Welcome to the 16th Annual Conference of the Institute of Internal Auditors. I thank you for finding an opportunity to come and network with your peers.
In today’s dynamic and disruptive world, most organizations are undertaking some form of fundamental transformation. Whether they are developing new products and services, refocusing on customer expectations, exploring new technologies, entering the next phase of their push to globalization, or simply seeking new  efficiencies, radical change is now an everyday fact of life. Organizations and their internal auditors cannot afford to be static if they want to survive in this environment.

The fact that the rate of change is faster and more intense than ever has major implications for both companies and their internal auditors. It affects the nature of assurance that internal audit stakeholders are seeking, but it can also greatly enhance the speed and quality of the assurance we can provide. Until recently, assurance was more focused on past events. But the rate of change means that the past is no longer a safe predictor of the future. In today’s environment, organizations are calling internal auditors to be more forward-looking. Boards want comfort that as they take their next steps, they can see the potential stumbling blocks and understand what they need to do to get around them. They see internal audit playing a vital role in their efforts to successfully navigate the fast-moving business environment.

That is great news for internal auditors, but it is also a challenge. Traditional auditing is undoubtedly right for many projects; however, when auditors need to deal with the uncertainties inherent in planned business strategies, it is an approach that is less relevant to the velocity of our current business environment.
Internal auditors can build upon the steps they have taken to meet these new challenges by focusing more effort on innovation. In the next few years Internal auditors will need to develop new strategies to counter fraud and corruption, add value to the oil industry as the country begins exporting oil as well as become partners with the state and corporate in terms of governance and accountability. That is why “Transforming Internal Audit to Drive Value” is our theme for this year’s Annual Conference.

I passionately believe that internal audit has a vital role to play in the success of our organizations. But I also believe that to be up to the task, we need to refresh our commitment to lifelong learning and getting new ideas.

Message from the Chairman
Alfayo Mogaka, MBA, BBA, CFE, CIA, Chairman, IIA Kenya