Gavin Hayes has been Head of Policy and External Affairs at the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors since July 2018. In this role, Gavin leads the Institute’s engagement with external stakeholders, research and thought-leadership programme, public affairs and advocacy, as well as overseeing PR and media relations. This includes leading the Institute’s work on audit reform, spearheading the Institute’s response to the UK Government White Paper on Restoring Trust in Audit and Corporate Governance. As well as this, Gavin played a key role in the development, and successful launch of the Institute’s Internal Audit Code of Practice, leading the secretariat that supported the independent committee that helped to develop the Code.

Gavin has a background in public policy, campaigns and communications. His previous roles include Aviation Campaign Director at the business membership organisation London First, where he led the organisation’s airport expansion campaign ‘Let Britain Fly’; Editorial Director at the public policy events and communications specialist Neil Stewart Associates and prior to that General Secretary of the centre-left political campaign group Compass.

 

Title of Session:

Risk in Focus 2023: Navigating the perfect storm of high-impact interlocking risks

For the past seven years, Risk in Focus has sought to highlight key risk areas to help internal auditors prepare their independent risk assessment work, annual planning and audit scoping. It helps Chief Audit Executives (CAEs) to understand how their peers view today’s risk landscape as they prepare their forthcoming audit plans for the year ahead.

 

This year, Risk in Focus 2023 involved a collaboration between 14 Institutes of Internal Auditors spanning 15 European countries which included: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK & Ireland. The highest number of European countries involved so far.

 

The survey elicited a record-breaking 834 responses from CAEs across Europe. Simultaneously, four roundtable discussions were organised with 39 Chief Audit Executives (CAEs) on each of the risk areas covered in the report.

 

This year’s Risk in Focus research was set against the backdrop of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the biggest geopolitical risk event for decades, and one which has disrupted and transformed the European risk landscape like never before. Meaning this year’s results promise to be more fascinating than ever before.

 

The presentation due to be delivered at the IIA Luxembourg conference will reveal the key findings and provide practical suggestions for how internal auditors get prepared for the big new and emerging risks coming down the track.