March 20, 2007 - The Honorable Tom Ridge delivered a keynote address to an audience of more than 900 chief audit executives and senior internal audit professionals at the opening session of The Institute of Internal Auditors' General Audit Management Conference in Orlando, Florida.
Ridge, a consultant to Deloitte & Touche USA LLP, the first secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and former governor of the state of Pennsylvania, demonstrated the value of the Deloitte's "game changer" strategy by simultaneously inspiring and informing his listeners about the compelling need to bring risk intelligence to their organizations.
The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) is an international association for internal audit professionals, with more than 130,000 members worldwide. The General Audit Management (GAM) conference is its signature annual event, drawing hundreds of attendees from across the country. The audience consists of high-level audit professionals from a multitude of industries, an important group of decision-makers and influencers.
In his address, entitled "Manage Risk Before it Manages You," Ridge discussed the challenges facing today's companies, including risks such as global expansion, rapid technology advances, mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, ethics and the speed of organizational change. He challenged his audience to take a more proactive role in helping the organization manage risk. Doing so, he said, will not only benefit the business, but may also enhance their careers.
"Tom Ridge did a fantastic job for Deloitte & Touche," said Eric Hespenheide, Global Leader for Internal Audit at Deloitte & Touche LLP, who introduced Ridge to the audience. "His keynote address was directly on point to the audience; he is clearly a great thinker and speaker. Having the direct association with our organization in front of the GAM attendees positions us very well."
Contact: Michele Nix +1-202-833-2008