Geopolitical risk and the role of the internal auditor

Presented by: Derek Leatherdale

Geopolitical volatility has risen sharply in recent years, with 2024 likely to be another pivotal year for global politics. These developments increasingly affect companies, presenting new risks, opening up new opportunities, and are emerging as a strategic issue for boards and senior management teams.

This short course is designed to equip IA practitioners with the knowledge and skills to support their boards and wider organisations as geopolitical issues become more pressing, allowing them to stay at the forefront of this key area of emerging risk.

Over the half-day course, attendees will receive, and be able to discuss, expert insights into key geopolitical issues across the global economy, including on US-China, wider issues in Asia, the Middle East and Russia-Ukraine. The course will also provide an overview of how these issues affect the international business environment and methodologies for identifying impacts on corporate strategy, financial performance, operational and supply chain resilience and ESG decision-making.

The course concludes by providing practical suggestions on how internal audit teams can support their organisations as the level of board focus on geopolitical volatility increases.

Who should attend?

This course is suitable for a wide range of delegates, including those with internal audit, risk and governance responsibilities in their organisations. Attendees from organisations that have material exposures to geopolitical developments, or where geopolitical issues are either discussed by the board and its committees, noted in risk registers or listed in other risk frameworks will also benefit.

What will I learn?

Upon completion you will be able to:

• understand how key geopolitical issues globally will evolve and how these will affect the business environment over the medium-term, drawing on the instructor’s deep expertise.
• analyse the ways in which these issues could affect your business, now and in the future.
• understand how risk management and governance processes can be optimised to anticipate and manage business impacts from geopolitics more effectively.
• provide greater support and assurance to the board on geopolitical issues as their focus on this area increases.

Course programme

• expert insights into the global geopolitical environment: recent trends, heightened instability and emerging risks.
• levels of board focus and corporate impacts: approaches to considering how your organisation may be affected.
• effective geopolitical risk management frameworks: what good governance and risk management looks like.
• common corporate strategies and tools for geopolitical risk management.
• practical advice for IA practitioners on how they can support boards on this agenda.

CPE competency areas covered

• Performance (Risk management)
• Environment (Organisational strategic planning and management)
• Leadership & communication (Internal audit strategic planning and management)

3 CPE points