Inspiring Women in Audit

We celebrate the remarkable journeys and insights of women in the Internal Audit industry. From around the globe, sharing their knowledge, experiences, and unique perspectives, we amplify their voices, empowering them to make their mark on the profession, and driving innovation in the industry. Your host is Tracie Marquardt, a renowned audit communication expert and former co-host of 'The Audit Room.' Tune in to discover how these inspiring women are shaping the future of audit. Subscribe and enjoy!

Inspiring Women in Audit is a business podcast hosted by Tracie Marquardt, with 34 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Tracie Marquardt hosts Inspiring Women in Audit, a business show with 34 episodes published.

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  Inspiring Women in Audit

  Ep 34 The Quiet One Speaks Up with Rachel McCarthy

  Sep 15, 202658 min

  The Quiet One Speaks Up Rachel McCarthy, CIA, has spent nearly a decade building her internal audit career inside a Florida hospital system, working her way up to audit team leader in a single organization. She is President of the IIA North Central Florida Chapter, and she has become the person her department relies on to make sure the whole team delivers the same product to every stakeholder. For years, Rachel was the quiet one in the room, and it turns out the quiet one was watching. In this episode she tells Tracie why transaction testing in a siloed environment keeps turning up the same findings, what changed when her team started auditing governance before data, and what AI is and isn't doing for audit reporting. And she shares the moment she stopped waiting for someone else to ask the obvious question. Two years building her team's methodology and training program, then her first conference stage this year to share it, imposter syndrome and all. That's Rachel. She is the one who asks what happens when the control fails when nobody else in the room will. If you have ever been the quiet one, or you have one on your team, this is your episode. Episode Breakdown 2:07 – Audit Found Her First 11:52 – Sound Like Us, Not AI 20:52 – Invited To The Stage 26:39 – The Crash After the Stage 30:11 – The Question No One Raised 34:42 – Ten Years, Still Independent 39:45 – Fixing It From the Top 44:49 – How Change Actually Lands 46:50 – What healthcare audit carries 49:41 – Voluntold, Then Hooked 55:00 – One Consistent Voice for Audit Be sure to connect with Rachel McCarthy on LinkedIn. And be sure to follow Inspiring Women in Audit on LinkedIn , and connect with Tracie. Join the Exclusive Inspiring Women in Audit LinkedIn Group: This group is dedicated to empowering and uplifting women in the internal audit profession, providing a supportive space for women to share their journeys, insights, and expertise. By fostering meaningful connections, we aim to inspire, encourage, and drive transformative change within the industry. Join us to celebrate the achievements of women in audit and to be part of a community that values and amplifies your unique perspectives and experiences. Sign up for our newsletter! ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This podcast is brought to you by i4 Global Results Limited and Amplify Your Audit Results, the audit communication experts dedicated to transforming your audit reporting and your audit results through communication, optimization, and collaboration. Schedule time with us.

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  Inspiring Women in Audit

  Ep 33 Credibility the Board Can't Ignore with Fiorella Coto Zevallos

  Aug 18, 20261h 3m

  Credibility the Board Can't Ignore Fiorella Coto Zevallos is a global audit, risk and controls leader with more than 15 years of experience across three continents and all three lines of defense. Today she is the right hand of the chief audit executive at a major energy technology company, helping steer an assurance function of ~135 people spanning internal audit, internal controls and enterprise risk management – a scope she sees as proof the profession is finally in the spotlight. Fiorella Coto Zevallos left internal audit on purpose – because she wanted to become a better auditor, and has brought her wealth of experience into her audit leadership roles. In this episode, she shares what changed when she sat on the business side of the table, and why the most credible thing an auditor can say is "I’ve been right where you are. I know what you mean." Born in Peru, living abroad for more than 20 years and working in three languages, Fiorella calls herself "the perfect mixture of German efficiency and Latino charm." Episode Breakdown 1:50 – The Call I Couldn't Refuse 6:49 – Leaving to Get Better 16:26 - A Seat At The Table 21:33 – Hated Externally, Hated Internally 23:25 – Tell Them What They Don't Know 27:33 – Do Your Homework on the Board 33:22 – Audit Like a Dentist Visit 41:09 – An Enabler for What's Coming 47:07 – Diversity of Thought Can't Be Taught 48:56 – German Efficiency, Latino Charm 54:02 – Building the Community I Needed 57:27 – No One Size Fits All 1:00 – Break the Glass Ceiling – Together Be sure to connect with Fiorella Coto Zevallos on LinkedIn . And be sure to follow Inspiring Women in Audit on LinkedIn , and connect with Tracie . Join the Exclusive Inspiring Women in Audit LinkedIn Group: This group is dedicated to empowering and uplifting women in the internal audit profession, providing a supportive space for women to share their journeys, insights, and expertise. By fostering meaningful connections, we aim to inspire, encourage, and drive transformative change within the industry. Join us to celebrate the achievements of women in audit and to be part of a community that values and amplifies your unique perspectives and experiences. Sign up for our newsletter! ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This podcast is brought to you by i4 Global Results Limited and Amplify Your Audit Results, the audit communication experts dedicated to transforming your audit reporting and your audit results through communication, optimization, and collaboration. Schedule time with us.

