In this candid “Profiles in Leadership” session, Jim Wilson, VP of Internal Audit at Vail Resorts, joins Tom O’Reilly for a real-world conversation on what it takes to lead and scale a modern Internal Audit function. The discussion explores how audit leaders are navigating team structure changes, developing next-generation talent, and balancing execution with strategic priorities.

Participants will gain insight into the growing pressure to adopt AI while still delivering on audit plans—and how leading teams are managing that tension. Through practical examples and leadership reflections, this session highlights what effective audit leadership looks like today and where the profession is headed next.

Learning Objectives
After attending this session, participants will be able to:

Describe how a nine-person Internal Audit team is adopting AI, including its strategy and roadmap

Identify approaches to building an “Optimized Team Member Experience” to accelerate capability development and engagement

Differentiate between Enterprise Risk Assessment (ERA) and Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), and Internal Audit’s role in each

Evaluate how to structure and communicate an Internal Audit Assurance and Advisory Playbook

Apply strategies to develop senior auditors into more autonomous, high-performing contributors

Assess how Internal Audit leaders balance audit execution with strategic initiatives, including AI adoption