Powerful Insights

In June, nearly two years after issuing their proposal for third-party risk management (TPRM), the U.S. banking regulators – the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – finalized their guidance.
In this podcast, Brian Kostek from Protiviti interviews Kathryn Hardman from Veritex Bank and Helen Smith from First Citizens Bank about the implications of the updated interagency guidance for their institutions and how institutions can reconcile the revisions in their existing TPRM programs.
Brian is a Managing Director with Protiviti and leader of the firm’s third-party risk management practice. Kathryn is Senior Vice President with Texas-based Veritex Bank and is the Director of Third-Party and Model Risk Governance. Helen is the Head of Third-Party Risk Management at First Citizens Bank.
Contact Brian at [email protected].
Contact Kathryn at linkedin.com/in/kathryn-hardman-096a99b.
Contact Helen at linkedin.com/in/helensmith2021.

ChatGPT is the talk of the town today. But as we all know, generative AI is much more than this one tool. Gen AI represents a new frontier of promise, productivity and capabilities for organizations around the world. But it also comes with risks that these organizations must understand and manage if they’re going to capitalize successfully on these new technologies.
In this episode, we talk all things gen AI with Protiviti Managing Director Christine Livingston. Christine is responsible for artificial intelligence/machine learning and innovation solutions at Protiviti. With over a decade of experience in AI/ML deployment, she has delivered hundreds of successful AI solutions, including many first-in-class AI-enabled applications. She has helped several Fortune 100 companies develop practical strategies for enterprise adoption of new and emerging technology, including the creation of AI-enabled technology roadmaps. She focuses on identifying emerging technology opportunities, developing innovation strategies and incorporating AI/ML capabilities into enterprise solutions.
Learn more about Protiviti’s Artificial Intelligence services here.
Contact Christine at [email protected].
To request a transcript of this episode, contact [email protected].

In the wake of a world-changing pandemic and amid current uncertainties in the global economy, organizations have made, and are making, some significant adjustments in their operations. For most, the procurement function is at or near the top of the list. These changes are critical for procurement leaders to navigate and manage as global supply challenges become more complex and organizations continue to grapple with technology, talent and skills shortages.
There is a proven solution to address these challenges, something we refer to as procurement as a service. In this episode, we talk with two of Protiviti’s procurement experts, Chris Monk and Holly Lindstrom, about the challenges procurement groups are facing today and how this approach can help.
Chris, a managing director, and Holly, a director, are leaders in Protiviti’s Sourcing and Procurement Transformation Group.
For more information, visit Protiviti’s Sourcing and Procurement Transformation page on the Protiviti website.
Contact Chris at [email protected].
Contact Holly at [email protected].
To request a transcript of this episode, contact [email protected].

Well, it looks like a recession is coming. Or maybe it's not. Or maybe it is. It seems like it's been a long wait for the other economic shoe to drop. And in the meantime, many questions are arising around managing costs in organizations.
CFOs and finance leaders continue to have a lot of questions, and get even more from their internal stakeholders and customers, about projections, cost management, supply chains and more. This is especially true for organizations in the manufacturing and distribution industry. They operate in multiple locations. They often are operating on different systems. They can be more susceptible to supply chain issues and any disruptions that might take place around the world. And they have unique talent management challenges.
Strategic cost optimization and management is something beneficial to commit to during any economic cycle, especially for organizations in the manufacturing industry. In this episode, we speak with two experts on this topic – Protiviti Managing Directors Andrea Vardaro Thomas and Shawn Seasongood. Both are leaders in Protiviti’s Business Performance Improvement group.
For more information, visit the Cost and Performance Management page on the Protiviti website.
Contact Andrea at [email protected].
Contact Shawn at [email protected].
To request a transcript of this episode, contact [email protected].

As manufacturing organizations assess new ways to innovate and transform their operations, one area they continue to explore is the development of agile factories. In this episode, we talk with Protiviti Managing Directors Sharon Lindstrom, David Petrucci and Robert Giacobbe. Together, they explore the concept of agile factories and the importance of building flexibility and adaptability in the manufacturing sector.
The conversation highlights the significance of agile factories in today's manufacturing landscape. Protiviti’s experts underscore the challenges faced by traditional manufacturing plants and the need for flexibility, adaptability and rapid responsiveness. They also emphasize the lessons learned from the pandemic and the importance of embracing a B2C approach in a B2B environment to meet customer expectations. By incorporating new technologies and fostering a culture of agility, manufacturing companies can thrive in an ever-changing market.
Sharon is the Global Leader for Protiviti's Manufacturing and Distribution Industry Group. Dave is the Global Leader for Protiviti's Supply Chain Practice, and Robert is a leader with Protiviti's Supply Chain and Business Performance Improvement Group.
For more information, visit the Manufacturing and Distribution Industry and Operations pages on the Protiviti website.
Contact Sharon at [email protected].
Contact David at [email protected].
Contact Robert at [email protected].
To request a transcript of this episode, contact [email protected].

Top-performing internal audit groups share similar traits: They focus more on streamlined, tailored, impactful communications and reporting. They evolve and adapt routinely, and they push themselves to find and build talent and resources from both within and outside their organizations. But guess what? Fewer than six in 10 internal audit functions have access to the talent they need across any of the 12 Next-Generation Internal Audit competencies in Protiviti’s proprietary model.

