Richard Chambers, the longtime president and CEO of the Institute of Internal Auditors, has joined audit technology provider AuditBoard as its senior internal audit advisor.
Chambers headed the IIA for 12 years before his
AuditBoard has been a principal partner with the IIA since 2018, so Chambers has been familiar with the company for several years. The company also sponsored his most recent book. Since leaving the IIA in March, Chambers has also
“I'll be reporting to the CEO, Scott Arnold, and I'll be working alongside the founders and the senior staff and audit board,” Chambers told Accounting Today. “The common theme that I have been putting forth over the last nine months since I announced my plans to leave the IIA is that I wanted to continue to be a voice for internal audit and to work alongside others to elevate the profession. From that standpoint, AuditBoard was a natural fit. The thing that has struck me over the years is their willingness and enthusiasm to make investments in the profession. They stepped up last year during the depths of the pandemic and funded a scholarship program with the IIA so that those internal auditors who perhaps were displaced or didn’t have the resources would continue to be able to to obtain training and education. That’s really unprecedented. I can tell you, from having been around the IIA for almost two decades, I’m hard pressed to recall another instance where a company has done something like that.”
He likes the culture at AuditBoard. “They’re constantly looking for ways to strengthen the profession, and they recognize that it's really through the kind of technology platforms that they have that ultimately this profession is going to be able to realize its true potential,” said Chambers. “I’ve been talking for several years about the trajectory that our profession is on and the fact that ultimately I think our true value will be realized — not only will we provide hindsight and insight, but also foresight for management and boards and others. The kind of technology that AuditBoard has been pioneering, their cloud-based integrated platforms, to me, it’s a perfect fit for that vision of the future.”
AuditBoard plans to turn to Chambers for his experience. “We’re thrilled to welcome Richard and his unparalleled expertise and leadership in the field of internal audit to AuditBoard,” said Arnold in a statement Monday. “His passion for advancing internal audit ... makes him the perfect fit for this role. His unique insights into the challenges and opportunities facing internal audit teams today will help to enhance the way we serve them.”
Chambers became president and CEO of the IIA in 2009, and led the IIA to achieve record global membership and countless milestones over his tenure. Previously, he was national practice leader in internal audit advisory services at PricewaterhouseCoopers. He spent most of his early career in public sector auditing. He has often been among Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting. Chambers has written three books; the most recent, “Agents of Change: Internal Auditors in an Era of Disruption,” was released in March, and was sponsored by AuditBoard.
At AuditBoard, Chambers plans to help spread his knowledge of the internal audit profession. “I'll be there as part of the thought leadership team,” said Chambers. “AuditBoard has a very robust thought leadership platform. They do blogs, webinars, live events. I see myself as being part of that. Those platforms aren’t just there to emphasize technology. It’s to recognize that technology is the enabler and really deal with all of the issues and challenges that internal audit faces. ... I’ll be advising the senior leadership of AuditBoard from the CEO right down through the organization, advising them on my perspectives.”
While AuditBoard will be his main job, Chambers plans to work with other groups as well such as his new role at SWAP Internal Audit Services. “I will continue to reach out and serve the profession in other ways, so you will continue to potentially see me take on additional roles and responsibilities,” he said. “But there's no doubt — and I'm making it very clear to those that I speak with — that my primary emphasis going forward is going to be being a part of the AuditBoard team.”
