IIA 2026 International Conference - A Week of Global Connections, Learning and Collaboration
From 22 to 24 June 2026, Singapore welcomed over 2,000 participants from 114 countries for the IIA 2026 International Conference, held under the theme "Transform Internal Audit". The three-day conference brought together practitioners, thought leaders and industry experts to explore the trends, technologies and emerging risks shaping the future of the profession. The week of activities continued beyond the conference, with networking sessions, international benchmarking visits and leadership engagements providing further opportunities for knowledge exchange, professional exchange and stronger connections across the global internal audit community.
The conference opened with welcome remarks by David Toh, President of IIA Singapore, before Guest of Honour Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for Finance and National Development, shared her perspectives on today's rapidly evolving risk landscape. Her welcome address underscored the importance of continuous learning, technology adoption and the human capabilities that remain essential as organisations navigate increasing complexity.
Delegates also had the privilege of hearing from Tan Kiat How, Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information, during a fireside discussion on AI governance and innovation. The discussion highlighted the importance of embedding governance and risk considerations early in the AI journey, while continuing to invest in people, professional judgement and ethical leadership as technology becomes increasingly integrated into organisations.
Across the three days, speakers from around the world explored topics ranging from AI-enabled auditing and audit transformation to governance, cybersecurity, sustainability, emerging risks, and talent development. While the topics varied, a common thread emerged: as organisations continue to evolve, internal audit must continue evolving alongside them, embracing innovation while remaining anchored by sound judgement, integrity, and trust.
Singapore's internal audit community was also well represented on the global stage. Speakers including Melissa Aw Yong (Incito), Eva Peggy Best (BMW Group), Vincent Cheong (UOB), Daryl Pereira (Google Cloud), Ahmer Ramzan (HSBC), Sia Hwee Lay (GIC), Sarjit Singh (Deloitte), Harry Lim, Howard Dan and Colin Wan (OCBC), Jenny Tan (CapitaLand Investment), and Esther Wee (Accountant-General's Department), shared practical experiences and insights with delegates from around the world, reflecting the strength and expertise of Singapore's internal audit profession.
One of the highlights was the presentation of the IIA Excellence Awards in the Global Innovation in Internal Audit category to BMW Group Corporate Audit, recognising its innovative contributions to advancing the internal audit profession. The award honours internal audit functions that demonstrate originality, measurable impact, scalability and a commitment to strengthening audit effectiveness. Dr Eva Peggy Best (Head of Corporate Audit Asia South and Australia) and Stefan Greifeneder (Head of BMW Group Corporate Audit Finance, Sales, HR and Markets) received the award from Anthony Pugliese (IIA President and CEO) and Stefano Comotti (Chair of the IIA Global Board for 2025 – 2026) on 22 June 2026.
Beyond the conference programme, dedicated networking sessions for financial services practitioners, public sector internal auditors and industry leaders participating in the benchmarking and best practices sharing session created valuable opportunities to exchange experiences, discuss common challenges and build relationships with peers from different sectors and jurisdictions. These interactions served as a reminder that while technology continues to reshape the profession, learning from one another and building trusted professional networks remain equally important.
The week also provided an opportunity to strengthen relationships beyond the conference programme. Following the conference, David Toh, President of IIA Singapore hosted members of the IIA Global Board and senior management for a dinner on 25 June 2026, recognising the longstanding collaboration between IIA Singapore and IIA Global. During the evening, David presented a commemorative memento to Anthony Pugliese, marking 50 years of collaboration and shared commitment to advancing the internal audit profession.
From 25 to 26 June, IIA Singapore also welcomed the UAE Internal Auditors Association (UAE IAA) CAE Benchmarking Delegation to Singapore. Through benchmarking visits to CapitaLand Investment, Menarini Asia Pacific, DKSH Singapore and OCBC, the delegation engaged with internal audit leaders on topics including AI governance, audit transformation, data analytics, talent development and the evolving role of internal audit as a strategic partner. The programme concluded with a dinner bringing together the delegation, representatives from the host organisations, and teams from IIA Singapore and IIA Global, marking the successful conclusion of a week centred on learning, collaboration and professional exchange.
From conference sessions and networking engagements to benchmarking visits and leadership gatherings, each activity reflected the value of learning from one another and working together to advance the profession. As IIA Singapore celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, the week served as a fitting reflection of the Institute's commitment to connecting the internal audit community, fostering knowledge exchange, and supporting the continued evolution of the profession, both in Singapore and globally.
