The IIA GAM 2025 Conference brought together the brightest minds in internal audit, finance, and risk management. Over three days in Orlando, industry leaders tackled the biggest challenges facing audit teams today—rising financial complexity, growing regulatory pressure, and the undeniable need for AI-driven transformation.
FedEx’s Jamie Bailey Meziere and ExxonMobil’s Beth Casteel led insightful discussions on purpose-driven leadership in audit, while PwC’s Amanda Herron highlighted the evolving role of auditors as strategic technology partners. These themes echoed across the event floor, reinforcing that AI-powered insights are no longer a ‘nice to have’—they’re essential for modern audit and finance functions.
But this year’s conference revealed something even deeper: Internal audit is evolving from a compliance function into a critical pillar of financial decision-making. As CFOs demand real-time financial oversight, AI-powered audit insights are shaping the strategic decisions that impact the entire business.
At MindBridge, we had the privilege of engaging with hundreds of finance and audit professionals, sharing insights from real-world AI use cases, and unveiling new innovations that help audit teams move beyond reactive oversight to proactive, strategic risk management—delivering intelligence that the CFO’s office can act on.
Key Takeaways from IIA GAM 2025
1. AI is No Longer an Option—It’s a Strategic Imperative
One theme dominated nearly every conversation: AI is fundamentally reshaping internal audit. Yet, many teams still struggle with where to start. As IIA North American Board President Mike Varney emphasized, there’s a major gap between the need for data-driven auditing and the number of audit teams using analytics at a high level. Internal auditors can’t afford to operate in a data-deficient environment—AI-powered insights are becoming the new standard for risk detection and strategic decision-making.
Our standing-room-only Innovation Session—From Detection to Strategy: How AI Enhances Internal Audit’s Impact—showcased real-world cases where AI-powered insights uncovered $85M in financial mispostings, $25.7M in purchase order issues, and $2.8M in contract spend errors.
These findings didn’t just strengthen internal controls—they provided business leaders with the intelligence needed to prevent financial losses, reduce inefficiencies, and improve operational decision-making.
2. Internal Audit is Becoming the CFO’s Trusted Data Partner—AI Helps Teams Keep Up
The role of internal audit is expanding. Auditors are no longer just checking financial accuracy—they’re delivering real-time risk intelligence that empowers CFOs to act with confidence.
At GAM, we heard it loud and clear: Audit teams are drowning in data. As IIA President & CEO Anthony Pugliese pointed out, data analysis is now the #1 skill auditors must enhance to keep pace with today’s financial landscape. Yet, traditional methods like sampling and process mining can’t scale to today’s business realities, leaving financial blind spots and increasing risk exposure.
That’s why leading organizations are turning to AI-powered Financial Intelligence. By continuously analyzing 100% of financial transactions, MindBridge helps finance teams:
- Detect risks in real time—before they impact business performance
- Strengthen internal controls with proactive, AI-driven insights
- Automate anomaly detection, reducing manual review time
Organizations that invest in AI-driven financial oversight today won’t just improve audit processes—they’ll empower CFOs with the data they need to drive the business forward.
3. The Time for Action is Now—AI Delivers ROI Beyond Audit
Uncertainty around AI adoption still lingers—where to start, how to implement it, and how to measure success. But the most forward-thinking audit teams aren’t debating AI adoption—they’re using it to drive measurable ROI today.
At Booth #208, we unveiled our new Use Case Navigator, helping organizations map AI-powered solutions to their unique needs. Attendees saw firsthand how MindBridge is eliminating financial blind spots, improving efficiency, and driving measurable financial impact—insights that extend beyond audit into broader financial leadership.
If you didn’t get a chance to check it out at GAM, we’d love to walk you through it—reach out to schedule a post-event conversation.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Finance Requires AI-Powered Decision Intelligence
GAM 2025 made one thing clear: Internal audit is evolving into a critical intelligence hub for the enterprise. No longer just a compliance function, audit teams are delivering AI-powered insights that inform CFOs, finance leaders, and the broader business on risk, performance, and financial strategy.
As Greg Cole discussed in his Innovation Session, machine learning is already helping leading organizations uncover millions in financial misstatements, control weaknesses, and inefficiencies—proving that AI-driven insights lead to better business decisions.
With financial leaders demanding deeper, real-time visibility, AI-powered Decision Intelligence is eliminating blind spots, strengthening controls, and providing insights that drive smarter, faster decisions. Organizations that invest in AI today won’t just improve audit processes—they’ll shape the future of financial leadership.
If you’re ready to take the next step, let’s talk. MindBridge is already helping audit and finance teams increase efficiency, eliminate financial risk, and elevate their role in corporate strategy.
