Partly due to the fallout from the 2008 financial crisis, internal auditors in many organizations are valued more than ever before and seen as trusted advisers, strategic partners and consultants. Management now looks to leverage internal audit as a strategic resource, recognizing that internal auditors’ broad and deep perspective of operations, risks and potential opportunities can help inform business decision-making.

Protiviti’s latest volume of Internal Auditing Around the World finds that many internal audit departments, along with their organizations, are in the midst of significant change and transformation—a period of reinvention. They must rise to the call to become more of a strategic partner to the business—a role many internal audit teams have been actively working to achieve for years—while not compromising their independence and objectivity.