at InSports. The auditors are not reviewing what the audit committee and executive leadership consider essential for the organization’s success, their methodology is subpar, and their relationships with their clients are strained. The audit committee has been patient, but not anymore. Their mandate is clear: make clear improvements in one year or the function will be outsourced.

This is the story of a visionary leader who needs a strategy to transform processes and deliver better results for stakeholders at all levels within the organization. The audit committee, all levels of management, and employees expect more from internal audit. Now, John must lead the group through 12 challenging months as they focus on what matters most when performing audit and advisory services. They must communicate results faster and better, leverage existing quality control and data analytics techniques, and, with every encounter, help the organization address strategic, operational, compliance, and financial risks.

With similarities to "The Goal" and "The Phoenix Project" and leveraging Kotter’s 8-Step Process for Leading Change, follow John and the internal audit team from Boston to New York, San Francisco, London, and Buenos Aires, as they address almost insurmountable challenges in their transformation journey.