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  Inspiring Women in Audit

  Ep 32 The Question They Hadn't Thought Of with Nancy Russell

  Jul 29, 20268 min

  The Question They Hadn't Thought Of Nancy Russell is a senior audit and risk executive with more than 25 years of leadership experience across insurance, investments, retirement services, and international operations. She holds Chartered Accountant and Certified Internal Auditor designations, has led global internal audit functions across Canada, the United States, and Europe, and at the time of recording, served as senior vice president and chief internal auditor for a large public sector organization. She's also completing her ICD designation and chairs the audit and finance committee for a major charitable organization – a career built on moving toward challenge, not away from it. This conversation goes straight at the state of the profession – where it's earned trust, where it hasn't, and what it will take for internal audit to stay relevant in a moment that's asking more of it than ever. Nancy doesn't soften the hard parts. Neither does the conversation. There's a habit Nancy has carried through every audit committee meeting of her career: walk in expecting to ask the one question the room hasn't thought of yet. It's where this episode gets its title. That instinct to go all in doesn't stop at the boardroom door – she's also a certified functional medicine health coach. Courage is her word, and by the end of this episode, you'll understand exactly why it's Nancy's. Episode Breakdown 2:12 – Math Over English 4:51 – Integrity as a Career 9:06 – Authentic Over Ambitious 14:20 – Leaving and Coming Back 17:57 – Public Sector, New Lens 20:36 – Audit's Existential Moment 24:45 – Humans Write the First Draft 31:43 – Show Up or Step Aside 38:12 – Confidence as a Practice 45:36 – Women Rising in Audit 54:03 – Coaching the Next Generation 55:39 – Values Before Credentials 1:01:06 – Difficult Conversations Be sure to connect with ⁠ Nancy Russell ⁠ on LinkedIn. And be sure to follow ⁠ Inspiring Women in Audit on LinkedIn ⁠ , and ⁠ connect with Tracie. ⁠ Join the Exclusive ⁠ Inspiring Women in Audit LinkedIn Group ⁠ : This group is dedicated to empowering and uplifting women in the internal audit profession, providing a supportive space for women to share their journeys, insights, and expertise. By fostering meaningful connections, we aim to inspire, encourage, and drive transformative change within the industry. Join us to celebrate the achievements of women in audit and to be part of a community that values and amplifies your unique perspectives and experiences. ⁠ Sign up for our newsletter! ⁠ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This podcast is brought to you by i4 Global Results Limited and Amplify Your Audit Results, the audit communication experts dedicated to transforming your audit reporting and your audit results through communication, optimization, and collaboration. ⁠ Schedule time with us. ⁠

