What are the 2024 award categories and what do they recognize?

The "Audit Strategy & Transformation" category recognizes initiatives that showcase innovative approaches to internal audit strategy, including evolving methodologies, creative use of talent and resources, and adaptations to emerging risks and opportunities. The "Enabling Technology" category highlights initiatives that leverage technology tools and analytics to enhance audit processes, demonstrating how technology shapes modern auditing techniques and supports informed decision-making.

What was the judging process for the 2024 Award Season? Who was involved?

The judging process for the Audit Innovator Award program is conducted by leading representatives from the internal audit profession. These esteemed professionals from Protiviti, Institute of Internal Auditors, and AuditBoard bring a wealth of experience and expertise to ensure a thorough review of all applications. The selection process is designed to recognize individuals who have made significant, measurable impacts through their innovative contributions.

Audit Innovator Award | Protiviti US

Q: What is the purpose of the award program?

The Audit Innovator Award program aims to drive the future of internal audit towards visionary leadership and transformative solutions by serving as a beacon of excellence, recognizing and advancing innovation within the profession. It embodies a strong commitment to inspiring innovation and emphasizes the critical role of creative problem-solving in developing new, effective, and technology-enabled solutions. With its dual focus on Audit Strategy & Transformation and Enabling Technology, it highlights the importance of evolving practices and integration of advanced tools. The aim is to recognize those who are pioneering new ways to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the audit process while fostering a culture of ingenuity and forward-thinking.

The Protiviti Audit Innovator Award program stands as a beacon of excellence in the field of internal audit, dedicated to advancing and recognizing ingenuity within the profession. This Award program celebrates the vital role of innovation in empowering internal audit professionals to achieve proactive and impactful outcomes, while also inspiring ingenuity and practical application across the profession.

Join us in celebrating those at the forefront of innovation as we steer the internal audit profession towards a future characterized by leadership and transformative strategies.

Morgan Stanley

Audit Strategy & Transformation

This category recognizes bold ideas that elevate and transform audit strategy. Morgan Stanley’s Internal Audit Department is recognized for developing Assurance Hub, a purpose-built, in-house platform that unifies risk assessment, planning, execution, and reporting in a single, data-driven environment. Powered by intelligent automation, embedded analytics, and emerging technologies, including GenAI, Assurance Hub improves audit efficiency, enhances transparency, and strengthens audit impact.

Bank of New York

Enabling Technology

This category recognizes organizations leveraging technology to significantly enhance audit effectiveness and insight. BNY’s Internal Audit Department is recognized for its Agentic AI Initiative, which modernizes audit through a governed, AI-driven ecosystem of intelligent automation and advanced analytics. With more than 1,000 personal agents deployed, the initiative expands audit coverage, accelerates risk analysis, and enables scalable, data-driven insights.

Inter-American Development Bank

People & Culture

This category recognizes deliberate investments in people and culture to build and sustain an innovation mindset across the function. IDB’s Internal Audit Department is recognized for its AUG Exploration Team, a people-first innovation model that develops auditors into “digital explorers” through continuous learning, experimentation, and collaboration, fostering a sustained culture of curiosity and innovation.

Microsoft

Audit Trailblazer

This category recognizes sustained, multi-year enterprise-wide innovation. Microsoft is recognized for modernizing internal audit through agile audits and risk program management while embedding AI, automation, and analytics, including GenAI, across the audit lifecycle. These efforts have saved thousands of hours and scaled adoption through innovation labs, change agents, and hackathons.

DTCC

Audit Trailblazer

DTCC, a 2024 Audit Innovator Award winner, is recognized for embedding scalable analytics into core audit work, applying intelligent document processing and graph-based anomaly detection, and delivering real-time leadership visibility through dashboards. These efforts are supported by champion networks, digital literacy programs, department-wide hackathons, and the application of gamification to drive digital adoption.

2025 Award Season Recap

This year’s Audit Innovator Award celebrated those who brought ideas to reality and ignited a spark of inspiration for the future of internal audit. This prestigious accolade honors individuals and teams who exemplified innovation, advancing the profession through strategic transformation, cutting-edge technology, and a strong focus on people and culture as well as those who demonstrated a broad-based commitment to innovation and transformation.

Thank you to all who applied and congratulations to the winners for their remarkable contributions, which serve as inspiration for the entire profession.

2025 Award Season by the Numbers:

Audit professionals contributed to this year’s submissions

of applicants have internal audit functions with over 25 Full-time employees

of applicants were associated with Fortune ranked companies

Decorative Image: Audit Innovator Award Categories Background

This category spotlights forward-thinking audit strategy and transformation, emphasizing innovation in methodologies, audit planning and agility to address emerging risks and opportunities.

This category recognizes forward-thinking audit initiatives, emphasizing emerging technologies to enhance accuracy, efficiency and insights with innovative solutions.

This category highlights transformative approaches to audit talent, team engagement and culture, fostering collaboration and growth so audit teams thrive as strategic advisors and change agents.

This recognition is for sustained, multi-year innovation in internal audit, advancing the profession through enterprise-wide impact, cross-functional influence and forward-looking leadership.

Watch to learn how your ideas can spark innovation in internal audit

What's Next?

Join our community of audit innovators!

The 2026 Audit Innovator Award Application period will launch in Q3 2026. Sign up to be notified when applications open.

Have questions about the upcoming 2026 Audit Innovator Award or application process? Contact us at [email protected]

Award FAQs

+ EXPAND ALL

What is the purpose of the award program?

The Audit Innovator Award program celebrates forward-thinking internal audit professionals who are shaping the future of the profession. It recognizes individuals and teams driving meaningful change through strategic innovation, technology enablement and people-centered practices. By spotlighting excellence in Audit Strategy & Transformation, Enabling Technology, and People & Culture, the program honors those advancing audit effectiveness, agility, and impact across their organizations.

What is the judging process? Who is involved?

The judging process for the Audit Innovator Award program is conducted by leading representatives from the internal audit profession. These esteemed professionals bring a wealth of experience and expertise to ensure a thorough review of all applications. The selection process is designed to recognize individuals who have made significant, measurable impacts through their innovative contributions.

What is the nature of the prize if selected?

The recipients of the Audit Innovator Award will be honored with prestigious recognition for their significant contributions to the field of internal audit. The winners will receive public recognition highlighting their contributions (including press releases, social media, and features in industry publications), along with a physical award and collection of perks designed to further enable their innovation and best practices.

Search in Protiviti.com

The Protiviti Audit Innovator Award