Testimonial

“As a volunteer at the IIA, you get the chance to see so much of the world. Through this, we also hope to inspire other internal auditors to dedicate themselves to the profession. This project literally crosses borders.”
 

IIA Volunteers Els and Maureen on 10 Years of the Ambition Model

The development of the Ambition Model began in 2014, and since then, we, Maureen Vermeij (CZ) and Els Heesakkers (Achmea), have focused on sharing knowledge and good practices on relevant themes for Internal Audit Functions (IAFs). Thanks to our efforts, the Ambition Model has grown into a tool used worldwide. In four languages! And we are quite proud of that. Teamwork is key, and since this year, Floris Stokkers has also been enthusiastically contributing.

In March of this year, we gave a presentation on the Ambition Model at the IIA GAM (Great Audit Minds) conference in Las Vegas. With the help of other enthusiastic volunteers and subject matter experts, the Ambition Model has been further expanded with the topics of Sustainability, Artificial Intelligence, and Cybersecurity, aligning with the new GIAS. The launch is scheduled for the end of June 2024 during the IIA congress, and we hope to have an enthusiastic group of early adopters!

The Ambition Model was initially set up in English to reach as broad an audience as possible, even though we ourselves do not work in an international setting. When the opportunity arose for a European launch, we took preparation very seriously. We spent a few days with the nuns in Vught to brush up on our English, and we were also given the opportunity by CZ to attend a training session with a theater producer, enabling us to confidently deliver the message to a large audience.

Even though there’s still a bit of healthy tension with a new presentation, we really enjoy doing this together and have become well-attuned to each other. It feels like a reward for the many hours this committee work entails. It’s not just about the content, but also about preparing communication to members, the board, setting up and maintaining the European Usergroup, and our network with IIA Global. The work is very diverse and educational, and it’s a great way to apply knowledge and experience from our professional practices at CZ and Achmea.

The Ambition Model is developed for internal auditors, by internal auditors. If you have questions, feedback, or would like to share a good practice, please email us at ambition@iia.nl.