Description
A 12-week, cohort-based executive education program for sitting and next-generation Chief Audit Executives, aligned with the IIA Global Internal Audit Standards (2024) — assessed through applied work on the participant’s own organization, not attendance alone.
Who This Course Is For
Admission requires a minimum of 10 years’ audit, risk, or finance experience, including 3 years in a supervisory role. Employer nomination is encouraged.
- Sitting Chief Audit Executives (CAEs)
- Heads of Internal Audit
- Deputy CAEs
- Internal Audit Directors
- Senior Audit Managers
- CAE-succession candidates
Course Outline
Month 1 — Positioning & Governing the Internal Audit Function
Week 1 — Understanding the Business: Governance, Risk & Control Landscape
- Reading the organization’s governance, risk, and control landscape as a leader, not just an auditor
- Framework briefing, Egyptian practice segment, and applied group work
Month 1 — Positioning & Governing the Internal Audit Function
Week 2 — The Mandate: Internal Audit Mandate & Charter
- Negotiating mandate, charter, and reporting lines under GIAS Domain III
- Aligning the charter with board and audit committee expectations
Month 1 — Positioning & Governing the Internal Audit Function
Week 3 — Building the Internal Audit Strategy
- Designing a forward-looking audit strategy reflecting industry, structure, and culture
- Aligning strategy with the organization’s risk management maturity and team capability
Month 1 — Positioning & Governing the Internal Audit Function
Week 4 — Building the Risk-Based Internal Audit (RBIA) Plan
- Constructing a risk-based audit plan tied directly to the audit universe
- Prioritization logic for a defensible annual plan
Month 2 — Leading People & Managing the Function
Week 5 — Ethics, Professionalism & the Leader’s Credibility
- Independence and objectivity as leadership disciplines, not compliance checkboxes
- Identifying and managing independence threats across the function
Month 2 — Leading People & Managing the Function
Week 6 — Leading the Audit Team: Competencies, Culture and Leadership Traits
- Building the collective competencies required by Standard 3.1
- Recognizing and correcting toxic leadership behaviors
Month 2 — Leading People & Managing the Function
Week 7 — Financial, Human & Technological Resources (incl. AI & Analytics)
- Budgeting and resourcing the audit function for growth
- Making the business case for AI and data analytics adoption in audit
Month 2 — Leading People & Managing the Function
Week 8 — Stakeholder Relationships & Communication
- Building trust-based relationships with boards, regulators, and other assurance providers (GIAS Principle 11)
- Designing recurring communication routines that build credibility over time
Month 3 — Assurance Impact & the Boardroom
Week 9 — Coordination, Reliance & Fraud Risk Ownership
- Coordinating with other assurance providers and managing reliance
- Clarifying internal audit’s ownership of fraud risk oversight
Month 3 — Assurance Impact & the Boardroom
Week 10 — Quality Assurance & Improvement Programme (QAIP) and Performance Measurement
- Evaluating and strengthening the function’s QAIP (Standards 8.3–8.4, 12.1–12.2)
- Setting performance objectives and measures that matter to the board
Month 3 — Assurance Impact & the Boardroom
Week 11 — Reporting to the Board Audit Committee
- Producing boardroom-grade reporting that influences governance decisions
- Structuring annual and quarterly reports for maximum impact
Month 3 — Assurance Impact & the Boardroom
Week 12 — Capstone: The CAE Simulation Before a Mock Audit Committee
- Live simulation presenting as CAE before a mock Audit Committee
- Assessed on boardroom communication, insight, and leadership presence
Assessment & Certification
The program is assessed, not attendance-only. Certification requires attendance at a minimum of 10 of 12 sessions and an overall pass across the following components:
Participants completing all requirements receive The British University in Egypt Executive Education Certificate, with 40 CPE hours — including 3 CPEs on Ethics — documented for participants maintaining professional designations.
| Component | Weight | Assessed Against |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance (min. 10 of 12 sessions) | 50% | Attendance logs |
| Participation | 10% | Engagement rubric |
| Capstone Project: Audit Committee report & live mock-AUCOM defense | 50% | Boardroom communication; insight; leadership presence |
Learning Outcomes
- Position the internal audit function strategically by negotiating the mandate, charter, reporting lines, and board relationships required under GIAS Domain III
- Design a forward-looking internal audit strategy and risk-based plan matched to the organization’s risk maturity and team capability
- Lead, develop, and retain a high-performing audit team, correcting toxic leadership behaviors and building the competencies required by Standard 3.1
- Build trust-based relationships and communication routines with boards, audit committees, senior management, regulators, and other assurance providers
- Evaluate and strengthen the function’s QAIP, performance objectives, and measures
- Provide leadership oversight of fraud risk assessment and emerging risks, including AI and data analytics
- Produce and defend boardroom-grade audit committee reporting that influences governance decisions