Internal Audit Excellence

Internal Audit Excellence is a five-day senior internal-audit course delivered by Mars Training Centre across our international centres — London, Dubai, Doha, Vienna and Kuala Lumpur — designed for heads of internal audit, audit managers and senior auditors who want to lift their function from compliance assurance to strategic insight.

Internal audit is being asked to do more, and earlier, than at any point in its modern history. Boards and audit committees expect assurance not only over financial controls, but over cyber resilience, ESG, third-party risk, conduct, culture and digital transformation. The International Professional Practices Framework (IPPF) issued by the Institute of Internal Auditors continues to set the global standard of practice — and the gap between functions that meet it and functions that go beyond it is what defines an excellent internal audit shop.

This programme builds the senior auditor's command of the discipline: from risk-based planning and effective audit fieldwork through to influence, reporting and the relationship with the audit committee. It is delivered by senior practitioners drawn from the Mars panel.

What You Will Learn

By the end of this programme, you will be able to:

• Apply the principles of the IIA International Professional Practices Framework to your function.
• Design a risk-based audit plan that connects to the organisation's enterprise risks.
• Lead audit engagements that produce findings worth executive attention.
• Apply data analytics, sampling and modern audit techniques to fieldwork.
• Write audit reports that drive action rather than defensive responses.
• Communicate audit results to senior management and the audit committee.
• Lead and develop an internal audit team in a function of any size.
• Evaluate the maturity of an internal audit function against recognised benchmarks.

How You Will Benefit

You will leave with the senior practitioner's perspective that separates a competent auditor from an excellent one, along with a Mars Certificate of Completion.

Your organisation will gain an internal audit leader who can deliver assurance the board can trust, insight the executive team can use, and a function that strengthens rather than slows the business.

Who This Programme Is For

This programme is designed for senior internal auditors and assurance professionals, including:

• Heads of internal audit and chief audit executives preparing for that role
• Internal audit directors and senior managers
• Audit committee members and senior advisers to audit committees
• Heads of risk, compliance and assurance working closely with internal audit
• External audit managers transitioning to internal audit leadership
• Senior public-sector audit leaders
• Heads of internal control and assurance in regulated industries

The seniority floor is senior manager and above in an internal audit or assurance function. The week combines facilitator-led sessions with regional case studies, validated diagnostic tools and a personal action plan built progressively across the five days.