Ep. 244 - Jason Mefford - Real Conversations

After nearly five years and over 200 episodes, I’m closing my podcast with a self-interview.The biggest lesson, the favorite guests, the ones who got away, the hard no's, and all the behind-the-scenes realities.

Alex Golbin, author of Governing AI Risk: The River Charter, explains why he wrote a futuristic novel instead of another handbook.From “risk debt” and a 2038 crisis to the cognitive handshake between humans and AI, he challenges the agent hype and asks: who’s auditing the human side?

Jason Mefford returns to talk about soft skills, ego, and the blind spots that get audit leaders in trouble.Why relationships beat reports, how negotiation actually works, and why the best leader is the humble leader.

Valentina Sabet and Alex Rusate reveal how a 2017 Young Professionals Task Force started the IIA Mentorship Program, from a 10-pair pilot to nearly 2,000 professionals today.Listen to the success stories and why every emerging auditor (and mentor) should apply.

Bill Engelhaupt returns to the podcast with his new book The Productive Auditor.Discover the 2-minute end-of-day shutdown that kills the Zeigarnik effect, and why systems (not being the "hero") separate high performers from burnout.

Free book. One of the Magnificent Seven already uses their AI. Alexey Zanin (ex-Meta compliance, co-founder of Bead AI) shares three no-nonsense moves to future-proof your internal audit career.Plus how to get his free book The Audit Leader’s Guide to AI for SOX Testing shipped straight to you.

Matthew Bisignano joins the podcast to share his unlikely path, from geography student to mapmaker to master deal-maker, and how that shaped his leadership style.Treat people like partners, recognize the first downs (not just touchdowns), lead each generation differently, and always be "all in."Plus the internal audit joke he couldn't resist.

What does it take to build a credible internal audit function when you're working with a small team?In this episode I sit down with Sandeep Das, Head of Internal Audit at Elysium Healthcare, and John Johnson, Partner at Core Audit Partners, for a panel discussion on the unique challenges small audit shops face:- Establishing influence without an implicit mandate- Winning hearts and minds, and- Knowing the difference between output and assurance.

"The issue was never talent; it was exposure."IT auditor Arpna Aggarwal joins AUDIT 15 FUN to talk about building a community for women in audit and tech across Tanzania and beyond, and why AI governance conversations are missing African voices. Join me in the discussion as she lays out her call to action on the issue.

Meet the DTCC Hackathon silver medal team: Rich Penfield, Ashes Basnet, Jamie Ontiveros, Wesley Raider, and Marina Tieman (missed Kaine Kenerly).The team reveals why they joined the AI hackathon, how we built a powerful tool in days (no coding background needed), and the biggest takeaways: start small, don’t fear AI, and collaborate.Fast, fun, and an inspiration for auditors ready to innovate.