IIA NZ Audit Leaders Network Forum: March 2026

Overview:

IIA NZ is pleased to host the first 2026 Audit Leaders Network Forum - a key gathering of senior internal audit professionals from across Aotearoa New Zealand. This forum provides a space for Chief Audit Executives (CAEs) and Heads of Internal Audit to connect, collaborate, and explore innovative ideas to advance internal audit's impact within their organisations.

Criteria for Participation in the IIA NZ Audit Leaders Forum:

The IIA NZ Audit Leaders Forum is designed for Chief Audit Executives (CAEs) or those in equivalent senior leadership roles in Internal Auditing across New Zealand and the Pacific. Attendees must be IIA NZ members with significant experience and/or professional qualifications such as CIA, CISA, or equivalent certifications. Serving as a mentorship platform for senior internal audit leaders, the forum explores key topics in Internal Auditing, Governance, and Risk Assurance. It provides valuable insights and strategies to enhance professional practice and navigate the evolving Internal Audit landscape. These forums are conducted as closed sessions under Chatham House Rules.

Key Objectives of the Forum:

• Engagement with Global Perspectives: Learn about global and local initiatives and opportunities for leadership within the Internal Audit profession.
• Strategic Discussions: Deep dive into the evolving role of Internal Audit and its alignment with organisational governance and strategy.
• Leadership Development: Foster collaboration among audit leaders to share challenges, solutions, and best practices.

Event Details:

• Date: Tuesday 17 March 2026
• Time: 10.00 - 12.00 pm (hybrid event, a Teams online link will be provided)
• Location:

  Wellington - Venue to be confirmed

Forum in March 2026:

Guest speaker: Bruce Robertson, Director - RBruce Roberston Ltd

• Topic: "Health Checks for Organisations - Lessons for Audit Leaders "
• Summary: Organisational and functional "health checks" are a practical tool for identifying risks, performance gaps, and opportunities for improvement. You will share insights from your advisory work across governance, risk, and financial disciplines, illustrating how internal audit leaders can apply similar approaches within their own organisations. The session will highlight how targeted, collaborative reviews can add tangible value for senior leadership teams and help strengthen trust in the internal audit function.

Bruce Bio:

Bruce is an established governance and risk expert within the public sector, with active membership of audit and risk committees since leaving the Office of the Auditor-General in 2015. He is an independent member of 12 Audit and Risk Committees1 including Hamilton City, Wellington City, Christchurch City and Bay of Plenty Regional Councils for the 2022-25 local body triennium, plus he is the Chair of the Ministry for Primary Industries Risk and Assurance committee.

He is also the independent chair of Regional Software Holdings Limited (RSHL), a collaborative services venture primarily based within the regional council sector.

His work includes a substantial development dimension in supporting the growing understanding and maturity of risk governance and management within the council itself. This work has focused on developing effective approaches of achieving objectives through strategic risk management and defining meaningful definition of council's "risk appetite".

As an independent member, he is required from time-to-time, to deal with sensitive issues in support of council's governance - including Code of Conduct reviews, mediating councillor-to-councillor and undertaking sensitive inquiries.

Bruce is an educator/presenter and is engaged for sessions post the 2025 local body elections on risk and financial governance. He co-convenes a quarterly interest group for risk committee chairs to develop understanding of sector issues and governance practice.

Bruce's advisory work has involved:

• independent reviewer of organisations and significant council activities, including "health checks" on the overall capability and capacity of entities to "perform and deliver" and review of the capability and capacity of key functions
• maturity reviews of approaches to risk
• reviews of trust and subsidiaries, events management and commercial investments
• membership of project control groups on capital development programmes
• review of delegations, contract performance and governance arrangements for capital development programmes
• expert advisory support for mediation processes

Bruce is part of the assessors group for Local Government New Zealand's Te Korowai assessment programme.

Through his time at the OAG, he was heavily involved in the implementation of the decision-making, planning, financial management and accountability provisions of the Local Government Act 2002 as well as their successive amendments.

He graduated with a BCom/BA and is a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA).

Bruce is based in Queenstown and Te Anau.

This is a hybrid event.

Registration Information:

Registrations for this event are through IIA NZ National Office. A light refreshment will be offered at the event.

IIA NZ Members: $FREE

This is a closed IIA NZ member's event. A minimum attendance of 10 people applies for this event, with a maximum of 20 people in person and unlimited online.

Registrations are now open and will close on 9 March 2026

We look forward to welcoming you to this exclusive platform for Internal Audit leaders, designed to inspire growth, innovation, and collaboration within the profession.

Save the date - IIA NZ Audit Leaders Network Forum:

• 19 May 2026
• 18 August 2026
• 3 November 2026 - IIA NZ CAE Forum 2026

IIA NZ Event Overview and Refund Policy: https://iianz.org.nz/Site/terms-and-conditions.aspx

If you require assistance with registering, please contact events@iianz.org.nz