30 April 2026 
Claire Farrell, CHEIA Membership Officer
CHEIA’s annual spring networking event took place in London this week, bringing members together for a day of insightful discussion and collaboration on the key challenges facing higher education internal audit.
The event featured a strong programme of expert speakers. John Chesshire opened the event with a keynote talk on the implementation of the new GIAS one year on, sharing insights into how the revised guidance is bedding in across the sector and highlighting some of the issues he has observed and how these have been addressed. This was followed by group discussions about how members are embedding the GIAS at their own institutions and how we can develop meaningful and proportionate KPIs for internal audit to support quality and value.
Santiago Rossi and Robbie White of Forvis Mazars delivered an overview of the higher education economic outlook, alongside an engaging session on the growing role of data analytics in strengthening internal audit efficiency and coverage. Attendees also heard from Sofia Ihsan and Simon Withington, who led a forward-looking session on artificial intelligence. Their presentation explored emerging AI trends, including perspectives from recent graduates, and highlighted important considerations around cyber security.
During the event, CHEIA also relaunched its updated Spider Self‑Assessment Tool, designed to support members as they continue embedding the Global Internal Audit Standards within their institutions.
CHEIA extends its thanks to Forvis Mazars for hosting the event, and to Robert Grant for his work in organising the day. We are also grateful to all speakers and attendees, whose contributions and engagement ensured another successful and valuable event for the CHEIA community.