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  Inspiring Women in Audit

  Ep 31 Audit Isn't a Scripted Event with Lori Kaczynski

  Jul 8, 20261h 17m

  Audit Isn't a Scripted Event Lori Kaczynski is a Fortune 500 executive and board director with over 25 years across external audit, internal audit, risk management, compliance, and finance. She has served as Chief Audit Executive at four multibillion-dollar organizations, most recently the SVP, Chief Audit, Risk and Compliance Officer in the food and beverage industry. She chairs the School of Accountancy Advisory Board at Kennesaw State University, where she was inducted into the Coles College of Business Hall of Fame in 2023, and serves on the AICPA Assurance Services Executive Committee. This episode is a masterclass in how a CAE actually thinks. Lori talks about building audit functions from the ground up, why she calls internal audit a service organization, and what it really takes to lead audit, risk and compliance under one roof without compromising independence. More than anything, though, she shares a philosophy of leadership built on trust, curiosity, communication and the belief that internal audit can be one of the most strategic functions in an organization. She is direct, generous, and genuinely funny. A leader who keeps thank you notes in her desk, lets 50 dogs out at a shelter on weekend nights, and still believes audit doesn't have to be a scripted event. Episode Breakdown 2:07 – Audit Can Be Creative 5:56 – Advocating For AI 15:58 – Service Means People 23:22 – The Hybrid Audit 26:00 – You Can’t Teach Critical Thinking 35:01 – Thinking Beyond Compliance 46:27 – Risk Assessing Along The Way 55:21 – Becoming A Business Partner 01:01 – Representation Matters 01:09 – Fill People’s Buckets Be sure to connect with Lori Kaczynski on LinkedIn. And be sure to follow Inspiring Women in Audit on LinkedIn, and connect with Tracie. Join the Exclusive Inspiring Women in Audit LinkedIn Group : This group is dedicated to empowering and uplifting women in the internal audit profession, providing a supportive space for women to share their journeys, insights, and expertise. By fostering meaningful connections, we aim to inspire, encourage, and drive transformative change within the industry. Join us to celebrate the achievements of women in audit and to be part of a community that values and amplifies your unique perspectives and experiences. Sign up for our newsletter! ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This podcast is brought to you by i4 Global Results Limited and Amplify Your Audit Results, the audit communication experts dedicated to transforming your audit reporting and your audit results through communication, optimization, and collaboration. Schedule time with us.

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  Inspiring Women in Audit

  Ep 30 Audit Was the Door. The Sky Is the Limit. with Dr. Lesedi Lesetedi

  Jun 17, 20261h 2m

  Audit Was the Door. The Sky Is the Limit. Dr. Lesedi Lesetedi is a Doctor of Business Administration and Certified Internal Auditor who spent over two decades building internal audit infrastructure across Botswana, rising from auditor to Chief Audit Executive. As President of IIA Botswana, she grew the chapter from 50 to 500 members, established its first permanent office and staff, and secured a ministerial proclamation calling on CEOs and boards across the country to recognize and support internal auditors. She has chaired audit committees for UNICEF and the Food and Agriculture Organization, and now serves as Deputy Vice Chancellor, Corporate Services at Botswana Open University. This episode is about what it takes to move internal audit from the margins to the mainstream – advocacy at the level of heads of state, the daily work of rebuilding trust after audit credibility has been lost, and what happens when the auditor becomes the one being held to account. She is a builder. A woman who grew up the only girl among four brothers, walked into boardrooms full of men, and made them listen – not by force, but by earning it. Audit was the door. The sky is the limit. Episode Breakdown 2:05 – Posted Into Purpose 6:37 – Building IIA Botswana 13:39 – Dynamite Comes In Small Packages 18:52 – Empower Women. Educate Men. 26:02 – Aim Beyond The Ceiling 29:44 – The Ultimate Business Lens 33:40 – Trust Opens Doors 40:48 – Prevent, Don’t Just Report 43:27 – Governance At Global Scale 47:13 – Change How You Show Up 57:22 – Impact Beyond Yourself Be sure to connect with Dr. Lesedi Lesetedi on LinkedIn. And be sure to follow Inspiring Women in Audit on LinkedIn , and connect with Tracie. Join the Exclusive Inspiring Women in Audit LinkedIn Group : This group is dedicated to empowering and uplifting women in the internal audit profession, providing a supportive space for women to share their journeys, insights, and expertise. By fostering meaningful connections, we aim to inspire, encourage, and drive transformative change within the industry. Join us to celebrate the achievements of women in audit and to be part of a community that values and amplifies your unique perspectives and experiences. Sign up for our newsletter! ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This podcast is brought to you by i4 Global Results Limited and Amplify Your Audit Results, the audit communication experts dedicated to transforming your audit reporting and your audit results through communication, optimization, and collaboration. Schedule time with us.

  ListenShow Notes

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