These are some of the key findings from Protiviti’s latest Next-Generation Internal Audit survey. We conducted our study online in the fourth quarter of 2022 and had more than 550 internal audit leaders and professionals from around the world respond. Our results are detailed in our report Achieving Audit Relevance, available at Protiviti.com.

In this episode, we interview two Protiviti managing directors, Andrew Struthers-Kennedy and Angelo Poulikakos, about some of the highlights from this study. Andrew serves as the global leader for our Internal Audit and Financial Advisory practice, while Angelo is the global leader for our Technology Audit practice.

To learn more, read Protiviti’s full report, Achieving Audit Relevance, at www.protiviti.com/gl-en/survey/next-gen-ia-2023.

Contact Andrew at [email protected].

Contact Angelo at [email protected].

To request a transcript of this episode, contact [email protected].

One of the most significant decisions a CFO faces is selecting the right technology or tool to help them run the finance organization and deliver expected results and value for the business. But technology selection is only the first step. There also is implementation, a just as important stage that can make or break the success of the technology and its effectiveness in the eyes of stakeholders throughout the organization.

In this podcast, we chat with Protiviti Managing Directors Shelly Kalladanthyil and Nick McKeehan about finance technology tool selection and implementation, including whether it’s time to move to the cloud. Shelly and Nick are leaders in Protiviti’s Business Performance Improvement and Finance Transformation practices.

Among the key points they make: It’s not just about choosing a technology and putting it into place. Selecting the right finance technology tool requires significant due diligence as well as contributors from throughout the organization to make it a true success for the business.

For more information, visit the Finance Technology & Data page on the Protiviti website: www.protiviti.com/us-en/finance-technology-data.

Contact Shelly at [email protected].

Contact Nick at [email protected].

Over the past year, as one crypto organization after another has been beset by fraud or declared bankruptcy, countless headlines have surfaced warning of the death of the crypto industry. Yet the damage has been largely contained.

The developments have raised many questions about digital assets, cryptocurrency and blockchain technology as well as regulation and other factors that may help the industry evolve toward a sustainable business model.

In this podcast, Mike Brauneis from Protiviti interviews Lata Varghese and Maryann Kennedy from Protiviti and Liz Mathew from ConsenSys for their insights on the steps crypto exchanges can take to rebuild market confidence, the product innovation and technology use cases that may have been drowned out by the media echo chamber, and forthcoming regulation.

Mike is a Managing Director with Protiviti and global leader of the firm’s Financial Services Industry practice. Lata is a Managing Director with Protiviti and leader of the firm’s Digital Assets and Blockchain practice. Maryann is a Managing Director in Protiviti’s Risk and Compliance practice. Liz is an executive at blockchain technology provider ConsenSys. She manages growth and partnerships for MetaMask Institutional, the firm’s Web3 wallet platform for organizations.

Contact Mike at [email protected].

Contact Lata at [email protected].

Contact Maryann at [email protected].

Contact Liz at [email protected].

The level of uncertainty in today’s global marketplace and the velocity of change continue to produce an array of potential risks that can disrupt an organization’s business model and strategic plan on very short notice. The results of the latest Top Risks Survey from NC State University’s ERM Initiative and Protiviti indicate the business landscape, to no surprise, looks much riskier for 2023 compared with this time last year. In fact, this year’s survey reveals that executives and directors perceive the current business environment as the riskiest in the 11 years we have conducted this study.

In this episode, we interview Dr. Mark Beasley of NC State University’s ERM Initiative and Jim DeLoach, a Managing Director with Protiviti, about the key findings from this year’s study and their insights as to how board members and executives worldwide view the current and long-term business landscape.

Mark is the Professor of Enterprise Risk Management and Director of the ERM Initiative in the Poole College of Management at NC State University. The ERM Initiative provides thought leadership about ERM practices and their integration with strategy and corporate governance. As founding director, Mark leads the ERM Initiative’s efforts to help pioneer the developments of this emergent discipline.

Jim is a member of the Protiviti Solutions Leadership team. His market focus is on helping organizations succeed in responding to government mandates, shareholder demands and a changing business environment in a cost-effective and sustainable manner that reduces risk to an acceptable level. He assists companies with strategy setting, business planning and performance management.

For more information on this year’s Top Risks Survey, visit http://erm.ncsu.edu and www.protiviti.com/us-en/survey/executive-perspectives-top-risks-2023-and-2032.

Contact Mark at [email protected].

Contact Jim at [email protected].

The greatest IT audit concerns lie with cybersecurity-related breaches and related risk issues. Data governance and data integrity are being scrutinized. Regulatory compliance burdens and risk are increasing rapidly.

These are among the key takeaways from the results of the latest IT Audit Technology Risks Survey from ISACA and Protiviti, in which more than 7,500 IT audit leaders and professionals from around the world participated, The results show a dynamic threat landscape that has notably increased in severity since the last survey.

The report from ISACA and Protiviti, IT Audit Perspectives on Today’s Top Technology Risks, is available at isaca.org and protiviti.com/itauditsurvey.

In this podcast, Robin Lyons of ISACA and Angelo Poulikakos of Protiviti share their insights on the survey’s key findings and, perhaps most importantly, what they signify for IT audit functions and their organizations.

Robin’s role is IT Audit Professional Practices Principal with ISACA. Angelo is a Managing Director with Protiviti and global leader of the firm’s Technology Audit practice.

Contact Robin at [email protected].

Contact Angelo at [email protected].