Five Years In: Anthony Pugliese on Leading a Global Profession Through Change
Tue Feb 03 2026
The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit
In this special milestone episode, Terry Grafenstine sits down with Anthony Pugliese to reflect on five years of leadership at The IIA. He shares what it's meant to lead a global profession during a period of unprecedented change, from modernizing the Standards and advancing advocacy to strengthening the talent pipeline and navigating cultural complexity across more than 100 countries. The conversation discusses leadership through influence, professional judgment, integrity, and what it truly means to represent an entire profession on the world stage.
HOST: Terry Grafenstine, CIA, CPA, CGAP, CISSP, CISA
Former Global Chair, The Institute of Internal Auditors
GUEST: Anthony Pugliese, CIA, CPA, CGMA, CITP
President & CEO, The Institute of Internal Auditors
KEY POINTS:
Introduction and Five Years of Leadership [00:00:02–00:02:47] What Makes Leading a Global Professional Association Unique [00:03:03–00:06:16] Leading Through Influence, Buy-In, and Indirect Authority [00:06:27–00:08:08] The Weight of Representing an Entire Profession [00:08:15–00:10:17] Building a Truly Global Culture at The IIA [00:10:39–00:13:53] Balancing Legacy With the Changing Needs of the Profession [00:14:01–00:16:10] Advice for New and Emerging Internal Audit Leaders [00:17:01–00:19:11] What Strong Internal Audit Leadership Looks Like Today [00:19:44–00:23:13] What the CEO Role Looks Like Behind the Scenes [00:24:00–00:27:40] Managing Diverse Perspectives Across a Global Profession [00:27:48–00:29:27] How the Pace of Change Has Redefined the Role [00:30:10–00:32:16] Staying Grounded Amid Travel, Pressure, and Responsibility [00:32:23–00:34:06] What Anthony Hopes Members Feel From This Chapter of Leadership [00:34:19–00:36:35] The Most Meaningful Part of Leading The IIA [00:37:26–00:39:47] Final Reflections on the Future of the Profession [00:39:56–00:41:35] Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more.
IIA RELATED CONTENT:
Interested in this topic? Visit the links below for more resources:
Vision 2035 Global Internal Audit Standards About Us: Anthony J. Pugliese
Follow All Things Internal Audit:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Libsyn
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The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit In this special milestone episode, Terry Grafenstine sits down with Anthony Pugliese to reflect on five years of leadership at The IIA. He shares what it's meant to lead a global profession during a period of unprecedented change, from modernizing the Standards and advancing advocacy to strengthening the talent pipeline and navigating cultural complexity across more than 100 countries. The conversation discusses leadership through influence, professional judgment, integrity, and what it truly means to represent an entire profession on the world stage. HOST: Terry Grafenstine, CIA, CPA, CGAP, CISSP, CISA Former Global Chair, The Institute of Internal Auditors GUEST: Anthony Pugliese, CIA, CPA, CGMA, CITP President & CEO, The Institute of Internal Auditors KEY POINTS: Introduction and Five Years of Leadership [00:00:02–00:02:47] What Makes Leading a Global Professional Association Unique [00:03:03–00:06:16] Leading Through Influence, Buy-In, and Indirect Authority [00:06:27–00:08:08] The Weight of Representing an Entire Profession [00:08:15–00:10:17] Building a Truly Global Culture at The IIA [00:10:39–00:13:53] Balancing Legacy With the Changing Needs of the Profession [00:14:01–00:16:10] Advice for New and Emerging Internal Audit Leaders [00:17:01–00:19:11] What Strong Internal Audit Leadership Looks Like Today [00:19:44–00:23:13] What the CEO Role Looks Like Behind the Scenes [00:24:00–00:27:40] Managing Diverse Perspectives Across a Global Profession [00:27:48–00:29:27] How the Pace of Change Has Redefined the Role [00:30:10–00:32:16] Staying Grounded Amid Travel, Pressure, and Responsibility [00:32:23–00:34:06] What Anthony Hopes Members Feel From This Chapter of Leadership [00:34:19–00:36:35] The Most Meaningful Part of Leading The IIA [00:37:26–00:39:47] Final Reflections on the Future of the Profession [00:39:56–00:41:35] Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more. IIA RELATED CONTENT: Interested in this topic? Visit the links below for more resources: Vision 2035 Global Internal Audit Standards About Us: Anthony J. Pugliese Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple Podcasts Spotify Libsyn Deezer